Winter's Potential
Adventures of a Landscape Photographer
When I was a child, my father and I would go bird watching at our local nature reserve. This pursuit was never confined to the clement warmth of summer, as often the most exciting ornithological moments would occur in the winter months. Although the birdlife was our reason for wandering into the chill of those early winter mornings, it’s often the landscape itself that has stuck in my mind during the intervening years. I’m a winter baby, born during the deep darkness of January, and so my connection with this time of year is tangible. During my early years in the late 1980s, I remember the winter months as crisp and cold, punctuated by flurries of snow which would lead to sledging through the scenery to inevitably slugging through slush. Those early experiences, from walking amongst the wildlife to frolicking amongst snow flurries, have stuck with me and cemented my love of these cold, bleak winter months. Whilst much of the population might hope that winter passes quickly without incident, I’m often hoping for frozen landscapes and bouts of snow and extreme cold. I recall the winter of 2010, when I was only just getting into photography and learning my craft. Each day seemed to be an endless winter wonderland of frozen landscapes, even amongst urban spaces, and I often kick myself at all those missed opportunities. However, in recent years there have certainly been opportunities to capture the landscape in all it’s winter glory. There are some certain weather conditions that really get my creative juices flowing, especially hoar frost and early morning mist. If I can get both of these conditions together, that’s the ultimate goal, but really I’m often satisfied with one or the other.
Winter provides the opportunity to simplify the landscape and extenuate the baron, empty stasis of the countryside. Often landscapes that may have been captured in the more colourful, lush seasons can take on a very different feel and offer up something dramatic. This is helped by the shorter days where the light can stay lower in the sky and provide those golden hues to contrast with the cool tones of the season. Of course, whether you are it’s worth being prepared for extreme weather, and to make sure you wear suitable clothing, take extra layers and avoid taking any risks, but if you’re willing to risk the lower temperatures, the landscape can offer up plenty of opportunities for exciting imagery, from epic scenery to more abstract vignettes. If you have the right kind of transport, you can of course chase after the more epic of landscapes. For instance, during the winter months Scotland is regularly covered in snow which can provide ample opportunity for dramatic and impressive captures. However, the tropes of winter can change even the most mundane of scenery into something imbued with magic. One of my favourite local locations is Sutton Park near Birmingham, and on one of the only frosty mornings of 2016 I rediscovered the parkland in a completely different light. Trees that I had failed to notice previously suddenly stood out, separated from the sunrise by a layer of mist providing a plethora of compositional opportunities appeared before me and it became one the most memorable mornings of that year. My childhood helped to sow the seeds of my love for winter, but it’s in adulthood that I’ve really learned to love the season and capturing it through the lens of my camera provides the perfect opportunity to share that appreciation with others.
(First published in Practical Photography, December 2018)
