Trentham Gardens, Fairies and wood carvings
After all the feastive food, I needed a good walk, so I went to the Trentham Gardens, south of Stoke on Trent. Its a few quid to enter, but you have a clearly defined path, plenty of interest around the large lake and most important a cafe at either end!
I start with some test shots, with fairies on the shed roof, otters carved out of tree trunks and various art
Half way around, there is a set of trees that reach straight and true to the sky, hanging between some are nest like structures. I stylised a few here
As I move around the lake, you have to have eye’s wide open and head on a swivel to spot all the items. Hidden away were dragons tail, eggs and carved wooden creatures
One of the most populate sights, is the fairies, initially this one was merging with the trees and surroundings at the normal hight, but getting low to the ground, focus on the composition, to ensure nothing was blocking or merging with the main subject, resulted in a better shot 
There was a new pertrified wooded area, where the light and shadows were working well together. Those deer were the easiest to shoot, though I would like to try that with live ones
When you look closer at the faires, some have some form of glass eyes. With a little post editing, I add some life to the figure and find another deep in the wood
I then focus on the fauna and surroundings
Finishing with some statues, towards the lower end of the lake
I’m sure many people have visited this location, so it would be interesting to know how my shots here compare. I have post processed most via On1 Photo Raw 2020, some had just light and contrast, others had multiple effects added to get the result
Either way I hope you enjoyed the journey, many more to come
© 2009-2020 Carl Sumner @ http://www.photographit.co.uk
