Winter Wellness Club
One evening, while searching online for inspiration, I stumbled across an information about a nature and outdoor photography community created by a Scottish photographer named Kim Grant which I follow for quite some time on YouTube. The words that greeted me were simple but warm: a place for people who love the land, the light, the sea, and the changing seasons; a place for learning, sharing, and supporting one another in the dark and cold winter season. I didn’t hesitate. I joined and I was not disappointed. I found myself drawn back to the community every day, opened the member posts and saw what others had created. I’d see someone’s sunrise reflected in a still loch, someone else’s moody woodland scene, another’s windswept coastline with gulls suspended like tiny white commas above the sea. And above all, I was motivated to go out with my camera, take pictures and share them with the community. December 2025: Observing and Photographing Light
Light is most important in photography and there is no life without light. In the first month of winter the community was asked to reflect about light, to observe the changes in light especially during the short winter days. The more we are able to understand the differences in the light during the day, different types of weather, and the different seasons, the better our photography gets. This exercise helped me to observe even the most subtle differences in light. I also learned that there is no bad light. You just have to make the best of it.
January 2026: Observing and Photographing Movement
This month’s theme was quite challenging. How to capture movement in a picture that freezes motion in time? All community members had different approaches to this exercise. Their input sparked my creativity a lot.
February 2026: Observing and Photographing Textures and Patterns
This month, we combined what we have explored so far and looked more closely at the smaller details around us. Some ideas include:
- Textures of tree barks
- Holding a leaf up to light and seeing the minute detail of the veins
- Patterns in sand
- Grains in wood
- Mud and soil
- Using the sense of touch to see your subject in more detail
- Using a macro lens to see what the eye cannot
- ….and any other ideas that come to us.
Additionally, we were encouraged to find and photograph at least three first signs of spring.
