SUMMER BLOOMS
- Christine Sinclair
- Aug 18
- 3 min read
As we are all looking forward to autumn it has to be said that summer is not very kind to landscape photographers! The glaring sun creating harsh shadows, haze and flat light. The sunrise times are a killer and I make no apologies for taking a break from setting my alarm throughout June and July. A lot of photographers turn to wildlife photography; its a good time of year for early morning wanders through summer meadows to capture docile butterflies. (I am quietly trying a bit of this, but let's just say it takes a lot of patience and practice).
Another thing I enjoy is when the full moon makes an appearance. Here on the south coast you can capture it rising over the Needles, Old Harry Rocks and various other locations during the summer.
But for me, the star of the show has to be those summer wildflowers! Here are a few things I have enjoyed capturing over the last few summers:
Poppies
The lure of capturing those red blooms, especially under a blue sky or a sunset with some lovely light is irresistible! They start appearing in June but unlike the bluebells they don't appear in the same place so some driving around and a bit of legwork is needed to seek these fields out. The best results in my area have been Wiltshire, in and around Salisbury Plain. Also one year I ventured down to Cornwall and was lucky enough to get a sunset over a beautiful field of coastal poppies. This is actually a National Trust property with parking in West Pentire near Newquay. This is an annual event although the peak days in June vary a bit. Well worth it, if considering a weekend away in Cornwall.
Phacalia
A bit of a wildcard and I have only seen this once - last July (2025). Again in Wiltshire with the most vast sea of purple-blue stretching conveniently alongside a layby. Apparantly it's grown to prevent soil erosion and is a magnet for bees, which is a good thing!
Purple heather
As we move into late summer, open heathland areas and national parks around the UK such as the New Forest and the Peak District are transformed into a carpet of purple. There are three types of heather; ling, bell and cross-leaved and these three combined form a pretty coloured palette of different purples, mauves and pinks, sometimes interspersed by green bracken. As August gives way to September the bracken turns rusty and its a good time for mist.
However as I type this (August 2026), the fire brigade have just spent the entire week trying to extinguish a large heathland fire in the New Forest, close to the A31 which is still closed. Large parts of the forest near my sunrise haunts have been affected. The ponies know to move away but its concerning for the wildlife in general. A couple of days before I caught a vibrant sunset but the heather was looking exceptionally dry. It's sad but not surprising given how hot and dry it has been.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are a delightful spectacle but very hard to do justice! I have only seen them grown on open farmland once, normally they are in farms that allow access and are pleased for you to share photos on social media. The ones I have recently visited have been North Farm near the village of Horton and Maiden Castle Farm near Dorchester both in Dorset. Only a couple of days ago I went to the latter and the display was breathtaking. They allowed me evening access and I got some lovely light. They normally do this the first two weeks in August with the entry fee proceeds being raised for the Dorchester Hospital Critical Care unit. It's finished now but well worth visiting next year.
When photographing wildflowers please stick to the sides and the pathways.
If you are on farmland please do not trespass and respect the farmer's livelihood.
Please be mindful of hot and dry conditions - help to respect our beautiful New Forest and the countryside in general
Please be careful of ticks - my article THE HIDDEN ENEMY warns about the dangers of Lyme disease.
Comments