A Word of Encouragement

...For those in the northern hemisphere. The days stop getting shorter from now on. Slowly at first, admittedly, but I'm just...(wait a minute, I'm not allowed to say that any more).

Good light and happy solstice to you.

Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Andy F: "An interesting article from the BBC: 'Why do mornings still get darker after the winter solstice?'"

David B adds to Andy's comment: "Another, perhaps better, explanation for why sunrise is still getting later each morning can be found here. In any case, the later sunrises have been working in my favor as I try to get up for early morning photos. And the low sun angle at this time of the year results in great light for more hours in the day."

Mike replies: Good point.

Øyvind Hansen: Where I am in Norway sunrise was at 09:44 today, with sunset at 15:29. The weather is rainy and dark much of the time, stealing away what little daylight there is. Outdoor photography is still a few months away, but it is good to know we are starting to get there. Of course in the northern parts of the country the sun doesn't come up at all during winter."

Dan Smith: "Finally, after nine years of trying I got the Winter Solstice image I have been after. I can get it for a couple weeks before and after the day but have wanted it on the correct day since I first saw the possibility.

"An old barn within 20 minutes of us has a great old windmill that casts a shadow across the face for a couple weeks before and after the solstice. The wind vanes have to be in the right orientation for the shadow to travel across the barn as a full shadow and the sky has to cooperate without clouds covering the sun.

"Finally yesterday I got my triptych of the shadow on either side and the middle of the front of the barn. Right after finishing the breeze blew in a cloud bank from the east and the whole sky socked in. I'll get a few 'better' shadow shots over the next couple weeks as the shadow moves up higher and with luck we finally get snow to pile up on the roof and on the barn. At least now I have the images actually on the solstice—worth waiting for.

"Pixelography or film doesn't matter—getting the shot does."

Comments

[Eolake]

Good point. I'm just....

[Andy F]

An interesting article from the BBC

"Why do mornings still get darker after the winter solstice?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30549149

[Bryce Lee]

'Round here the day length is increased by one (1)second for today December 22; one my only hope for improvement, eh?

[Kent]

Indeed, the cycle of seasons is like a swing ... just swayin'.

[Nigel]

But the mornings keep on getting darker for some time.

[David Bennett]

errr, almost Mike! As we (the planet that is) tilt at 23 degrees (or so..) and have an elliptical orbit around the sun, the day length varies from 24hrs minus 20s to 24 hrs plus 30s and daylight after the winter solstice is still pretty mean. witness this morning in the UK when Sunrise where I am was 8.15... (yesterday was 7.45) Oh whither time..

[Tim Bradshaw]

Interestingly, if like me you care more about sunset time than sunrise (I don't get up early enough, clearly), it's been getting lighter for a few days now.

On the other hand, if you get up early then it's still getting darker in the mornings...

[Philip Flower]

Thank goodness for that. But curiously the mornings continue to get darker until next year - an interesting article on the BBC website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30549149

[Bruce]

Yeah, from 1005 hrs on Tues morning in Australia, the days start getting shorter. And hotter. Our hottest time in Victoria is late January, which coincides with the worst fire season. We've had 40% less rain than average , and it's tinder dry . Worried is not the word. I'd love a tropical cyclone to come in in North Queensland, with no major damage, and drop 100mm down here in its aftermath. Only thing absolutely certain about climate change is TOTAL UNCERTAINTY!!

[Tom Kwas]

I moved from the eastern side of the central time zone, to the western side of the eastern time zone, and I'm amazed how bright it is in the late afternoons here during winter!

[Eric Perlberg]

While technically true (though not always) I've just learned two interesting factoids: the time that the sun sets has been getting later since mid-December and the time the sun rises also continues to be later until early January. Apparently it has to do with the fact that days aren't really 24 hours long (tell that to your new AppleWatch accurate to 50 milliseconds). So yes the "days" will be getting longer but early risers face increasing morning darkness for awhile longer. Full explanation here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30549149

As someone who is both a walkabout photographer and a night owl, rising late and functioning leisurely over an overly long breaky (not the least of which is because of the engaging writing of your humble self and interesting commenters) I find most of my photography this time of year taking place between ISO 800 to 6400, less than optimal. Did I mention that I live in London where daytime is hardly synonymous with sunlight in any case? Bring on March's Equinox!

[Roger Bradbury]

Thanks to Andy F. for the link to the Beeb's piece, above. I am cheered up a bit knowing that the evenings start getting lighter before the shortest day, but I did not know why.

[Kent Whiting]

here in northern indiana, it really does not make a difference what time the sun rises or sets this time of year. Thanks to Lake Michigan it's all clouds all the time.
Is there a Sun?

[bill]

I was stationed in Lapin Finland, now Lapland and we shot in "available darkness" for the midwinter.

b

[Philip Sheard]

where I live in New Zealand official sunrise is currently 5:45am and sunset 9:29pm. Just saying'...

[Peter Croft]

Bryce Lee, at 1/8000th shutter speed, you have the potential to take 8,000 new shots in that extra second. Make good use of it. :-)

[Bourquek]

It's all about the annalemma, that figure eight thing in the Pacific Ocean on some globes.

http://www.sciquill.com/analemma/page2.html

[jim r]

It took me over fifty years to realize this: a midnight sun in summer means a midnight full moon in winter! That must be an amazing but chilly sight, watching the moon rise waxing, spin around as bright as can be, then wane and sink again. This never gets much press but that makes it no less true... I think!