A WOODLAND WALK | TOBY THE JACK RUSSELL

As much as I’d love to, I don’t always get to enjoy the luxury of shooting during the Golden Hour, with twinkling sunlight streaming through the trees illuminating everything in its path. Sadly, I’m at the mercy of good old fashioned British weather, which means that about 80% of the time we get to enjoy drizzly days and overcast afternoons! But even on those cloudy days, there’s always an opportunity to get some great shots.

Toby’s session was a prime example of shooting in less than desirable conditions. This is probably a good point to mention that I’m a very fussy photographer when it comes to the weather – the sight of even the tiniest raincloud fills me with dread! And yet, even on this overcast, drizzly afternoon when we arrived at Harlestone Firs on the outskirts of town, I was determined to make this session work!

In spite of a spot of rain and more than a bit of mud, we hunted down some great locations. The thing I love most about Harlestone Firs is just how vast it is, with something new to explore around every corner. We discovered late autumn ferns, colourful fallen leaves, and even a huge stack of logs – which Toby was more than happy to pose on. The resulting images from his session are a great reminder that the weather doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’ to get some awesome results – and some of the images below now take pride of place in Toby’s home!