In recent months I’ve been working hard on creating new tools for teaching photography. I’ve been testing new lenses and cameras, which means hitting the streets of Melbourne and taking photos “for the sake of taking photos”. Anything that makes you get out and take photos is a good thing. In my case, photography is the only exercise I get.
But Summer is on the way, and my favourite light is all but gone. Winter in Melbourne is very special, because the light is just so lovely. It sits lower on the horizon throughout the day, making for long shadows and more dramatic moments. Certain streets light up like a pinball machine, the winter light bouncing through the towers. I love the combination of cool and sunny, allowing me to spend more time outdoors without being burned to a crisp.
Summer is to harsh for me. Too harsh for my body and my creativity. I like the softer mood of winter.
And not just in Melbourne. There’s a reason I head for the Himalayas in October and November, to chase the clear skies after the monsoons finish. And of course my very favourite winter adventures, auroras in the Arctic. The extremes of our planet appeal to me very much, but especially with the embrace of winter.
March is a fascinating time in the Arctic, as Spring advances in a rush. The daylight moves from a few hours at the start of February to more than 12 hours in March. Plus there’s an elongated twilight that dampens aurora sightings just that little bit more. It feels like a totally different place to be across those few weeks. Not terrible, just different.
As a travel photographer I have spent the last two decades paying very close attention to the seasons, and planning my photography around them. In the same way I like to plan the time of day to turn up for a shoot, I plan the time of year to turn up for a journey. Solid planning makes for better creative opportunities. It’s no accident.
I probably don’t talk enough about “the light” when I’m online. On this blog and my YouTube channel I have focused a lot on camera gear and techniques instead, because that’s what people are mostly searching for when they go online. Not so many people ask Google for “Best time of year to shoot on the Yarra”, or “Do auroras look better in January?”
But the light is really the most important thing with photography, always. And certain times of year simply offer better light than others. That’s another reason why I run my workshops only once a year. Usually there’s a very specific time of year when all my favourite factors align, when I have the best chance to find the best light.
In the studio we enjoy a totally different world of course. We create whatever light we need for the job. We can mix in a late sunny afternoon, and hold that in place for hours while completing a shoot. We can dial in some moody angles, or flood the zone with daylight. Anything is possible in the studio. Which is both a blessing and a curse, because it can end up feeling a little contrived. Which it is.
In the absence of natures contribution what are we left with? I love the mood changes that happen on a journey, when we capture an hour of brilliant winter light just before a snow storm closes in across our patch of the Arctic. Or the uncertainty of watching clouds roll over the Annapurnas just before sunset... Will the last light be hidden from us, or pop out one more time and give us a kiss of colour?
One of my longer term projects this winter was a series of timelapse captures around Melbourne, which turns out is a very time-consuming pursuit. I found myself out in the elements for the entire day, over and over again. You get to see the cold fronts passing through, or the clouds clear each afternoon around 4pm in preparation for sunset. You get a sense of the seasons by being out there trying to shoot it. One time we took shelter under a bridge as a sudden downpour drenched the city, which turned out to be a nice spot for a more dramatic timelapse then I had planned on.
The winter light is always changing. That’s what I love most about it. I love that it’s low on the horizon. I love that it’s softer and gentler than the burning light of summer. And I love that it moves so quickly, giving glimpses of gold in between the greys. Winter light is my favourite light.
– Ewen
PS, have a look at my video about Melbourne in Monochrome from a few weeks ago, celebrating the winter light in black and white :)
