sites can often be good places to venture if
exploring on a day trip. “Dunwich Heath
and Beach in late summer when the heather
is in bloom is amazing as it runs all the way to
the top of the cliffs. The woods at Felbrigg
Hall in spring and autumn are fresh and
vibrant with seasonal colour – in fact many
of the stately homes have woodland and
parkland that look impressive at this time of
year, such as Anglesey Abbey and Ickworth.
The Great Wood at Blickling Hall has one of
the best displays of bluebells in the region,
and Brancaster Beach in Norfolk offers four
miles of unspoilt golden sands, with dunes
and a little harbour,” he says.
Outside of The National Trust, East Anglia
is home to some of the last remaining bulb
growers in the UK and truly spectacular
examples at that. Tucked away towards
Kings Lynn there are two or three tulip farms
- what remains of a flourishing industry 100
years ago – and there are also lavender and
daffodil fields offering a needed splash of
colour. Poppy fields aren’t uncommon
either, although near-impossible to predict
and can be in full bloom one year and gone
the next, but come the summer East Anglia’s
fields will be dotted with a smattering of
bright red poppies amongst the corn or
swaying barley. “The fields do get moved
around each year so you never really know
where the flowers will be and most of them
arealsoprivateso,if youdofindthem,you
shouldshootfromtheedgesorrequest
permission – either way, please respect the
crops by not trampling over the flowers just
to get a picture,” urges Justin.
During the spring, when clear nights are
warmer but still cool, it’s a good time for
misty conditions, particularly in the
low-lying wetlands of the Fens, Broads and
water meadows in Constable Country. But
of all the places to head to in the region for
newcomers, Justin says you can’t go wrong
with Southwold on the Suffolk coast:
“You’ve always lots going on – there’s a pier,
harbour, sand dunes, beach huts – lots of
interest and if the weather isn’t great you
can shoot long exposures.”
Both genteel and wild, East Anglia is
brimming with amazing and underrated
places to photograph. And, if still considered
one of the weaker regions to photograph
afterreadingJustin'sbook,it goestoshow
howveryfortunateweareinthiscountry.
To purchase Justin's book, published by FotoVue, visit:
http://www.fotovue.com/ http://www.justinminns.co.uk
Dunwich Heath and
Beach in late summer
when the heather is inbloom is amazing as it
runs all the way to the
top of the cliffs94 Digital SLR Photography July 2019
Clockwise from top left: “Summer heather at Dunwich
Heath, Suffolk ; Deers wander amongst heather at Dunwich
Heath; Multi-coloured beach huts at sunrise in Southwold,
Suffolk; The National Trust's Felbrigg Hall , Norfolk, shrouded
in mist on a beautiful autumn morning.”
Justin Minns