A study in the trees of winter…

There’s a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons —
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes —

Heavenly Hurt, it gives us —
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are —

None may teach it — Any —
’Tis the Seal Despair —
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air —

When it comes, the Landscape listens —
Shadows — hold their breath —
When it goes, ’tis like the Distance
On the look of Death —

~Emily Dickenson, #258

 

It is necessary, occasionally, to simply make photographs for one reason.

 

Here, I say, is the light of winter. And, here, to capture it through the naked trees of London’s open spaces.

 

You’re seeing a person in a portrait, but you’re also seeing everything else at once…

…even though the individual details are impossible.

Such is the way with winter. In the warmth of the summer, life becomes lazy and complacent. Cold heightens awareness, and, in the numbness, enhances feeling.

 

Control all the light you want. Throw up all the strobes and controlled situations and light modifiers you want. But the raw simplicity of the light at the end of the day cannot be duplicated.

And would you rather have the light from one minute or the next as the sun throws itself quickly into the high-latitude horizon.

 

Minutes pass. The walk continues.

And like everything in the universe, nothing stays the same.

Stay tuned…
-Noah D.

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PS: If you’re curious, these photos were made with the Voigtlander 35/1.4 Nokton Classic… mostly at f/1.4, of course.