Capturing Woodland Photography in the New Forest by Lee Cooper

The New Forest has been my go-to testing ground for years now. These ancient woodlands, with their constantly shifting moods and unpredictable light, don’t tolerate gear that can’t keep up. When you’re trying to capture that perfect moment between dawn mist and golden hour, every piece of equipment needs to prove its worth.

What brings you back to the New Forest time after time? 

There’s something about this forest that keeps drawing me back, and not just because I live close by! The ancient oaks are full of character and when the dappled light hits with that morning mist, it’s a thought place to beat. 

How did your Kase filters handle these conditions?

They performed beautifully – almost invisibly, which is exactly I you want with my gear.

The New Forest throws everything at you. One moment you’re dealing with deep woodland shadows, the next you have brilliant sunlight bursting through gaps in the canopy. I found myself constantly reaching for the graduated ND filters to balance those dramatic light differences without losing detail in either the shadows or highlights.

What were your biggest challenges?

Speed was the main one. Light in the forest moves incredibly fast – clouds shift, sun angles change, mist rolls through. You need to react quickly, which means your filters need to go on and off without any hassle.

I’d find myself switching between the circular polarizer to cut reflections on wet leaves, then quickly adding an ND grad when the light opened up. The magnetic system was a game-changer because I wasn’t fumbling with threads while the light was disappearing.

And then there’s the moisture factor. Morning shoots in the New Forest mean everything gets damp – your lens, filters, everything. Having filters that don’t streak or fog up can save those magic hour moments when you can’t afford to stop and clean.

What kind of images were you hoping to create?

I wanted to capture that sense of stepping into something ancient and very much alive. The New Forest has this ability to make you feel small and make you wonder how it was here hundreds of years ago.

The filters helped me preserve that atmosphere in camera. Instead of fighting extreme contrasts later in post-processing, I could balance the light naturally and focus on composition and timing. Those subtle transitions from shadow to light, the way mist softens everything – that’s what I was after.

How does this gear fit into your overall approach to woodland photography?

For me, woodland photography is about having patience and being prepared to meet those epic moments. You can’t control when the mist will drift through the trees, but you can be ready when it happens.

Having reliable filters means one less thing to worry about when the magic happens. 

Any advice for photographers wanting to work in places like the New Forest?

Start early and stay late. The forest really rewards patience, especially between these seasonal periods when the light is soft and atmospheric.

Invest in gear that moves with you, not against you. The New Forest is beautiful but can be a challenge, just make sure your equipment can handle it.

Most importantly, slow down and just observe. 

Lee Cooper

https://www.leecooperphotography.co.uk/

Kase Armour Master Kit Double Grad Edition – 100mm System

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