Exploring Westleton
The village of Westleton is just a brief dash from Dunwich, Southwold and Aldeburgh. Like these areas, it is situated within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Westleton is home to a beautiful heathland and the neighbouring RSPB Minsmere.
I’ve been to Westleton numerous times. The village is very charming and is home to two beautiful pubs, The White Horse and The Westleton Crown. The latter dates back to the 12th century. Both places serve a wide range of mouthwatering dishes and are perfect stopping points on your travels.
In comparison to Dunwich Heath, which is located just a stones throw away, the heathland often offers a spectacular amount of mist during sunrise. The heather and diverse selection of trees make it an ideal location for photography. Although I appreciate the serenity of Dunwich Heath, I prefer Westleton for my early morning walks, particularly with my camera. I have explored numerous paths in this area over the past few years, particularly during summer mornings. I frequently encounter various compositions that I revisit later when the conditions are suitable.
This Summer on the heath was slightly different. We have seen some record-beating temperatures this year, and come August; the heather is usually in full bloom around these areas. Although the heather was spotty in its purple hue, most of it was a burnt orange and brown colour. Any grass visible was yellow rather than the usual lush green for this time of year. As a result, I visited the heath twice during the week with my camera to see what I could capture, and to my delight, there was mist!
Last month, I switched from my Fujifilm X-T3 to a Nikon Z6ii. It’s felt quite a game changer for me. I’ve really enjoyed working with the Nikon RAW files again. Something about how it handles reds and greens is very pleasing. While I love the Fuji output, especially JPEG files, the Nikon feels more at home. A big part of my photography journey involved using a Nikon Df, and I was at home with that camera. the Z feels like returning to that place, akin to reacquainting with an old friend. In an upcoming blog, I will share my complete thoughts on this camera in the following months.
All images shot with a Nikon Z6ii & Nikon Z 24-70mm f4 S Lens.
