SteveTanham – writing, mysticism, photography, poetry, friends

Category: nature

A bright winter day brings a wonderful benefit: long shadows. Often a matter of being lucky and at the right place at the right time, the long shadow is at its best extending the movement of people… (300 words, a two-minute read) The opening shot was taken while walking behind a family. It was a Sunday afternoon and we had been strolling behind them … Read More Winter walks with camera (5) : long-shadowed figures

January 3, 2021 + #Silenti, Consciousness, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography, Seasons of the year, Silent Eye School

Winter walks with camera (4) : cold sunsets

by Steve Tanham

Winter is not generally associated with clear skies, not in Cumbria, at least! But when when a period of high-pressure brings clear air, and everything begins to freeze, there can be found the most beautiful of sunsets… (300 words, a two-minute read) Sue Vincent, one of my fellow Directors of the Silent Eye, along with Stuart France, the third in our trio, are both … Read More Winter walks with camera (4) : cold sunsets

December 20, 2020 + #Silenti, Consciousness, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography, Seasons of the year, Silent Eye School

Winter walks with camera (3) : the fire in trees

by Steve Tanham

I find a nobility in winter trees. They endure the brutal weather, but show us, in that endurance, their purpose in revealed structure… (140 words, a one-minute read) The inner process of leaf-life to come is laid bare as the rain howls and the wind tests whether this year will be the last. Below the ground, the vast spread of roots has a life … Read More Winter walks with camera (3) : the fire in trees

December 17, 2020 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Life and Death, nature, Photography, Seasons of the year

Deepest Night

by Steve Tanham

We are creatures of cycles; the smaller fitting within the increasingly larger. We may have little conception of the very largest, but the effects of that level of creation trickle down to remind us of our true natures… (750 words, a five-minute read) We live in cycles within cycles. Every day, we wake up to a period of brightness which is essentially the same … Read More Deepest Night

November 29, 2020 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Lake District, nature, Photography

Mellow moods for Autumn (9) end of season

by Steve Tanham

As autumn gives way to winter, different aspects of nature create new opportunities for photography… (300 words. A three-minute read) (Above: the shores of Lake Windermere – a winter favourite to come) Photographically, I prefer the UK Met Office’s guidance on the dates for the beginning of each season. In this convention, winter’s start is the first day of December, so this will be … Read More Mellow moods for Autumn (9) end of season

November 22, 2020 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Lake District, nature, Photography

Mellow moods for Autumn (8) the Levens Estate

by Steve Tanham

When the leaves have all but gone, nature still has one or two colourful surprises left. (220 words. A two-minute read) Rivers are beautiful at any time of year. This one, the River Kent, flows through Levens Park on its final mile to the sea, joining three other rivers in its outfall into the north end of Morecambe Bay Levens Park is the ancestral … Read More Mellow moods for Autumn (8) the Levens Estate

November 15, 2020 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography

Mellow moods for Autumn (7) Bonfire

by Steve Tanham

There’s something wonderful about an autumn bonfire. It brightens the darkening evenings, and mirrors an inner process taking place as we respond to the end of the bright months… (300 words; a two minute read) We had ‘light from Nature’ during the long and bright months of the summer. We didn’t have to do anything to be a part of it, just step outside, … Read More Mellow moods for Autumn (7) Bonfire

November 8, 2020 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography

Mellow moods for Autumn (6) Misty Gorge

by Steve Tanham

If you’re a canoeist, the half-mile of the River Kent that descends, thunderously, through the limestone levels of this part of Cumbria is well known as an extreme test of skill… but there are other reasons to visit… (400 words; a five minute read) Our village, Sedgwick, owes its existence to the River Kent, which rises in the southern Lakeland mountains around Kentmere and … Read More Mellow moods for Autumn (6) Misty Gorge

October 25, 2020 + #Silenti, Lake District, landscapes, mystical travel, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography

Mellow moods for Autumn (4) : by the river

by Steve Tanham

Autumn is a beautiful time in the Lune Valley… The River Lune rises in the gentle hills of the Eden Valley, in Cumbria, the last western county before you cross the border into Scotland. It flows for 53 miles in long curves, defining a series of beautiful valleys. It’s most scenic section is where it passes a few hundred metres from the centre of … Read More Mellow moods for Autumn (4) : by the river

October 11, 2020 + #Silenti, Lake District, landscapes, Mystery Schools, myths and spirituality, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography

Mellow moods for Autumn (2) The Secret Path

by Steve Tanham

There are three ways back from the centre of Kirkby Lonsdale to Devil’s Bridge, where most visitors park their cars, if they’re just there for the views and, possibly, a coffee. There’s the river path, itself, with the steep descent down Mill Brow to the Lune Valley; there’s the main street out of the town to the south; and there’s this – the tree-lined … Read More Mellow moods for Autumn (2) The Secret Path

August 30, 2020 + #Silenti, humour, nature

#ShortWrytz : a little sand between the toes

by Steve Tanham

You might not think it from the photo, but the rain was beating down when I took the shot. Tess’ pose gives a clue. She’s fed up, too… It’s the end of August, for heaven’s sake. But Storm Francis is trying to exterminate everyone north of Birmingham… For once, the photo is not about the collie… The subject is the faded ‘summer sign’ on … Read More #ShortWrytz : a little sand between the toes

August 23, 2020 + #ShortWrytz, #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Collie dogs, Consciousness, Lake District, nature, Photography

#ShortWrytz : The house by the river

by Steve Tanham

We’re often in Kirkby Lonsdale. It’s the perfect dog-walk for Tess, our collie, who loves to chase the ball in its riverside park, then sniff her way along the riverbank as we enter the town by the steep steps that lead to one of the best views in the county – Ruskin’s View. This part of the Lune Valley was a favourite haunt of … Read More #ShortWrytz : The house by the river