Visual Art Group Monogrpah 2023

VISUAL ART MONOGRAPH

Paul Mitchell FRPS

DESIGNER: Paul Mitchell FRPS (paul@pmd-design.co.uk)

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VISUAL ART MONOGRAPH 2023 Paul Mitchell

FRPS

Woodland can be a notoriously difficult location in which to compose meaningful images. It is hardly surprising though when you realise how complicated groups of trees can become in densely wooded areas. The phrase ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’ often comes to mind. Photographing woodland for many years, together with my background in graphic design, has certainly aided me in being able to make order out of chaos.

A good analogy is that whenever I start a design project I always begin by sketching out ideas with pen and paper. In photography my camera viewfinder is therefore my blank canvas, ready to be populated with ideas. I make no excuse for preferring more of a pictorial depiction of our countryside, primarily because of my need to capture a true likeness of what I saw and felt during one moment in time. I do very much admire and enjoy the work of those that offer an alternative view of our landscape through the use of multiple exposure, or intentional camera movement for example, but I personally still prefer realism over abstract.

That being said I am not overt to

being slightly contemporary in my outlook, something that derives from being a creative thinker and having an open mind regarding subject matter and composition.

When running my woodland workshops I find that many people walk straight into woodlands expecting compositions to come to them. Unfortunately, trees cannot just uproot themselves and gather into aesthetically pleasing groups. Sometimes even I find it very difficult to see compositions, therefore I often look for a small clearing where I can detach myself from my bag and tripod. For five to ten minutes I will just stand in complete silence. Gradually I begin to attune myself to the surroundings. It may sound somewhat of a cliché but I try and adopt a state of mindfulness. It is at this point that I begin to see and understand what it is I am looking at and identify compositions that I would have otherwise walked past or disregarded as being too busy. Peripheral vision can play an important part too, guiding one’s eye towards light falling on a particular area or object.

I am sure that at some point we have all come across that famous slogan that adorned the back window of many cars: ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’. The same can be said of woodland: it’s not just for autumn! I visit woodlands throughout the year, each season having its very own characteristics.

SPRING

‘Spring is a true re-constructionist.’

Henry Timrod

Awakening from winter slumber, patches of fresh green begin to permeate woodlands, slowly banishing the cold grey and muted mauves, the typical colour palette of winter. The daylight hours are still relatively short with the sun at a low angle; this bathes the woodland in a warm raking light, reminiscent of late autumn. It is also a very tactile time of the year and I often encourage people to stop and feel the newly emerging leaves which are soft and supple to the touch, unlike in the autumn where they become leathery and brittle.

As spring progresses into April and May, we are greeted with a crescendo of lime green and blossom. Woodland paths become avenues of newly emerging foliage creating feathery boughs, whilst the woodland floor becomes full of unfurling bracken and ferns. Our ancient woodlands are also awash with the much-loved, nodding heads of the bluebell. Millions of bulbs can exist in just one wood, giving rise to the ‘blue carpets’ that are a springtime joy. It also heralds the onset of longer and warmer days.

SUMMER

has a flavour like no other. Always fresh and simmered

Woodland photography during the summer months is definitely a challenge. The dawn chorus is a joy to behold, as is cool, fresh air and dew bejewelled foliage. Warm days and cool evenings can also be a good recipe for atmospheric, low lying mist and fog.

Unfortunately, it all means that alarm clocks have to be set earlier and earlier to appreciate the dawn. Trees, once stark and bare, are now fully clothed in swathes of green, so much so that the woodland colour palette can become very limited, having to rely on bright, overcast days for subtle variations of light and varying shades of green. Cloudless days with laser bright light can play havoc with dynamic range. The countryside can look fabulous through our own eyes, and is a pleasure to walk through but the extreme contrast is something that a camera sensor finds very difficult to cope with. This is when I discovered the unique qualities that infrared capture can achieve. I find the low contrast of infrared files enables the sensor to capture details in the highlights

and in the shadows. Also, the pigment in plant leaves, chlorophyll, strongly absorbs visible light and reflects near infrared. The more chlorophyll the plant has, the more near infrared intensity you receive, hence the snowy look of infrared photography.

During August and September I begin to emerge into the light. I am very fortunate to live on the edge of the New Forest, which, contrary to popular opinion, is not one big area of trees but a mixture of woodland and heathland habitats. The late summer months transform heathland areas into swathes of beautiful purple heather covering the landscape. At this time, the bracken is also at its greenest which gives a perfect foil for the colour of the ling and bell heathers.

