Springtime is here!
This week, Nicholas J. R. White's landscape photography and a Bothy book recommendation. Plus, a call for spring pictures!
I always say that photography is good for you. One of the things I love about looking at pictures is how they make me feel — and looking at beautiful pictures makes me feel good! So I was delighted when Nicholas J. R. White shared this image with me, an idyllic landscape in the Scottish Highlands, where he lives with his partner Kat. I think you’ll agree that this view is fantastic. More about him here:
We visited Scotland in 2019 and fell in love with the place. I hope to return there and still dream about hiking the famed West Highland Way. Nicholas’ photo was timely because I woke up the other day wanting to see spring pictures. More on that below.
We spent my birthday exploring the Hill Country in Texas. The winters can be brutal here in Wisconsin and though it was mild this year, we were aching for some sunshine and vitamin D. The trip was relaxing and an excellent way to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I even had some chocolate cake! It’s incredible how restorative even a few days offline can be. Make time for that if you haven’t done so in a while. You will be amazed at the wonders it works on your mind. Downtime is good.
Fortunately, we missed what was (hopefully) the last bout of nasty winter weather while we were away and were delighted to find that spring was springing in Madison upon our return. I’ve been waking up early and getting outside for walks around the neighborhood, and these spring scenes have inspired me. I’m sure you can relate.
In the spring of 2020 — that horrible pandemic season — I started noticing and appreciating the subtle effects of the winter-to-spring transition where we live in Madison. You can miss these things if you don’t look; clearly, I’d been ignoring them for most of my life here in Wisconsin. Since then, I have come to appreciate this liminal space between seasons: the air is still cool and crisp, but the grasses are getting greener, flower buds are starting to pop, and the birds start each day raising a ruckus. It’s pretty magical when you think about it. Nature is a marvel.
Call for Spring Pictures
I’ve been enjoying these springtime views, just looking at the flower buds and seeing greens gradually overtake the browns. It’s a tradition to show winter pictures on FlakPhoto, but I want to try something new and curate a mix of springtime pictures this year.
Have you made any of those?
Please drop me a line if you’ve been photographing the season. I want to curate a mix for the newsletter and on Instagram. Email is always the best way to reach me. I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance for showing me your stuff!
One more thing…
I mentioned Nicholas’ partner, Kat Hill, an author and researcher based in the Scottish Highlands. Kat sent a copy of her new book, Bothy: In Search of Simple Shelter, which arrived this week. I’m looking forward to reading it, and I think some of you will like it, too. Bothy drops in hardcover on May 9 and features Nicholas’ photography. Kat writes a newsletter, too! Please check her out.
Thanks again to Nicholas J. R. White for inspiring today’s post. If you like his photography, you can follow him on Instagram. He’s so good!
Finally, if you haven’t tried Notes, Substack’s social network, you might give it a spin. I’m having a lot of fun there and think it has enormous potential for artists and photographers.
Let’s connect if we’re not yet — You can find me here.
That’s all for now. I hope you have a great weekend. We’re going hiking on Sunday. Take care!
Fabulous - I've been enjoying Nicholas's work for a few years now. Didn't realise he lives in the Cairngorms now - just down the road from me 🙂
Gorgeous!