6 Degrees And Under

NEWS………

Content Refresh

I felt it was time for a much-needed site refresh, so I’ve updated this Home page and added new images to my portfolio, removing some of the older ones (hopefully, the quality is gradually improving). The new photos come from various trips, including a brief visit to Namibia in August/September 2024, as well as to Wiltshire, Suffolk, Sussex, Somerset, Devon, and, of course, London.

Additionally, I’ve added a couple of new projects: Namibia Road Trip and Hunting Supermoons.

I hope you enjoy the updated collection of photos.

Breaking The Rules

All the images on this site have been captured between dusk and dawn, when the sun is low or below the horizon. However, here’s the thing: I do take a few shots during the day (not many, but a few), and I’d like to share them with you as well. So, I’ve bent the rules a bit and added a ‘Breaking The Rules’ page to my portfolio. Have a look and let me know what you think.

Fine Art Prints

I’ve also decided to offer a selection of my images as Fine Art Prints. Why not take a look at what’s available?

Felixstowe - Connected To The World
Long Walk Home
Poppy Fields, Wilts.

Thank you for taking the time to visit this site—I hope you find it interesting.

None of the images here have been lit by bright, direct sunlight. Instead, they were taken when the sun was either very low in the sky or below the horizon.

Light from a low sun is softer, with reduced contrast. This period, known as the Golden Hour, bathes the landscape in warm tones and rich colour saturation. Clouds can glow with pinks and yellows, reflecting their hues onto the land below. As the sun dips below the horizon, its light becomes even warmer until it finally fades away.

This is followed by the Blue Hour, when the warmth disappears, yet the landscape remains visible in a cooler, more subdued light. Then comes twilight and night, when illumination comes from the stars, distant galaxies, charged particles, and artificial sources.

At dawn, the cycle reverses—night gives way to the Blue Hour, followed by the return of the Golden Hour.

  • Sun elevation between 6º and -4º

  • Sun’s elevation between -4º and -6º.

  • Nautical twilight.- elevation of the sun between -6º and -12º.

    Astronomical twilight - elevation of the sun between -12º and -18º

  • Sun’s elevation lower than -18º

How it all started for me……..

Although I had been interested in photography for many years, particularly while travelling, the true inspiration for the images on this site came in January 2019 after visiting the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Museums Greenwich. I was in awe of the incredible night sky images on display. That visit sparked a journey—one that began with research, new equipment, and a planned trip to the Atacama Desert later that year.

I quickly learned that this type of photography requires careful planning. The image must be visualised in advance, the location scouted in daylight, the weather forecast checked, and the right kit and clothing prepared.

And what to do while waiting for darkness? You start to notice the soft, warm hues and rich colours as the sun dips lower. Before long, you’re capturing the beauty of the Golden Hour, the Blue Hour, and everything in between.

And so, the journey continues…