I love this time of year. The early spring offers an interesting mixture of summer light and winter forms. The last few weeks of the bare organic structures offer mischievous possibilities for a slight degree of editing…

But sometimes, nature surprises without any artifice on the photographer’s part. In the opening shot, I was walking Tess through the local forest when I was startled by no less than two suns shining at me from the west! It took a few moments to realise that the incessant rain of the day before had created a temporary pond on whose surface the evening sun was reflecting – in perfect symmetry with the original.

Photo number two, above, would have been dull and featureless without the setting sun being in exactly the right place from where I stood across the River Kent. The ‘eye’ this formed was unmistakable. A little juggling with the light levels not only highlighted this, but also gave the branches of the trees a ghostly glow.

At this point, my walk was becoming decidedly spooky, and I didn’t expect any more visual bonuses from my surroundings.

But…

Emerging from the forest’s footpath, I noticed the sun’s light was casting a spreading glow on the finer foliage over the river. I took the shot, as a ‘maybe’ for when I got home. Playing with the light levels, again, this wonderful ‘eye’ shape appeared.

Spooky and lucky… it certainly doesn’t happen every trip!

©Stephen Tanham, 2021.

Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, A journey through the forest of personality to the sunrise of Being.