117. Winter Light
Short days and long shadows
We’re now past the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. In Dunedin, New Zealand, the sun set just after 5:00 p.m. on June 21, after less than nine hours of daylight. Gradually, the days will lengthen until we get about 15.5 hours of daylight on December 21, when the sun will be visible until around 9:30 p.m.
In the winter months, the sun hangs low in the northern sky, casting long shadows and grazing the city’s hillsides and old buildings with a golden, sideways glow. On sunny days, the light is crisp and clear, especially in the morning and late afternoon, creating a cinematic contrast between illuminated surfaces and deep shade. Sharp edges and fine detail catch the light and stand out. Shadows stretch long even at midday, adding depth and drama to street scenes.
On the many overcast days, the light is flat and diffuse, and colour palettes are subdued, resulting in a more sombre, introspective mood. I like to explore the city on sunny days, when colours are strong and bright and long, dark shadows race along streets and climb high up the sides of shimmering buildings. There are fewer people on the streets, and the low light often shows them in silhouette against the sunlight or as dark shapes cast on strongly lit surfaces. The result is a sculptural, almost theatrical scene.
Winter is a season for working with raking light and sweeping shadows, and for seeing how light sculpts familiar buildings and spaces in unexpected and dramatic ways.
I’ve updated my website
I created a basic website using Squarespace a while ago. I’ve finally redesigned and expanded it, adding several galleries of photos organised by location, topic, or theme. You can check it out at markmcguire.net.
What do you think?
I invite you to leave a comment below.
Good stuff! As over here in The Netherlands its full on summer I'm always a bit stumped at the idea that over with you its middle of Winter, the days are short and cold(er). It's somehow hard to imagine 😄
I’m always so pleased to see your posts, Mark, and I realized this morning that it’s because you’re slowly teaching me to appreciate the beauty in the shapes and shadows of my everyday life. That we happen to be on opposite ends of the earth almost makes it better for some reason.