I fulfilled an ambition of mine this week. I paid a visit to Mayfield Lavender Farm on the London / Surrey border so I could practise my photography among the purple foliage of the lavender plants.
I am glad I went, although it has left me with a small problem. I fired off a huge number of images among the farm’s 25 acres of organically grown lavender and it’s going to take me quite a while to go through them all!
This picture shows a cabbage butterfly resting on a lavender plant. I like the contrasting colours, the details of the butterfly’s features and the tight focus.
The lavender attracted an impressive array of butterflies and bees. Some were most obliging and stayed very still for me and I will share the pictures when I’ve picked out the best ones.
I also took a number of pictures with my lensball (such as this one on my Instagram account). As it happens, I learned a valuable lesson. You need to be very careful using a lensball in the bright sunshine we’re presently experiencing in the UK.
It didn’t occour to me that a lensball would concentrate the light like a magnifying glass but from personal experience, I can tell you it does. I ended up dropping the ball more than once because it was beginning to burn my hand. Consider yourself warned if you also use a lensball!
I really enjoyed my visit and I plan to return during the summer holidays with Helen and Izzy. I think they’ll love running around among the lavender although I will definitely leave my camera at home so I can concentrate on having fun with them.
As I often do with my photography posts, I’m adding this one to the #MySundayPhoto linky. This is a fun, friendly linky for anyone who enjoys photography. Simply click on the badge below and it will take you to the Photalife.com blog where other bloggers will also have posted photographic imagery.
26 thoughts on “A visit to Mayfield Lavender Farm”
Fantastic photo! Butterflies aren’t easy to capture as they never stay still for long enough.
Lavender fields are one of those blogger essentials, aren’t they? Like pumpkin patches. Needless to say, my stroppy teenagers wouldn’t go near either of them if I paid them!
Yes, they are somehting of a blogger essential. You should have seen how many Instagrammers and photographers were in those fields! A very popular destination for a photo shoot.
This is such a gorgeous image John. I love butterflies and lavender – always a beautiful combination. I am determined to make it to some lavender fields at some point!
Thanks Vicky. I look forward to seeing the resulting pics when you do visit a lavender farm. Just be warned, you will return home smelling of lavender!
Hi John, I bet you were in your element snapping away at the beauty around you ( I know I would have been). That image is lovely, The colours and depth of field make for a lovely photo… With my lens ball came a warning about being careful in the sun with it, I thought it meant leaving it in the sun, but the first time I went on the roof with my lens ball I nearly dropped it, the sun comes through it like a laser. It may be a handy thing to have in a backpack in case we ever got lost and needed fire… Have fun going through all your photos!
xx
I was definitely in my element, as were the nine million other photographers and instagrammers who had stopped by to take pics! As I am sure you can imagine, it’s a popular location. If the lensball were a bit lighter, it would be a great thing to put in a backpack in case you needed to start a fire!
Looks like an awesome place to visit, John. Great photo.
The lensball sounds like an interesting thing to use, although burning your hands on the thing can’t have been ideal!
It is an amazing place to visit if you have a camera. Bit of a trek for you though Tim I’m afraid.
Beautiful photo, it seems to go to place for lavender photos. I’m not sure my hayfever would enjoy it.
I found out the hard way about sunlight and a lens ball, ended with a burnt hand.
Have a good Sunday and thank you for linking up to #MySundayPhoto
Oh, if you have hayfever I would stay well away. That said, the place was rammed with Instagrammers. very popular place to take images.
Stunning photo! Loved the lens ball one on IG too 🙂 #MySundayPhoto #SilentSunday
Glad you liked the lensball pic on IG. It was a popular one.
Such a vivid photo 🙂 #MySundayPhoto #SilentSunday
Vivid indeed. thanks ever so much for stopping by and commenting.
Gorgeous shot – love the colors!
Yes, the contrasting colours do add to the pic don’t they?
Fantastic photo…
That did make me chuckle about the lensball. Oops.
Glad you liked the photo and yes, be very careful using a lensball. That’s my advice.
Amazing detail in this beautiful capture. #mysundayphoto
Thanks ever so much. I’ll be honest, one of my fave shots!
Beautiful shot. Yes, many a hot finger and palm. It’s amazing how quickly it gets hot in the sun. I try and shoot with my back in between the sun and subject, or in shadow. But it takes a lot of thinking about.
In future I will be shooting with my back to the sun. It’s just amazing how quickly the lensball concentrates the sunlight.
Gorgeous photo. I love lavender, it must smell amazing! #MySundayPhoto
Well Fiona, I returned home, sat down and couldn’t at first figure out why I smelled so floral! Seriously, the smell had rubbed off on my clothes which I found hilarious.
You can almost smell the lavender emitting from this post #MySundayPhoto
When I got home, I stank of lavender! It was infused with my clothes.