Blue hour over the archipelago

The light in late October arrives low and sideways. Between four and five in the afternoon the islands turn the colour of slate, and the water holds more brightness than the sky. I set up on the same granite shelf I used last spring and waited for the ferry lights to cross the frame.

A few notes for anyone trying this: bracket generously, keep the horizon level by eye rather than by the grid, and bring gloves you can still work a shutter in.

Lichen, close up

Macro work in the forest is mostly patience and a beanbag. The reindeer lichen this year was unusually pale after the dry summer, which made it photograph almost like frost. Diffused overcast light is your friend here; direct sun flattens every texture.

Notes on a slower camera

I spent a month shooting only with a fixed 35mm lens. Fewer choices meant more walking, and more walking meant more pictures I actually like. The constraint is the point.