Woodland Session No.9
A quick Googling for “Victorian fairies” took me deep into some spooky territory - a bit like the d**k web but with more pink and lots of gossamer wings. So, I’m not going there.
But we did some experimenting with long exposures. The results were not totally what I was looking for - definitely a work in progress. But we had some fun. And then we had some fun in sepia.
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.8
At some point I noticed that Ioana’s hair looked very woodland-fairy in a Victorian kind of way. And then we moved into proper woodland-fairy mode. Next post…..
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.7
Ioana in a formal woodland portrait from c.1853.
Actually it was a little earlier than that - maybe 16:45 or quarter to five in real money.
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.6
Apologies to Ioana for this rather unflattering portrait. It doesn’t do her any favours. I have included it in this series because it is the closest I have ever got to the vibe of Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. I described Ioana in the first post of this series as “by nature, expressive and theatrical and a great go-to model for experimental sessions”. That means she has to go with the aesthetic ups and downs. But I have made lots of lovely portraits of her when I wasn’t wearing my Julia Margaret Cameron hat/ bonnet.
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.5
Gotta love a bit of the Victorian treatment. Here is Ioana in 2026 in St. Helens, Merseyside with an 1876 Julia Margaret Cameron vibe. And that means that my Ilford FP4 was 143 years past its expiry date……… or it would have been if I wasn’t shooting digital!
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.4
By this point I had realised that the bluebell theme was not going to work that well. Being honest, I had been a bit slow off the mark and in the week between deciding to do the session and the day itself the bluebells had gone past their best. So, we explored other options, with some success.
Ioana’s dress, chosen because it had some movement and flow, had a lot of Victorian vibe going on. I finished my “The Victorians” book about 18 months ago but that Julia Margaret Cameron (photographer- third quarter of C19th) vibe has never really left my headspace. This version was the starting point. For full JMC treatment - next post……
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.3
And, at this point, the session slipped towards a woodland fairy vibe. More of that over the next few days……..
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.2
And straight away the session moved in the direction of a Julia Margaret Cameron vibe. So here is a JMC/ Vic vibe treatment.
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Woodland Session No.1
I have photographed Ioana around half a dozen times. She is, by nature, expressive and theatrical and a great go-to model for experimental sessions.
As we were walking towards the woodland setting I was planning to use, a very elderly gentleman said hello and invited us to see his red Hawthorn bush which is apparently quite rare. He lived very nearby. So, after an interesting chat with him I used this bush as a first setting. And I couldn’t resist rolling out my homemade soft focus filter.
Background
Over the last 3 - 4 years I have tried to create woodland images featuring bluebells and wild garlic…….. with limited success. And when I say limited I really mean none. Bluebells in my experience are more difficult to capture than they look. This year I decided to mix it up and go in a different direction.
@ioana.cojocariu.75
#juliamargaretcameron
Walkabout portraits since March 1st, 2026 No.42
Currently doing a Masters Degree in film making.
Perfect colours for this setting on the corner of Thomas St. and Tib St. in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
Walkabout portraits since March 1st, 2026 No.41
Also in Oldham St., Manchester and she was ticking a lot of boxes for me:-
Layering
Crochet on the street
Spectacular Spectacles
Beret
And if there had not been so much traffic I might have been able to squeeze in some DYL (double yellow lines)!
