Winter is my favorite time to photograph nature in the South
Since I began photographing nature exclusively in early 2022 I’ve realized my favorite time of year to do so is Winter. I enjoy shooting all year, but for a few reasons I’ve discovered the best season for me tends to be late November through late February.
Fall is obviously beautiful, but it tends to overwhelm my senses so much that I tend to forget about my camera. I suspect it is Fall’s obvious beauty that keeps me from getting excited to photograph it. It’s not that I don’t love it. It’s gorgeous in a traditional sense and I gawk at other photographers’ vibrant photos throughout the season. Plus, nothing beats the relief from Summer’s heat and humidity.
However, I think a little self-imposed pressure keeps me from getting excited to make images any time I “should be”. That invasive thought of “how can anyone not get a great photo among all this beauty” somehow dampens my creative spirit. I’ve made plenty of pretty photos during the fall, but hardly any that I would present as personally meaningful.
Spring is also wonderful but so far I’ve struggled to make images of wildflowers or greens that resonate beyond a few days. Similar to Fall in that I’ve created many nice photos, even ones that other people enjoy, the colors and design elements seldom keep me satisfied no matter how I compose or process. It might be that I just need more practice - I’ve only been doing this for a few years, after all. I do tend to enjoy my Spring photos more than those made in the Fall.
Late June through late September, I’m lucky to find an ounce of motivation in the field as I repeatedly swat at mosquitos and check for ticks. That’s if I make it out the door, which often isn’t easy. (Though I do try - according to Lightroom I used my camera on 12 different occasions last Summer.) Creeks and rivers are a refuge in the Summer so all is not lost necessarily, but that does limit the number of locations I’m inclined to visit.
Truly though, Winter in the South is by far my time to thrive. Here are a few photos I’ve taken in the past couple of weeks with some notes about how the season’s conditions contributed.
Clear winter skies and a low sun
Daydreaming
There is a quality to the light that I find beautiful in Winter. Even at noon the sun shines from a lower position than during other seasons so shadows form in interesting ways. This reveals gorgeous textures that are not as obvious when the light comes from overhead. In Daydreaming, I was mesmerized by the glowing backlit orange-brown grass that surrounded the fallen tree.
On a clear day, blues are reflected in highlights of water ripples, leaf litter, rocks, grasses and even whole trees, both fallen and standing. Combined with the warmer browns and rusty oranges of surrounding dormant flora, a wonderful color contrast occurs that is not quite as apparent in the other seasons.
Depth and contrast
Further, sidelight that comes from the lower sun creates more depth among trees and other large objects. For most of the year, this tends to be noticeable primarily in the morning or early evening, but during Winter it’s visible most of the day. I’m grateful for it. The trees in Lost in the Ozone and Adrift would not have stood out to me with the direct, overhead light typical of Summer. The trees would have appeared flat and two dimensional against a brighter background without the low angle of the Winter sun.
Lost in the Ozone
Adrift
Which brings me to a lack of leaves on the trees. Leaves are beautiful, but they do obscure the structures of their branches and limbs. Arranging the naked skeletons of dormant trees is a practice I find intuitive, especially compared to my woodland photography efforts of the Spring, Summer and Fall.
Atmosphere for separation and mood
I’ll also point out the great potential for atmosphere that occurs in the Winter. Doing photography in the woods is difficult due to distracting “scruff” but having just a bit of fog, mist or rain can make a massive difference. The following scene was already interesting to me, but I decided to wait for the mist to roll over the hillside to help separate the background from the subject. This was a drizzly afternoon with thin clouds in the sky, but I knew the fog would come with time.
Lord of the Wood
Would this photo work without atmosphere in the background? Probably, but I would have had to reconsider my positioning and focal length to give the subject more prominence in the frame. Even then, I wouldn’t love the image as much. Mist and light rain created both color saturation and atmosphere that helped the subject stand out and pop toward the viewer. That dynamic effect makes the image much more interesting to me.
Here are a few more examples of scenes that I thought were improved by atmosphere.
Looking ahead to Spring
Right now it’s 44 degrees Fahrenheit and Spring is not at all top of mind, but I do look forward to that magical transition of light and temperature that comes with the new season. Perhaps I’ll connect more to the revitalization of the natural world this year with Springs budding flowers, loud birdsong and longer days. Until then, I plan to keep riding this wave of connection to nature by getting out as much as I can, knowing the season is short, time is precious, and the light is good.
