Case study Druids in the wood
Social photographer St John Pope was naturally intrigued when the call came to leave his London base and head for a bluebell wood in Honiton, Devon to photograph some druidic rites.
"I was game," he recalls. "I think the couple had tried a few people who weren't so keen - I don't know why."Undaunted by visions of The Wicker Man, Pope fired up his Nikon D200 and headed south. "By this stage the couple were already technically married," he says. "The Druid ceremony involves a link to the past so they'd brought an old photo that meant something to them, had their hands tied and drank Mead from a horn.
"The officiator was a lady named Bobcat. She is one of the main Druid priestesses who does about 30 or 40 weddings a year; she didn't particularly want to be photographed, so she came across as a mystery figure. The couple were quite new age and interested in nature.The ceremony was held near an ancient tree, which was to do with the circle of life."
What were the conditions like?
"Fairly dark - much like shooting in a church really. It was also incredibly cold, for May, plus I had this canopy of green to contend with. That gave a strong colour cast, so I had to do quite a bit of correction afterwards. It was one of the first weddings I'd shot digitally, so it was a case of needs must. If you've got mixed lighting it's always a compromise: you'll never find a perfect white-balance. I also used flash as fill.
"It was a bit of a challenge for the Nikon, but I feel I rose to it. The ceremony lasted about 45 minutes and I probably shot about 200 images. I over-shot because I bracketed for the light. Because they were formed into a ring the bride and groom weren't the whole focus, visually.
"I had to be even more discreet than I would be in a church because it was so quiet and peaceful that me stumbling around and tripping over tree roots wasn't really conducive. And the only issue with shooting somewhere open is that you have a problem with the public. Behind me there were groups of people stopping and asking ‘what's going on here then?' I think they were worried we would sacrifice something. But it was fantastic! Highly recommended!"
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