When I was driving back from the Wye Downs the weekend before along the A28, I could not but help notice the countryside around Brede Hill as I got closer to Hastings.  This weekend I decided to explore the countryside around Brede Hill in East Sussex.

From Brede Hill to Powdermill Reservoir

I found some road side parking along Cackle street and then joined the footpath from Brede Hill into the east Sussex countryside here.

I had studied the surrounding countryside with ordnance survey maps online from Brede going west taking in Powdermill Reservoir Brede high wood managed by the Woodland trust. Going west further takes you too lordship wood and Johns Cross which I had visited a couple of weeks earlier and had been impressed.

Immediately I was confronted with some good countryside landscape photography subjects.  The background had some low hills and oast houses but today was hazy and a little humid, they were not clear.  The foreground had wheat and some buttercups, the middle ground some oak trees.

Light metering modes

I was using aperture priority and set my light metering mode to spot to gauge the dynamic range of the frame.  The sky was about 2.5 times brighter than the ground but within the cameras dynamic range so no need to insert a filter which can soften the sharpness of an image.  Problem with putting your light meter on spot is that often I forget to put it back on matrix which is usually best for landscape photography.  It was only later on in the hike that I realised I had left the light metering mode on spot.

Wood Mouse

Eventually I make it to the outskirts of Powdermill reservoir but the landscape photo subjects had dried up.  But it was peaceful, quiet and I always enjoy the walking and need it after a week sat in an office.

I make it up to high brede wood and nearly step on a little baby mouse who was not camera shy and quite photogenic before he hopped off into the scrub.  I removed my camera from the tripod,  removed the polariser, switched on image stabilisation and off the 2 second delay and opened up my aperture to its maximum and the full focal length of 85mm and most important focused on the mouses eyes having also put light metering mode on partial and center.  Its alot to do when at any moment your subject might scarper off.  I wish I had brought some small pieces of cheese to keep him around.

I really wanted to get a good landscape photo of Brede high wood but often the elements do not come together.  I saw some fantastic flowers, butterflies etc but they not all come together to make a keeper photo.  The sky was a white haze so I was not including it in the frame.

There was very few clear shots of the Powdermill reservoir another subject I wanted a good photo of.  The banks are all overgrown with trees and shrubs.  There is private fly fishing on the reservoir but by boats only.

It was a hot and humid day and I had walked many miles as I made my way around the reservoir, through the woods and back onto the country lane back to Brede.  I was tired now, out of water and not so enthusiastic when some subjects presented themselves.  I just wanted to get back to Brede and into the local pub the red lion for at least one pint of ale.