Our beautiful little winter sun, glitters and sparkles as it peeps over the horizon for a few hours a day. From where we stand in the northern hemisphere, the central star of our lives has dimmed and weakened so much it can barely rise from its nightly bed. It’s light so soft and weak that it no longer heats the air, but instead creates a dazzling display of low twinkles.
Rolling across the beautiful dark curves of the earth, the twinkling winter light holds the tears of the dying sun. Caressing her soft round hills, spilling his light across the cool still water, as the year rolls on, ever closer to its end.
Hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields, our own enchanting star dazzles all.
The dogs break the sun stars spell, splashing out across the mirror still water, dispersing cloud and sun reflections in their wake. New stars are born on the lips of splashes and ripples, creating new earth born magic of their own.
Taken up at Thriepsmuir reservoir, high above Edinburgh, at around 3pm, these images attempt to capture the incredible twinkle of winter sunlight across the hills and water. The reflections were almost perfect in the still air, and I love the way the lens flare scatters the light…….although I know deliberate lens flare isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Someone who shall again remain nameless thinks it’s over the top in the third image…..I’m showing the shots are just as they came out of the camera.
breathofgreenair 
Oh I nearly missed this treasure, lovely, lovely!
The dogs are so brave getting into that cold water… or is it warm? I love the land around Edinburgh as you show it, every time so different.
What a beautiful series, Seonaid. As if you let us in your dream for a bit……..
Wonderful – all of them! And you lovely dogs. So much feeling and light.
What gorgeous, golden light! (We’re almost dark at that time – but there is enchantment in these early winter sunsets.)
These are blissful, Seonaid! 🙂 And of course the dogs had to be in on the act 🙂 🙂 A very wonderful festive season to all of you!
I had the perfect twinkly-eyed snowman but I never got around to posting him. He’ll have to make a guest appearance somewhere else 🙂
Dipping their paws in golden ripples … superb twinkle and atmosphere Seonaid 🙂
They throughly enjoyed the golden paw dip 🙂
And I loved the rather overwhelming glittering light!
These are beautiful … and I love that you show your dogs playing in the water.
What a lovely evening you had!
We really did, making the most of the fading light!
You have captured the spirit of your winter sun as it appears for just a few hours each day spreading it’s sparkles on the lake, and you have caught that gorgeous twinkling. Love to see the dogs enjoying their walk/swim/paddle….
Thank you so much, that sparkling magic of the soft winter sun was exactly what I was hoping to capture…..and I never can resist a good twinkle! It’s great to hear you enjoyed it….and yes the dogs were having a ball swimming leaping running……anything they could think of really to have fun in the water!
I love your words and photos, so expressive of place and time, and, I imagine, what you hold dear. They draw me in, repeatedly, to a world of wonder and spirit.
Thanks so much Michael, thats the perfect comment for me…..pulling everyone in to the magic and spirit I see and feel all around me in nature is exactly what I hope to do with each and every post….always happy to hear when I achieve my aim 🙂
I love these shots. All of them. The twinkle and the flares are wonderful, and although the light should appear harsh (or at least that’s what my mind thinks because sunlight often does appear that way), it has a silky softness to it. You captured the magic beautifully. 🙂
Thanks Robin, the light is silky soft at this time of year….and even more so at the edges of the day. The low angle is however dazzling. I adored your sun set images this week, and I feel you caught something of the same soft magic in the mist and light over there 🙂
Beautiful bokeh and lens flare from the low sun 🙂 Doggies look happy!
Thanks Sarah, I do love a bit of bokeh….and I can never resist lens flare…..I go seeking it out!! And yes the digs were having a ball in the water 🙂
I think we all have favourite things we seek out when photographing the world! I love the late sun on plants, such a warm golden glow 🙂 And then there’s my robins!
Sunset at 3 pm – wow! You have 4 hrs less light each day than we do here in Virginia (well, when we do have sun). That sounds painful for someone like me who misses the sunlight so much in winter. Do you get away during the winter time? Love your pictures, lens flare and all, and your wistful narration.
The days do get really very short, and there’s a noticable difference even from one end of our tiny isle to the other at the extreme ends of the year! The days do shrink away to almost nothing, but theres drama and beauty even in that, as long as the sun makes an appearance…..gloomy overcast days are horrible when the days are so short!! Also we get wonderful seemingly endless summer days as compensation…..only a few more days until the year turns and the light begins to lengthen out again. It doesnt last for ever 🙂
We are not long back from a trip to the Caribbean sunshine, so I really cant complain!
Yes, I do remember your C’bean trip – hopefully, the memories and pictures will tie you over into the lengthening of days…:-)
I agree with Indah… Gorgeous captures! The sun flare is magnificent.
