Light stalking
Back in the 35mm days Light stalking was a necessity for the color shooter. Landscape, in stamp and colored format, till the advent of the scanners, was photographed in slides. The DR (Dynamic Range) was awfully restricted to max 5 zones (or EVs if you are better). Hi and Low contrast scenes were almost out of reach unless a "creative" solution was adopted. My solution was to work out pictures in the first 4 hours after the sunrise and 4 hours before the sunset. In Winter the time frame more or less corresponds to the whole day.
Digital gave me a larger scale (or DR). With some limitations I can now work on purely available light all day and a bit after sunset. The problem now is all in organization.
After 50 years in this world I still find myself unprepared, and surprised, by seasonal changes in light quality and color. Last Saturday, to exemplify, I went to a place I spotted a couple of, rainy, weeks ago. I was expecting some kind of bluish and diffused light, only went out earlier, Instead I found a gorgeous warm and contrasted light. Not bad at all, the place revealed new traits of photogenic beauty.
Here, in Milan, spring is at it's beginning. This week, on the 13 of March, the "Celtic" beginning of the spring, "el tredesin de Mars" (The little thirteen of March), will be celebrated with an open air flower (and gardening) market.
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