Walking into Winter - December 2025

The view from the top of Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire.

December is one of my least favourite months of the year for photography; it is difficult to get out and about with the camera. The weather here in the UK can be unpredictable and there is no guarantee that the limited daylight available will supply sufficient opportunity to take photos. The beginning of December 2025 was no different - we had rain almost every day for the first fortnight - in fact I managed only one photography outing before Christmas! However, the festive period brought some dry weather, alongside some frost which presented more opportunities to get out and about.

Walking and Photography

One of my main hobbies outside of photography is walking. This has the advantage of meaning I can achieve many things at once - 1) get some good exercise; 2) enjoy seeing the landscapes both home and away; 3) take some photos and 4) walk the dog! It's rather handy really that all these things come together so nicely. There is nothing better than a nice long walk in the countryside that gives me a chance to connect with nature at the same time as practicing photography.

In between Christmas and New Year, I was more successful in getting out with with the camera and enjoying the surrounding countryside.

Close to Home

I am lucky to live in a village on the Oxfordshire border (Shrivenham) and have many wonderful landscapes to enjoy from my doorstep or within a very short distance. The daily dog walk is often an opportunity to take photos and recently the frost has presented the opportunity to get fresh perspective on the local landscapes. This collection of photos from Shrivenham, Watchfield and the nearby Lydiard Park in Swindon all show what beauty can be found without travelling long distances.

Close Up Photography

Over the last few months, I've been trying to get more practice of taking more 'macro' photography; something that doesn't come as naturally as the wide angle shots of the surrounding landscapes. This is a skill I am developing and I haven't yet invested in a specific 'macro' lens for my Nikon, so these photos are just some early experimentation into a new style of photography that I hope to develop more in 2026.

Exploring further afield

One of the things I most enjoy on my walking and photography outings is exploring landscapes which I've not previously visited; or visiting landscapes I have at a different time of year - to get a new perspective on the landscape. Over the festive period, I went on photography walks at Old Winchester Hill in Hampshire and Tisbury in Wiltshire, near the Sommerset Border. These walks provided the opportunity to get some photos in places I hadn't previously had the opportunity to photograph.

Heading into 2026

I really enjoyed more fully embracing my photography hobby in 2025 and I've loved learning new skills and also taking the time to appreciate the surrounding countryside. Looking back; I've really enhanced my skillset. In 2026; I hope to further hone my skills but also enjoy exploring new landscapes at the same time. I've got a epic photography holiday planned in Scotland in May and I'm sure many more opportunities will come along both near and far from home in the year ahead.

Until next time, enjoy these photos.