Reflections Beneath the Willows: A Photo Walk with Lucy Kayne

As autumn drapes its golden cloak around our woodlands here in the east of England, I, like so many other photographers, will be out and about trying to capture all that splendour. The crunch of leaves underfoot, the crisp air, and the soft, shifting light, it’s a great time of year to brush off the dust of summer and walk in nature, especially if you are part of a small group of like-minded photographers.

I’ve been attending Lucy Kayne’s wonderful and inspiring photo walks for a few years now. They range from some really challenging indoor sessions to outdoor adventures. I particularly like the timings of Lucy’s walks, usually starting at 10 am and finishing around 2:30 pm, which means no really early starts and getting home before the rush hour. Today we met at Gooderstone Water Gardens in Norfolk at 10:30 am. It was really lovely to see some familiar faces from earlier walks I had attended.

After Lucy’s warm welcome and briefing, we set off into the gardens, cameras in hand and goals in mind. Mine was simple. To capture the reflections and colours of autumn.

 Reflections in a water garden were clearly going to be plentiful, but the colours lacked as much diversity as we had hoped. What was on offer, though, took my breath away, and it came in the shape of the beautiful weeping willows surrounding the water, towering yet graceful. On seeing them, my main aim shifted from capturing autumn colours to conveying the way they cascaded down like giant green and yellow waterfalls into the lake.

A couple of hours later, we found ourselves sitting together to eat our sandwiches in a small rustic thatched gazebo tastefully decorated with pumpkins (another photo opportunity). Whilst there, we were visited by the curious owner, who took the time to welcome us and share a brief history of the venue.

One day, whilst rounding up cattle grazing in the often waterlogged meadow with his son, her farmer husband remarked on how wet the land remained all year round. His son replied jokingly that he should turn it into a water garden. The rest, as they say, is history.

Lunch over, we all launched into different parts of the gardens under the watchful eye of Lucy. She moved around to each member, giving helpful tips when needed and highlighting specific shots as the light kept shifting. The fungi enamoured some who got down to eye level with their quarry. Others spent time capturing long exposures of the small waterfalls, taking shots from the numerous wooden bridges scattered throughout.

Suddenly, the sun broke through the clouds, casting a strong light onto and through the willow trees, and I was off. By day's end, I had achieved both my aims of capturing reflections in the water and the flow of the yellow and green leafy cascades.

After a quick round up of our day, we each bid farewell till the next time and headed off.

Once home, I uploaded my images into Lightroom Classic, by reducing clarity and texture, enhancing contrast, and using a bit of dodge and burn, I managed to amplify the flowing effect of the willows in post. The result may not be to everyone's liking, but for me, it’s about what we as photographers wish to convey from the scenes we experience that truly matters.

If you’re looking for a day of inspiration, camaraderie, and creative challenge, Lucy’s walks are a gift. I've provided a link to her website here.

If you came here from my Flickr stream, you can return by clicking here.

Weeping Willow Waterfalls

Afternoon Sun Breaks Through

Fungi Friends

A Boat Lies Waiting

Weeping Willow Curtains

Bridge Over Not So Troubled Water