Winter gold

It was such a glorious morning. I snapped this shot on my way back from the school run. I was across the main road and waited for a gap in the traffic. 

The orange leaves seemed particularly vivid against the clear blue sky. And a lovely sun-tinged haze sat over the field. 

I could have stayed there for a while just looking at it, but for the noisy traffic. Even so, for just a few moments this glorious scene stopped me in my tracks. 

— 

Again in black and white:

Hmm, the gold is lost on this one! 

Without the colour, the photo seems to be about the dark form of the tree and its fascinating tangle of branches. It looks rather untidy. 

The lower tree looks neater, simpler. Perhaps it has led a sheltered life next to the other one. Sadly the vibrancy of its orange leaves are a muted mid-grey here. Yet they bring some relief and calm to the darkness. 

And there, beyond the tree, you can see light on the field in the distance. It seems a smaller detail compared to the colour version – its impact more subtle. Yet it still brings contrast and lift to the overall effect. And it draws me in the longer I look at it. 

— 

Snapped on my old iPhone 6s at the foot of Clay Hill, Lyndhurst, New Forest. December 2022. 

— 

Photo ref: 20221201-Clay-Hill-Goose-Green-5 / IMG_5601

Location: Clay Hill, Lyndhurst, UK

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