If you’re outdoors and you can’t see the condensation from your own breath, it’s not cold enough. I love everything about winter, when we get a proper one, that is. In my opinion, there is no better season to capture emotional photography; by this I mean nature’s gritty battle for survival.
Capturing Winter Landscapes and Nature’s Battle for Survival
My best work comes from days when I question my sanity for wanting to venture outside. I’ve spent mornings in the Lake District in the depths of winter, where my lens’s front element and even my camera bag started to freeze over. Closer to home, I’ll always remember lying down on the snow at the edge of a local woodland, waiting for a wood mouse to pop up from its burrow. This gallery is a collection of those moments, showcasing nature’s constant fight for survival.
Storm Barra making an entrance over Blea Tarn made for a surreal photograph.
Even a thick early morning haze can't hide the Lake District's raw beauty.
A quintessential Lake District view during a snowstorm along the River Brathay.
The calm before the snowstorm along the iconic River Brathay.
The beginning of the Lake District snowstorm along the River Brathay - December 2023.
Depths of Winter
Daunting
A perched barn owl at dusk overlooking its hunting grounds.
A hovering barn owl honing in on its prey during sunset in the depths of winter.
I don't often work with monochrome, but this intimate moment of a quartering barn owl after sunset suited it perfectly.
I caught this Brown Hare giving the impression it was warming up its paws as it sat in a frozen field during a bitterly cold winter morning.
A Little Egret stalking the shallow water for food at Lunt Meadows.
Close-up of a low-flying barn owl at sunset, quartering a field against a backdrop of dormant trees.
The "Sefton Shortie" resting up on a fence post during a winter morning at Lunt Meadows.
A short-eared owl attempting gymnastics whilst perched on a fence post at Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve.
The instantly recognisable silhouette of a Kestrel hovering against a vibrant sunrise sky
This barn owl in particular has the most impressive catch rate I've ever seen. Here she is with another successful vole catch during the depths of winter.
A superb view of Yewbarrow from below the summit of Pillar, illuminated by glorious hazy sunset light during winter in the Lake District.
A low-raking winter sunset catching the mountains surrounding Pillar in the Lake District.
Unbelievable golden light illuminates the Scafell Massif during a glorious winter sunset, with Mosedale Valley left lingering in the shadows.
Oh, Hi!
Two wood mice emerging cautiously from their snow‑dusted burrow during a rare winter weather window.
A Barn Owl quartering its usual haunt during a gorgeous winter sunset.
Diffused
Peeka Boo!
Golden Catch
A tawny owl caught sleeping on guard duty during the depths of winter.
Beauty
Photobomb
Kes
Golden Hour
Silhouette
Layers
Golden Layers
Three Wise Herdwicks
Napping Tawny
Dramatic
Dappled Light
Size Order
River Brathay Tranquility
Winter is without a doubt one of the most rewarding seasons for nature photography, provided you’re willing to suffer for your work. Be prepared for long hours in freezing weather conditions and the onslaught of numb extremities. It’s almost always worth it to witness and document nature doing what it does best: survive.
