Swineholes Wood
A landscape photography blog by Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire based landscape photographer Rob Thorley Photography.
Swineholes Wood, Staffordshire. One of the most infuriating places I’ve been to when trying to capture some images. It’s beautiful, chaotic and very, very frustrating.
I’d been to the wood, which is owned by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, four, maybe five times previously, and on each of those visits I’d come away with exactly nothing. I’d almost convinced myself this was a beautiful place that just wasn’t photogenic, and I should move on. My stubborn side however was saying with a woodland this beautiful there must be something there, and I just needed to unleash my inner Simon Baxter.
As you’ll see from the gallery today was different. With my Baxter unleashed I started to “see” the woodland differently, and once I captured the first image, they just kept on coming. What changed today? Fortunately I know the answer, and it was quite simply my expectations . . . and no jacket!
From an expectations perspective I’d just decided to go and explore the location. I think previously I’d been looking too hard, too close, and hadn’t really “seen” the woodland. Today I just wandered in, mooched around, and by “not looking” I started to see loads of compositions.
The lack of a jacket? It was literally just that. As a location once you go into the wood you descend, or climb the valley depending on where you enter. The paths aren’t great, and if you try and cut across you’re getting snagged in the brambles etc . . . and it becomes hard work. On my previous visits I usually ended up hot, sweaty, eaten alive by the midges, and flies, and generally fed up. Today it was a t-shirt, and jeans. I was taking it slow, and it was a far more pleasurable experience, which definitely helped the mindset.
I’m already looking forward to returning as I still have loads more of the woodland to explore, and autumn to look forward to. Hopefully with the changes to my “attitude” there’ll be plenty more images to be made.
You can view more images of Swineholes Wood and my gallery of other Staffordshire locations.
