alan frost photography

Between the showers….above West Marden

By alan frost on August 29, 2020

At the end of July I posted ‘Winter is coming’, and here we are now at the end of August. Whilst it’s definitely not winter it is certainly feeling distinctly more autumnal. Everything in nature seems so much earlier this year. Some trees are beginning to turn colour, the wheat and barley have been harvested, blackberries are ready to be picked and this weekend the weather forecasters are predicting a chill in the wind as it turns round to the north.

After a long dry summer rain clouds and heavy showers have returned and these conditions for photography are right up my street. I am inspired to reach for the camera bag and head out. I did just that yesterday and my efforts were rewarded with the above picture.

Long walks weighed down with gear is not my idea of fun. But if I have spotted a location I like to return, park up nearby and wait for the light and a composition to come together. It can of course mean staring at rain drops on the windscreen until conditions improve!

This particular spot is a favourite of mine. Near the village of West Marden in the South Downs National Park. I first came across it back in February when I made this image. The same tree but taken from another position and of course in very different light.

I shall doubtless return when the weather looks promising. I can already picture the scene in a harsh frost or when fresh snow is lying on the ground. We see less and less snow in the south of England but I shall keep my fingers crossed.

As I have already said ‘winter is coming’ and photographically speaking I can’t wait.