Halcyon Days

I am not a photographer, but I do love taking photographs of our lives at The Lint Mill. I don’t have any fancy equipment. All our photos are taken on my iPhone. I love the convenience of having my phone in my pocket and being able to capture what I encounter. Taking photographs this way encourages me to notice things, from the tiny jewels of scarlet and yellow waxcap mushrooms, to the big, uninterrupted skies we have here.

I notice that every season has it’s own quality of light and now, approaching the shortest day (in the Northern hemisphere), our winter daylight is limited. The best hours of sunlight in midwinter are between 10am and 2pm but what an extraordinary light it is. It is the clearest and most beautiful of the year. Crisp air and the sun low in the sky combine to create a brightness beyond the reach of summer. This combination of the low winter sun and the deep blue sky make for the beautiful golden light and gorgeous cool shadow so beloved of photographers.

We have had some rare, clear, calm days recently. No wonder these days were named the ‘Halcyon Days’ by the Greek myth-makers, when the sea was supposedly so peaceful that the kingfisher (halcyon) could lay its eggs on the waves of the Agean sea.

Of course, there is nothing like an afternoon of low winter sun to show just how much dust has settled on the furniture and dirt on the window panes!

After winter light, must come spring cleaning.