Calendar Kings

Russ:

I first got involved with the FoWP group in mid-2020 as a result of starting as a volunteer at the Walled Garden. I’ve always lived locally and have visited the Park from a very young age, my love of photography started in my late teens, visiting the Park often to take photographs of the changing landscape throughout the years.

Chris:

Oh yes, that’s easy. Late afternoon on the 16^th June 2002, Lorraine and my first wedding anniversary. As newlyweds, we moved to Nottingham in the autumn 2001 to start jobs at the University of Nottingham in QMC and quickly heard from colleagues about a lovely place called Wollaton Hall. For our anniversary celebration, we bought food and bubbly to have a picnic. We got lost on the way to the Park – this was before the helpful guiding road signs – but arrived eventually and then headed to the top of the field between the Hall and the lake. It was a stunning afternoon and evening; warm, with hardly a breath of wind and crystal blue skies. Not a bad way to be introduced to this lovely Park and very fond memories.

Chris:

For several reasons. First, in my counselling and cognitive behaviour therapy sessions for depression, it became clear how much good both time outdoors and the positivity of the virtuous FoWP cycle were helping me get better. Second, when I did my first degree at Leeds University, I experienced what it was like to live in a very deprived area – winning the dubious ‘award’ of being the most burgled in the UK. In contrast, Wollaton is lovely but it will only stay this way if we cherish and look after it. Third, the volunteers and staff in the Park exude passion, which makes me want to contribute to our community. Finally, it just feels like the right thing to do.

Russ:

I love the outdoors and since retiring and having to move home after my Dad died, the Park, and especially the Walled Garden, has become a second home to me. Volunteering in both the WG and as a Volunteer Ranger, I hope to give back a little something for the pleasure it’s given me in working there. I love walking early, as I did regularly during Covid, the Park is always peaceful and quiet at that time, the wildlife undisturbed!

Russ:

I have several favourite places depending on the time of year, but for peace and solitude, I have a wander up to the Arbour Oak quite often.

Chris:

This one is easy and hard. Favourite time is easy. Before or at sunrise, especially when the forecast looks promising for mist, which I love because it is so dynamic from one second to the next. My favourite place is much harder. However, looking back at the many thousands of photographs I’ve taken in the Park, the greatest number are from the northwest corner, between Pikington’s Paddock conservation area and the main exit gate. Mist often forms here, there is a sweeping view towards the Hall, the winter sun rises behind the Hall, and the red deer and fallow deer often roam this field or are in the conservation area.

Chris:

I’ve seen people take amazing photographs with cheap cameras and rotten pictures with fancy kit. There are lots of tricks to getting a perfect photo – I’ve never achieved this, as I always pick holes in my own images and strive to improve or find better conditions and compositions. If I had to select one factor, it is to remember that we see scenes at three-dimensional scenes, but photos are displayed in only two dimensions. Therefore ‘composition is king’ to select a scene that conveys a 3D feeling in a 2D medium. This can be achieved by looking for compositions that capture layers, like the photo I’ve selected as a favourite – see below – the layers are the trees in the foreground, followed by the trees in Wollaton, then the Hall, then the Melton Mowbray hills, and finally the sun and sky. Alternatively, strong diagonal lines also work. I used this for the picture of Pickle and I, where the grasses create foreground interest and are supported by strong diagonals of the hill that lead the eye to the Great Ridge and the rising sun.

Russ:

My advice to any photographer is to take your time in composing a scene, especially in landscape photography, sometimes I revisit a place when the light/ weather has changed and it’s surprising how the same scene looks totally different. Two other pointers, make sure your horizon is level ( quick edit afterwards) and also I hate annoying distractions so I tend to crop photos a lot after capture, especially the wildlife ones! Having said all of that just enjoy taking photos!

Russ: 

Every image brings back memories that will never be recaptured! I have several favourite photos of the Park, one of which is the view of Wollaton Hall from across the lake (the light was tremendous) but my favourite wildlife shots were of Vincent, the instantly recognisable Stag who is no longer with us, I spent many an hour watching and photographing him! 

Chris:

It’s tough to select one photo of Wollaton Park that’s a favourite and often my choice changes depending on mood. Now, I’d say the picture of winter sunrise from Catstone Hill Reservoir, near Strelley. I like it because the Hall is placed in the context of Nottingham. Also, the telephoto lens compresses the scene, with the spire of St. Leonard’s church to the left, the Hall in the middle and the chimney at the University to the right. The hills in the background are towards Melton Mowbray.

Chris:

I switched from film to digital in 2005 and have only upgraded when I feel there are gains that will benefit my style of photography, which focuses on wildlife, nature and landscape. Until 2024, I used D-SLRs, which led to the Canon 5D mark 4 and 7D mark 2. My lenses are 15mm fisheye, 16-35mm, 24-105mm, 100-400mm and a 1.4x converter, with all but the fisheye as professional Canon L type lenses and the most recent ‘mark’. Only on rare occasions do I use filters, these being a polariser and a 10-stop neutral density. In Sept 2024, I traded my camera in and bought a Canon R5 Mark 2 mirrorless camera, which is a phenomenal piece of kit and I expect it will last me for the next 5 to 10 years. The headline of 30 frames per second at 45-megapixel resolution is a major undersell of its capabilities. I still use all my existing lenses since Canon sell an EF to RF converter. I always shoot in RAW (a loss-less file type) and process in Adobe Lightroom. Finally, make the decision to switch from a PC to a Mac in 2024 has transformed the speed of my workflow and now I’d never go back to a PC.

Russ: 

I use a bridge camera, the LUMIX TZ 1000 Mark II, more out of convenience as it’s easier to carry, without the need for extra lenses, while I’m wandering the Park, it has a 25-400 zoom and is ideal for getting ‘close’ to the Deer/ wildlife. My thanks go to everyone that’s supported me in the Calendar ‘venture’ over the last 5 years, I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!