Towards the end of September we are still subject to warm days but cool evenings giving rise to misty or even foggy conditions. This invariably coincides with bracken turning a beautiful yellow gold hue and means only one thing… autumn is just around the corner.

‘Summer

in sunshine.’

Oprah Winfrey

AUTUMN

‘Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.’

Brontë

Autumn is all part of nature’s ‘body clock’, time to re-absorb and store energy, time to shed foliage in preparation for the colder months. During late October there begins a subtle transition within the woodland canopy.

Trees such as beech, oak and birch are still in full leaf but, gradually, a few begin to turn yellow; this mixture of colour I often refer to as ‘lemon-and-lime’ time. I tend to visit on dull, ‘quiet light’ days and look for dense areas of trees or on a slope where one can exclude any bright areas of sky.

One can certainly expect frosts in early November, which accelerate the colour change. It will certainly differ depending on which part of the country you are in. In southern areas of

the United Kingdom it is usually the second or third week in November that is the best time for the honey-dripped glory that most people think of as autumn. I much prefer overcast days, avoiding any harsh contrast. That said, strong sunlight with blue skies can also offer the added bonus of dramatic contre-jour lighting. If we are fortunate enough, it is fog and mist that certainly produce the most atmospheric images.

By the beginning of December the firework display of autumn colour is nearly over but opportunities to make images are still plentiful as one can often be rewarded with one final tableau of rich colour. Autumn may now be over for another year but woodlands always have something more to offer… even when it’s deep and crisp and even!

Emily

WINTER

‘Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.’

Paul Theroux

Winter in southern England can often be a dull, dreary affair which can prove problematic in a wider landscape. Woodland, however, can be surprisingly colourful with hues of blue and purple with perhaps a smattering of autumnal colour hanging on by its fingernails.

It is quite noticeable during the wintertime that some young deciduous trees, beech especially, often retain brown leaves throughout the season; this happens through a process called ‘marcescence’. The evolutionary reasons for marcescence are not quite clear. Theories include protection of leaf buds from winter desiccation, and as a delayed source of nutrients or moisture-conserving mulch when the leaves finally fall and decompose in spring. Whatever the reason, these pockets of colour certainly add an extra touch of colour during the cold winter months, especially when set against frost and snow. One of the big advantages of winter time photography is that dawn occurs at a much more civilised time, negating the need to set the alarm for silly o’clock! The low angle of the sun also means you can retain that warm, raking light throughout the day. As with all the other seasons though, we are at the

beck and call of the weather gods, so predicting when snow may fall or when hoar frosts occur is a matter of keeping a close eye on the weather forecast and keeping one’s fingers crossed. If I were to concoct the ideal conditions it would be freezing fog during the night with a cold, clear day to follow. One can then be transported to a magical world where trees become sugar-coated with soft rime ice, and the warmth of the rising sun creates patches of gold and silver. My sense of excitement is elevated even further when snow falls. This happened a few years ago when we received a good three or four inches of snow overnight. I had my camera bag, tripod and warm clothing ready and waiting in the hallway. Just before I left I remember telling my wife that I would be back in a couple of hours - I returned six hours later with a bulging memory card!

I would just like to end by saying, it doesn’t matter how much experience you have photographing woodlands - just enjoy exploring, the fresh air, the exercise and above all, retain a childlike wonderment at our natural world.

Born in East Yorkshire, Paul’s interest for photography began at school. He then studied graphic design at art college and soon after began his design career in London. He now lives in East Dorset working as a professional landscape photographer and specialist book designer.

Paul has had numerous exhibitions in London and the South East and has had articles and images published in many photographic magazines. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and is the current Chair of the Landscape Distinctions panel. He also serves on the Visual Art and Photobook Panels.

Paul has also been successful in the prestigious Landscape Photographer of the Year competition; he won the the Sunday Times Choice Award in 2013, won the Urban Category in 2015 and was highly commended in 2017 and 2018. He has also had successes in the Outdoor Photographer of the Year and the International Garden Photographer of the Year. In March 2022 Paul received a RHS Gold Medal and Best in Show at the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Exhibition held at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

www.paulmitchellphotography.co.uk

https://rps.org/groups/visual-art/