In The Bleak Mid Winter

These photos were all taken during a snowy day at home this past week. It turns out winter isn’t so bleak after all, it’s actually quite beautiful. This post is pretty picture heavy, but I just couldn’t narrow them down anymore. I took photos whilst walking back from a pub lunch at a nearby village, and then later along the river Soar as the sun was setting, with my cousin’s beautiful labrador Bella for company. We met some lovely horses on our walk, but no other people. I love living in Edinburgh, but being able to escape into uninhabited countryside is something that I miss about home. I was given the book #girlboss for Christmas and this week I haven’t been able to put it down. In it, Sophia Amoruso talks about being an introvert and how being introverted isn’t about being shy, but more about finding it draining to be around groups of people constantly. I could totally relate – whilst I love meeting new people and spending a lot of time with friends, I really need my alone time and I have always found it uncomfortable being in large groups of people. I find small groups much more relaxing. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy living alone and why I feel on edge in big cities. It’s interesting to read books and see parts of yourself in the words that others have written. I rarely connect with books in that way, which I think is one of the reasons I don’t read a lot. Too many of the classics are historical or male-orientated for me. Anyway, I digress. I usually aim for crisp, sharp images when I’m taking photos but I wanted these to look almost like they were taken on film. I’ve been inspired a lot lately by Hanna Haley and my friend Denise’s beautiful film photos (Denise’s instagram / tumblr).

The recent couple of days of snow was so beautiful, I hope you can see a little of that in these photos. Along the river, fog lifted from the water and drifted along fields. The sky was milky blue. The setting sun was a spectacular cherry pink. This sort of weather makes me feel creative in a lovely yearning, nostalgic kind of way. It feels a little like living in a fairytale, or a really arty film. I guess the effect would wear off if it were like this all the time. As a teenager, long summer evenings or dramatic winter weather would give me the urge to escape to have adventures, but also make me excited for the future. I feel the same way now, sometimes. It’s interesting how the weather has such a strong effect on our moods and feelings. Here’s to many more snowy days!