Thanks Amy, I do love to shoot into the sun to try and create a good bit of lens flare…..and on this day the sun was very willing to co-operate 🙂
I love the images, lens flare could make images artistic and your images are brilliant!
Indah, what a lovely comment, and I can only agree….I love a good, well used bit of lens flare….I feel it adds an immediacy and drama 🙂
3PM! You are at 56 North and we are at 41 North … that would explain it! Yikes! D
Yikes indeed…..the days have shrunk away to almost nothing…..but of course we are nearly there…..from this Sunday they will begin to lengthen out again! In the meantime the earths angle gives us wonderful dreamy low light! Dont get me wrong I wouldnt like it to be like this always, but we do get the wonderful long endless summer days as compensation later in the year 🙂
We all immediately roll back to the beginning, then count down to three, to see if we agree with “someone who shall remain nameless” or not! Perhaps “someone” could relax a little, and agree that a bit of over-the-top can also be a bit of good fun. We need to play — especially when days are short and dark. Thank goodness for the dogs!
I love this comment Penny, and yes a bit of over-the-top can indeed be lots of fun….which is after all what life is supposed to be about….surely! Playing wholeheartedly is definately the only way to go as the days darken and shorten 🙂 Dogs I feel have a lot to teach us 🙂
As children we play, it is innate to our nature; later, as adults, I think it important that we learn again how to play. and reclaim that element of our nature.
I do too, and Bion…..quite a famous Scottish psychotherapist…..said that we need to feel safe enough to play, whether as children or adults. So the ability to play is a great sign of good emotional health 🙂
You’ll get me with a good lens flare every time – great shots 🙂
Always glad to meet a fellow lens flare fan…….I love the effects of all that glorious light 🙂
Beautiful, beautiful photos. 🙂
Thank you Judy, it was a stunningly beautiful evening!
Simply, simply wonderful, Seonaid. Love them all, each and every twinkle.
Well Im delighted to hear that, and of course I suspected that you might also be a lover of magical twinkles! I can never get enough…..but even my greed of twinkles was sated on this beautiful dream like evening 🙂
Sheer poetry x
Thanks Sue Xx
Gorgeous. But it looks cold over there.
Its cold right now, as we’ve moved into a cold snap, but its been an incredibly warm autumn. On this evening it was quite mild…..around 8 degrees C….until the sun dropped and immediately the cold bit right through to the bone!! Its barely rising above 2 degrees C in the day this week, so yes, quite cold!!
Oh my…these are so pretty… The lighting… Wonderful… Michelle
Thanks Michelle, it was an incredibly pretty evening show….nature was really showing off, and looking at her most enchanting!
Wow. Thanks for showing us your world. I have never been so far north. The last photo of that wonderful limpid light on the water is like something from a dream. How truly beautiful.
Dream like was exactly the words I kept using to my husband about the water reflections. The sky was so perfectly, yet gently reflected that it felt as though you could, and should just step out into it. Hard to capture the magic of this….so its great to hear it comes through…..oh and limpid is a wonderful word, thanks for introducing it 🙂
They look fantastic Seonaid, love the twinkle.
Thanks Leanne…..it seems evryone here is a lover of twinkle, lens flare bokha and all 🙂 Personally I can rarely get enough twinkle!!
Fabulous shots, Seonaid! 🙂 HaPpY HaPpY HoLiDaYs!
Wonderful to hear from you, and happy happy holidays right back at you 🙂
You have such a magical way of describing the wonders of nature, Seonaid. Fabulous series of photos, and I love your twinkling winter sun. It really is trying its best. Your dogs look to be having a whale of a time. 🙂
Thank you, that comment is magic to my ears….or eyes!….coveying the feelings, which natures beauty and unpredictable relentless changes, stirs within me….thats exactly what im trying to do. Its wonderful to hear when it works….and when what I share touches something in others…..well thats another act of sheer magic in itself 🙂
Nature has a fabulous way of expressing herself and your photography catches nature at her finest, as do your lovely words.
She really does Gwynn, she teases with her unpredictable moods and ever shifting beauty, but its a delightful tease, and one Im happy to try to catch the edge of….and then of course share!
Absolutely stunning pictures!
What a lovely comment, thank you. This low winter light is such a beautiful gift for adding drama to shots!
I too love those light-bulbs of energy dancing on your photos (and I call myself a photographer, don’t tell your nameless friend lol!)
Thanks Hanne, I had a feeling you might like the flares too!
Natures own perfect stage lighting 🙂
Exactly, always full of surprises 🙂