Researching new locations to walk and take landscape photographs of in and around east Sussex, Beckley wood on the high weald not far from Brede looked like a good candidate for this weekend.

Facebook Landscape Photography Groups

I found a recommended walk around Beckley wood via the ViewRanger app. Internally the ViewRanger app uses the same maps used by the Ordnance Survey maps app. I found the ViewRanger app a bit clunky and would have had to pay for a second subscription to the OS maps online. I got the recommendation for the ViewRanger app off one of the many facebook groups dedicated to hiking and landscape photography around the British Isles. I actually find Facebook a positive experience, there are so many groups, discussions you can join relative to your hobby, here are a few of the best:

• UK Through the Lens
• Beautiful Britain
• Landscape Photography UK
• Great British Countryside

From the High Weald

Anyway back to the High Weald and Beckley wood. I parked up along Moors lane opposite Blackland wood. I was keen to include a hilly and open part of the high weald, along the river Tillingham before heading back round through Beckley wood.

The land was dry, the grass yellow. Making my way down to the river Tillingham I began to notice there were many butterflies.

Photographing Butterflies

I changed my camera settings from wide angle landscape photography using a tripod to handheld telephoto. I was going to shoot some butterflies along the way.

Handholding your camera, gives you a lot more flexibility for taking photographs as not setting up a tripod etc. When handholding the camera I worry more about quality, sharpness and focus. I think I am becoming a bit of a focus freak.

Flower Power

For a drought in mid July the meadows around Beckley woods and the high weald were blooming with flowers.

I followed the country road up Ludley hill, very little traffic only the occasional farmer, I saw no others walkers on this trail. I was heading for a waterfall in Waterfall wood, it was on private land. With the drought the waterfall was completely dried up. I headed back down to the footpath continuing to Beckley wood.

Following the footpath I noticed some deer antlers in a copse of trees. whistling I caught their attention and then saw there was a herd of deer. I wished I could have got closer.  But a barbed wired fence and their antlers stood in the way.

It was a difficult composition, I wanted to include the colour contrast of the trees, the background hill, with the focal point being on the stag’s antlers with the meadow flowers in the foreground.

Beckley Wood Path

The last leg of the hike was following the main path through the main stretch of Beckley woods.

Further in the forest I began to notice lots of different butterflies within the plants and hedges on the sides of the footpath. So for the last leg of the walk it was back to handheld settings and telephoto with my 15-85mm lens.

In Beckley wood this may have been my first ever sighting of a silver washed Fritillary.

Unlike a walk over the south downs, when heading out to a new place like Beckley wood you don’t know if you are going to get many opportunities for landscape or wildlife photography but overall my camera was very active that day and I walked many miles, most enjoyable. I now deserved a pint in the nearest pub.