It does not seem like “five minutes ago” since we were in the midst of winter time, cold, frost and ice was marking the landscapes and the landscape around us looked bare - now though that is incredibly different as we have now entered the springtime, I say “entered the springtime” but that happened a number of weeks ago, last month to be precise in March. Yes I really did love capturing the winter scenes as the world was in it’s deep sleep of hibernation, and prior to that the closing chapter of autumn 2020 bought a closing chapter to the amazing theatrical show of seasons, those glorious autumnal scenes, gone but not forgotten; instead they were hiding away in that deep sleep ready to re-awaken for spring.
Spring though has a certain charm to it, a charm like autumn does and whilst the autumn time of 2020 bought with it a fantastic finale of colour which was symphonic, I dare say that so far this spring has also bought with it a symphonic awakening of colour with it, something which I have been incredibly thankful for, just seeing the world and nature awakening again is something to behold. Plants beginning to burst and the skies constantly changing. Of course though it goes without saying that so far spring has been rather strange.
Yes springtime this year (2021) bought some surprises as well as contrasts with it. On the one hand the awakening of life brought along a display of colours with it, from glorious daffodils and crocuses in church yards, to snow in early April. But let's go back to March, the first month of proper awakening after what has been a strange winter time due to restrictions and nonsensical measures against what is now an endemic virus that will never be truly eradicated. (Other viruses are endemic and can/have never been or will be eradicated).
The month of March was one that I was thankful to see, and after the winter it was a welcome sight, a certain magic and celebration it brought along with it, walks through the woodlands and local parks meant for some interesting scenes to be captured, flowers that had woken up after being asleep throughout the winter, was the first thing that I noticed and they were the perfect tonic after the cold bitterness of winter 2020. Small but perfectly formed they were just telling me that things are going to get better, it is not a question of things getting better now but as time progresses and restrictions are eased over the next few months. A signal perhaps that maybe photography is also the perfect tonic and escapism from the virus that is the media, that gaslights us on a daily basis, and when you switch off the news you escape into some form of utopia. Okay so utopia is what the individual makes it and making your own utopia is the best thing possible especially when government scientists are peddling doom and gloom.
“If there is one thing that these doom and gloom merchant scientists (academics) should be doing it is to go back to their rightful academic institutions and not keep grabbing five minutes of fame every minute with nonsensical views and opinions that only end up stressing people out”.
Back to the first month of spring, and it was a month of noticeable changes, goodbye was said to the winter and something magical began to happen, that magic changed in the landscape and this year - like last year it was noticeable, too often in normal pre-pandemic times we have ignored and I for one have ignored the subtle changes in the landscape, but not this time. Instead this time around with this “new normal” I have been noticing subtle things and changes that I would have ignored if we had all been living within the hypothetical rat-race that we were all stuck within during the pre-pandemic world.
The most striking thing about March though was the contrasts in colour, a slight coldness from the winter still lingered around; but the raw beauty of the month of March is what struck me - from walks amongst floral displays within local parks, to seeking out the shapes and twists along with textures of woodland walks, it is an attack on the senses and one that I have cherished an awful lot.
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| "Through the trees" |
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| "Wide wood opening" |
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| "Standing Alone" |
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| "Lying wood waits" |
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| "Shallow Crossing" |
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| "Spring Reflections" |
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| "A perfect frame" |
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| "The smooth of the landscape" |
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| "Dance of the tree" |
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| "Avenue of trees" |
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| "A mystery awaits" |
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| "A Hidden Valley" |
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| "What is out there?" |
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| "Swirling skies of spring" |
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| "Life on the water" |
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| "Under bridge glow" |
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| "Waterfalls exist here" |
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| "A Canal Life" - (Black and White). |
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| "A Canal Life" - (Colour). |
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| "Fire in the skies" |
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| "He was a fun-guy" |
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| "A Nottingham Panorama" |
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| "A splash of spring" |
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| "A floral arc" |
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| "Alone in purple" |
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| "Into Blue" - (Landscape). |
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| "Into Blue" - (Portrait). |
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| "Art of blue" - (Landscape). |
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| "Art of blue" - (Portrait). |
Whilst the first month of spring bought with it a certain charm and quality of calming and soothing colour and an awakening in nature from a strange winter, it goes without saying that April was one of many contrasts.
“Snow in springtime? Rare it is yes - but it has happened this year and that was something magical to see”
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| "Snow flurries in the woods" |
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| "The magic of snow and the woods" |
Whilst April started off with some snow (yes around Easter time) and felt cold, things started to change, and whilst March had been an explosion of colours, April also had some surprises and the best surprise in April was of course a slight heatwave, rare yes, but one that bought with it a certain glorious light that just made things perfect for photography. It was on a walk through some woodlands at the beginning of April, and a freak snow shower followed subsequently by literally ten minutes after the shower that the lighting conditions began to change; the light was streaming into the woodlands and the colour was vivid.
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| "Shapes of the wood" - (Colour). |
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| "Shapes of the wood" - (Black and White) |
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| "Tree morphs" |
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| "Light through the trees" - (Black and White). |
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| "Light through the trees" - (Colour). |
But despite things being odd, what with the Snow, April has been one of big skies, sun and contrasts within the landscape and whilst I loved the colours of autumn, the colours within the landscape during spring have been equally impressive.
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| "The horizon line" |
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| "The Crossing and Drama" |
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| "Movement of the Alport Stone" |
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| "Earth signals" - (Landscape). |
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| "Earth signals" - (Portrait). |
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| "Cascades of Belper" |
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| "Floating Islands" |
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| "A Perfect Horseshoe" |
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| "Transmitting" |
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| "Looking down the edge" |
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| "On the rocks" |
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| "Silent stone" |
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| "Down the valley" - (Colour). |
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| "Down the valley" - (Black and White). |
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| "Cloud over the edge" - (Black and White). |
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| "Cloud over the edge" - (Colour). |
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| "Movement over the edges" |
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| "Face of Curbar Edge" |
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| "On edge" - (Landscape). |
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| "On edge" - (Portrait). |
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| "Echoes of stars" - (Black and White). |
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| "Echoes of stars" - (Colour). |
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| "Canal flight" |
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| "Contrasts of the Cromford canal" - (Landscape). |
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| "Contrasts of the Cromford canal" - (Portrait). |
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| "The water turned" |
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| "A spring sun" |
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| "Fire dance" |
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| "A spring journey" |
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| "Fire within landscapes" |
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| "How are you blue?" |
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| "Blue says hello to you" |
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| "Sundown on the Lock" |
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| "A Golden Life" |
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| "X marks the spot" |
What a month April really has been and it has much like the month of March, been one of discoveries, colour and blue skies within the landscape and that has got to be one of the best things about discovering the joys of spring time. For what now will the month of May hold as we approach the summer time? Either way though the lockdown(s) that we have had over the past year have given me the opportunity to take things slower and notice these interesting and intriguing things within the landscape creating a symphony as they come alive again, after a deep sleep and provide us with hope and sanctuary as we see what else is in store for the year.
