Into August 2016 walking and more landscape photography mostly in the country of Surrey but now venturing into Kent and travelling further afield in East Sussex and the South Downs.

August can still be barmy hot and hazy, the days are long but shortening as summer begins to blend into autumn.  August has the highest average temperature but begins to decrease as the month progresses.

Oxted, Surrey

Parking up in the town of Oxted Surrey, the walk took you over the busy M25 up onto the north downs way and chalk cliffs.  It was an overcast day when I visited Oxted and the North downs, not ideal for landscape photography.

Not that its typically Oxted but love the contrast of these red poppies growing amongst the wheat.  At a focal length of 90mm even at F/22 have some bokeh or background blur.  A good walk around Oxted and would return to the north downs.

Blindley Heath, Surrey

Blindley Heath in Surrey consists of a gentle farming landscape with some nice countryside views and a grassland nature reserve.  I arrived quite early one bright sunny morning in Blindley Heath and could not help noticing all the butterflies, bees and dragonflies in the hedgerows.

I switched from shooting landscape photos to shooting insects macro.  Macro without changing lenses but changing settings.  Using my maximum focal length of 200mm and standing back enough to get a good framing.  At 200mm the widest aperture I could use in aperture priority mode is F5.6 which gives me some good Bokeh, ISO was set on auto to give me a minimum fast enough shutter speed which is above my focal length and my focus subject is static.

So when good landscapes were lacking I could switch to macro settings and shoot some closeup wildlife, problem though is switching back and forth, you only have to forget one setting like switching from auto ISO back to base ISO 100 for your landscape photos to then be sub optimal.  The landscape photo above of the gentle countryside around Blindley heath has too much polarisation noticeable in the top right hand corner.

Westerham Kent

Where I lived in West Sussex I was not too far away from the border of Kent.  It was in August I made my first visit into the county of Kent for a walk and practice hopefully some landscape photography around the old market town of Westerham.

Kent is known as the garden of England.  The countryside around Westerham is well wooded with meadows.   It was a beautiful August day when I visited Westerham in Kent.  Just out of the market town was my best chance of a landscape photo with Westerham church as the focal point.

Its here I mistakenly left my ISO on auto rather than its base 100.  So the photograph is not as good as it could have been, but as so bright noise is negligible.

Newlands, Surrey

Newlands corner in Surrey otherwise known as Blackheath has some dramatic views of the north downs.  The morning I arrived in Blackheath it was initially a little misty and foggy, but stilll dramatic.

Following the walk through this part of Surrey I passed by the sleepy villages of Albury and Shere.  Just off the beaten track near Albury at the edge of the field I captured this landscape photo as the mist has cleared.

Newlands corner is very popular with day visitors  and back at the carpark you can get drinks, food, sit at the picnic area and enjoy the views from the Surrey north downs.

Toys Hill, Kent

Toy’s Hill in Kent is situated amongst ancient woodland with striking views across the weald of Kent.   Perfect place for a late afternoon evening walk in August with my camera.  Toy’s hill is the highest point in Kent.

This walk through the Kent weald takes you too another hill called Ide Hill where there is a nice pub to stop for a pint.

Alfriston East Sussex

My last walk in August was a return to East Sussex and back up the south downs starting from Alfriston.  On this day I went out with only my 50mm prime lens attached to my DLSR.  Reason being wanted to compare my landscape photos taken with a prime with my standard 18-200mm zoom lens.

A prime lens is suppose to be sharper as less glass and working parts.  To be honest I was having trouble focusing with the 50mm prime lens but it was a hazy day up on the south downs late summer around Alfriston.  The summer harvest is evident on the hills.

That wraps up my walking trips and landscape photography for the month of August on 2016.  I was travelling again abroad and would not be back until mid September.   I was feeling less a need to travel now as so many lovely places to visit in England that I have not seen before where I could also take my camera.