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What a difference the light can make

It's New Years Day 2010 :)

I have to admit I've been up since 6am, our six week old son dictating bedtime rather than it having been New Years Eve!!

Great Tits were singing this morning, suddenly conspicuous, the now lengthening days triggering the cycle of territories, mating and reproduction. Later on I see Nuthatches exhibiting the same behaviour on Epsom and Ashtead Common. Spring will be here before we know it!

I manage to snatch a couple of hours on the common in crisp light but the cloudless blue sky lacks drama and the light has a coolness that was missing last week. On that day I had gone out birding without the camera, the cardinal sin, as it was a grey and cloudy afternoon. The clouds parted briefly at sunset and the light set the land as if on fire. It was pure magic. I recorded it with my mind rather than on pixels.

Today I return to the same area. The scenes are there but the drama is gone. Nethertheless I take some shots. One is of a massive Oak set amongst a stand of pioneer Silver Birch (bottom). The light still adds some interest to the scene and contrasts with a view of the same tree taken a few days before in overcast conditions (top). I liked the atmosphere of that shot but I think the one from today wins because of the sunlight - I enjoy the challenge of shooting landscape in flat light but there is nothing like the rays of a golden winter sun to enthuse.

To see more of the shots I took today please visit my Epsom and Ashtead Commons Gallery.