Wandering Amongst The Bluebells in South Cumbria

Bluebell season offers a magical and fleeting window for photographers, transforming ancient woodlands into carpets of dreamy blue that provide an ethereal, mystical backdrop for a variety of subjects. The season typically runs from late April into May, offering a brief two-to-three-week peak when the flowers are in full force. These conditions present unique creative opportunities, and Jonny was ready and waiting to take them. Over to Jonny for a run-down of his experiences:

There’s a big difference between a lens that performs well on paper and one that holds up in real, unpredictable conditions—and the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II firmly sits in the second camp.

I took it out this morning into a bluebell wood in South Cumbria, but instead of soft overcast light, it was bright, punchy sunshine cutting through the trees. Beautiful, yes—but also contrasty, harsh, and constantly shifting. Add in photographing children—Eleanor and Naomi (not their real names) —and it quickly becomes a proper test.

Paired with my Sony A7R V, it made for a seriously strong combination. The resolution of the body alongside the sharpness of the lens meant there was detail everywhere—whether I was shooting wide environmental frames or tighter, compressed portraits.

What stood out straight away was how well the lens handled that harsh light. Shooting wide open at f/2.8 in full sun might sound excessive, but it allowed me to isolate Eleanor and Naomi beautifully against the bluebells, with backgrounds melting into soft colour while still keeping their expressions tack sharp. Even with strong highlights filtering through the canopy, the contrast stayed controlled and didn’t feel overly harsh. It isn’t a weighty lens either – it feels as if you’re holding a 35 prime lens The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II weighs approximately 1,045 grams (1.05 kg) without the tripod collar.

That’s one of the big improvements over the original version—it’s noticeably lighter for a 70–200mm f/2.8, which you’ll definitely feel when you’re shooting handheld for longer sessions (like your woodland shoot).

Autofocus was where this lens really earned its keep. Kids don’t stand still—and in a woodland setting with light flickering through branches, that can trip up lesser setups. But it locked onto Eleanor and Naomi instantly and held focus without hesitation. No hunting, no missed moments—just consistent, reliable tracking.

Sharpness is exactly what you’d expect from a top-tier G Master lens—crisp, detailed, and clean even at f/2.8. Skin tones came through naturally, and the colours of the bluebells stayed rich without becoming oversaturated, which can easily happen in bright sun.

Handling-wise, it’s a joy. For a 70–200 f/2.8, it feels surprisingly well balanced. Moving around the woodland, adjusting angles, shooting handheld while keeping up with two energetic kids—it never felt like it slowed me down…apart from the steep hill in the woodland!

And then there’s the physical control side of things—which, if you’ve ever shot in fast-moving situations, really matters. The layout of switches is thoughtful and genuinely useful rather than cluttered. Running down the barrel you’ve got AF/MF, full-time DMF on/off, a focus limiter (full or 3m–infinity), OSS on/off, and OSS modes 1, 2, and 3, with an iris lock just beneath. Around the other side sits the “click” switch for aperture control.

It sounds like a lot, but in practice it just works. You’re not diving into menus—you’re reacting in real time. The focus ring itself is beautifully smooth, using Sony’s fly-by-wire system. There are no hard stops, so once you hit the focus limit it simply keeps turning, but the response is linear and predictable, which makes manual adjustments feel natural rather than digital.

The custom function buttons are another quiet win. Being able to assign things like switching between human, animal, and bird eye AF without taking your eye off the viewfinder is exactly the kind of detail that makes a difference when you’re working quickly—especially with kids who don’t wait around.

The compression at the longer end really added something special too. It let me pull the bluebells closer into the frame behind Eleanor and Naomi, creating that immersive, layered look without needing to physically step into the flowers.

If there’s a downside, it’s the obvious one—it’s a serious investment. But when you’re dealing with fast-moving subjects in challenging light, you start to see exactly where that investment goes.

In short, in bright, unforgiving sunlight with two constantly moving models, the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II didn’t just cope—it made the whole shoot feel easy.

So if you’re looking for a lens to hire with Hireacamera for a wedding, portrait head shot shoot or getting that extra reach in particularly low light conditions….then this is a lens you must hire and give it a try!

Thanks once again to Jonny for taking us through his shoot. To see more of his work across multiple disciplines, just head to jgios.com. The Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II is available here. We also have the Sony A7R V  which is Jonny's camera of choice, and ideal for this sort of shoot.

Here are a few extra shots to enjoy: