Spindle beside the lake at Sizergh The early morning sun rapidly melted the first frost of the season. Floodwater overlay the Lyth Valley. Autumn winds and rain had stripped many trees of leaves and the sun was low in the sky and the quality of light was remarkable.
In the early afternoon rain-clouds swept across the valley and a painter took down his easel to protect his work. ' How do you cope with the light changing so dramatically,' I asked?
'Paint over it,' he replied.
In the early afternoon rain-clouds swept across the valley and a painter took down his easel to protect his work. ' How do you cope with the light changing so dramatically,' I asked?
'Paint over it,' he replied.
Friday 4th November saw the first bright morning after days of rain and gradually white cumulus cloud bubbled in a blue sky. With the sun low the incidence of light as it fell on trees and shrubs about the lake at Sizergh was perfect for photography. The exotic rowan we admired on our last visit was rich in colour and bullfinch fed in its branches.
Such beautiful light is rare these last weeks so I seize the moment. Later, I linger over the changing light and the wonder of it. I go for verisimilitude, to catch what weather and season give, so I show light and colour as they appear to me. I show change through an image sequence so that's why the painter's comment puzzled me.
Such beautiful light is rare these last weeks so I seize the moment. Later, I linger over the changing light and the wonder of it. I go for verisimilitude, to catch what weather and season give, so I show light and colour as they appear to me. I show change through an image sequence so that's why the painter's comment puzzled me.
I love spindle and when I was writing Cumbrian Contrasts I searched each autumn to find a shrub with richly coloured leaves and bright fruit capsules. Discovering this cluster of spindle shrubs at Sizergh I return again and again for that always elusive perfect image.
The tall spindle close to the lake was almost bare of leaves. Spindle, Red Cascade, was glorious with bright orange seeds in pink capsules and leaves of rich red, its twigs with soft green lichen. I look to compose an aesthetically pleasing image, hoping to reveal pattern in wild tangles of foliage. If I can also show botanical detail to effect then I feel satisfied.
The tall spindle close to the lake was almost bare of leaves. Spindle, Red Cascade, was glorious with bright orange seeds in pink capsules and leaves of rich red, its twigs with soft green lichen. I look to compose an aesthetically pleasing image, hoping to reveal pattern in wild tangles of foliage. If I can also show botanical detail to effect then I feel satisfied.
Sizergh Gardens in November is a time of fruit and berries, of autumn colour. But the seasons are fluid and November already shows signs of spring to come. Green catkins appear on hazel. A willow beside the lake has lovely catkins in early spring and already new buds appear and new twigs show red. In early spring willow will glow red-gold from all those twigs.
Somewhere in Scots pine mistle thrush are calling and a flock of long-tailed tits moves through the trees.
The news is full of dire warnings of avian 'flu which caused so caused havoc in wild bird populations throughout the year, and in domestic flocks.
Somewhere in Scots pine mistle thrush are calling and a flock of long-tailed tits moves through the trees.
The news is full of dire warnings of avian 'flu which caused so caused havoc in wild bird populations throughout the year, and in domestic flocks.
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