Last weekend I had the opportunity to lose myself in the woods of the Surrey Hills, something I’ve not done in ages and it was an absolute delight. I had a couple of lenses and my trusty Sony A7R3 in the rucksack and a pair of walking boots on my feet.
However what was slightly odd, considering we are in November, no coat, woolly hat, scarf or gloves. It was short sleeves weather, very mild indeed and we all know why this is. Climate change is very much happening in front of our eyes.
Normally by now, the trees would either be a golden colour or totally bare, so as such it’s turned out to be anything but a classic autumn. I did find some colour but nothing like you’d normally see at this time of the year; which I am deeply troubled by. The seasons are certainly out of whack. Soon we’ll have no seasons and I worry for the children of today and beyond.
Without sounding like a bore, I think we photographers notice these things in a more acute way and have a stronger emotional response to the world around us. It may be in part due to the fact that the craft of photography relies on slowing down, sitting with a location for awhile, to linger, observe and attune to the environmental space in which we inhabit at that moment in time. The light shifts, the scene changes and then in a moment, the composition connects with you; fire the shutter. Hopefully an image that conveys your sentiment at that time when reviewing on the computer later is captured.
So it really pains me to see the seasons shift so badly. I am beginning to doubt the trees will shed their leaves before it’s time to blossom again….
Anyway, rant over (for now). Let’s see some photos and try out the gallery feature on Substack!
Finding your way there
It’s a great place for walking and photography, good walking gear recommended, if at the very least a pair of good boots, it’s rugged and hilly!