Delicate.

A departure from my normal haunts this afternoon, nothing from The Trailway, the riverbank or Hambledon’s cold, cold flanks ( despite the afternoon sunshine) still showing some remnants of rapidly receding snow. Instead, in search of something fresh, I travelled East to the boundary of the county bordering Wiltshire and the beauty and drama of Cranborne Chase where the snow still adorned the high places fully intending to try and photograph the iconic Dutch Barn at Sixpenny Handley. Sadly, the best laid plans of mice and men failed to provide, either, a reasonable place to park, or, anything resembling a picture worth capturing!

It’s rare that I can’t find something to capture when out and about, not to be outdone on this occasion either I contemplated Knowlton Church or Horton Tower, both locations ably, and often, photographed by peers and contemporaries alike but plumped instead for the avenue of trees at Moor Crichel, a location I’ve only visited on one previous trip out and, on that trip, without camera. Today was to be my day I told myself.

The only problem in visiting and photographing an iconic destination is trying to find an angle, a viewpoint, something that others may have discounted or disregarded and yet stay true to the location and photograph it in its fullness. This afternoon on entering the avenue the sun was low, casting it’s familiar harsh shadows across the scene, not yet late enough to have any suggestion of a ‘ golden hour ‘ glow, so, route one went out of the window, time to stake out route two! The lower end of the avenue provided better fare, better light, an altogether more attractive vista, together with….snowdrops.

Another thing I’ve shied away from this season are the snowdrops, unusually so, as being the first plants to flower in the new year I’m, like most photographers, drawn to them. This afternoon it was hard not to be drawn to the little white jewels sitting in the grass, today they deserved to be photographed if only for their courage in braving, and surviving, the recent hard frosts and the snow, delicate they may appear but hardy they certainly are.