Winter!

Relishing the progressively diminishing temperatures accompanying the change of seasons from Summer to Autumn and then from Autumn to Winter was something I most definitely didn't do for many years, decades even (!) of my life.

The South Downs Way at Beacon Hill above South Harting

Nikon D810, 70-300mm Nikkor at 86mm, 0.8 second, f5.6, tripod

06.48, 8th November 2016

Nowadays though I find myself excited with the anticipation of what the colder parts of the year will offer up. The autumnal foliage colour palette lit with the warm oblique light from a low-altitude sun... Hopefully then followed (if we're lucky) by the wintry photographic blessings of hoar frosts, freezing fog and some drifting snow perhaps... All picturesque conditions bringing with them beautiful opportunities for togs that are willing to brave the cold, early starts of winter.

The South Downs Way at Beacon Hill above South Harting

Nikon D810, 14-24mm f2.8 Nikkor at 14mm, 1/30 second, f11, tripod

07.24, 8th November 2016

Up on Beacon Hill in the minus five rawness this morning, the November dawn gave me some stunning light and colours. Not a lot of mist in the South Downs National Park valley below, but what there was was enough to add to the mood of the freezing frosty sunrise.

In addition to the formal wide-angle landscape stuff that I generally acquire for editorial content, I also brought back some short telephoto studies of the remaining scraps of foliage that are left on some of the trees in the woodland on the top of Beacon Hill. Super-detailed, sharp, busy images with minimal colour. I think I feel a series coming on...