It had been a week of cold temperatures and hard frosts. With sunrise being around 8.00am it was too late before a working day to be out with the camera, so I was really pleased when checking the weather to see that the weekend was going to continue the same way! Wishing to make the most of it I was out with the camera Saturday morning soon after 7.00am - a very civilised time for starting the weekend compared to later in the year!
My first brief stop was at the river, in order to capture the stillness and glow of the pre-sunrise golden hour:
The main aim however was to get to a location I've visited a number of times in the past in order to get the sun rising over Windsor Castle. As I parked up on the eastern side of Eton Wick, the mist was lying like a cold blanket over the frost hardened fields. Windsor Castle could be seen in the distance as Heathrow airport air traffic disturbed the quietness of the early morning.
Gathering up the camera bag and tripod, I headed off to 'the field' for the main photoshoot and waited patiently for the minutes to tick by as the moment of sunrise approached. It was a perfect spot to capture the sun as it broke above the outline of the castle casting its limited warmth across the field, the glow of orange disguising how cold the temperatures actually were:
Before heading back to the car I took the opportunity to capture some records of the frosty environment with the field coated in icy white crystals under the clear sky where the crescent moon was still visible:
It was then time to move on and return to the car and enjoy the rest of the weekend. But that wasn't the last time I would be out with the camera. As Sunday afternoon drew to a close I was back out down the river wanting to make the most of the still conditions to capture the sunset and reflections.
Taking the opportunity to enjoy the quietness of the moment, I took a walk down the river and by the time I returned as the last light of day ebbed away, Venus could be seen up above ushering in the night sky. A fitting end to the weekend!