Bob Law: Making the Most of Photography during Autumn and Winter

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Bob Law: Making the Most of Photography during Autumn and Winter

Reflections at Clydebank.Forth and Clyde Canal

With the clocks going back an hour recently that means it’s darker earlier. For a photographer this means more opportunities for sunset shots or night time camera work at a convenient hour as it’s now dark by 5:00pm.

By Christmas and New Year it will be dark by 4 p.m. . Even if it’s raining or just after rain you can still get interesting photographs if you just use your eyes and imagination like an artist. i.e. look at things closely. Take time to slow down.

After The Rains. Sunset

I knew this would make a good sunset shot in itself but I also noticed a bird approaching fast so I waited until it passed directly in front of the camera.

Dew on a blade of grass

The raindrops on blade of grass photo I bend down level to highlight the clinging nature of water drops. The same surface tension that allows small insects and even certain birds to walk on it without going under. I have been known to lie flat on the ground to get a better angle with swans, mushrooms, caterpillars, small flowers etc to capture them better in close up.

River Clyde Reflections. BBC HQ

If you pick a still windless night any city, town, or village can be transformed with reflections… be it wet streets, car or traffic lights, ponds, canals, shop window displays, or rivers. For instance Glasgow reflected in the River Clyde looks amazing at night and if you walk along the city riverfront around 4:00pm or 4:30pm to Partick or Finnieston it’s still frequented enough with shoppers, workers going homewards, and other pedestrians to be relatively safe for visitors/ walkers.

A Shaft of Glory. Renfrew

Also if you take photographs just as the light is fading and there’s plenty of neon in it you can use the auto setting, point and click, rather than the time exposure setting, meaning you don’t have to wait around. I never use a flash for night photography, only good indoors, caves or tunnels etc. Even a humble stone step in autumn can tell a story in an image, covered in discarded October leaf fall. And always be ready to capture unusual light or unexpected events in nature, like this sunburst appearing over the edge of dark winter clouds in Renfrew.