Happy New Year, and welcome to my first blog post of 2026.

The year began with several days of snow from day one, creating very different scenarios for photographers and content creators like me. Winter photography in Scotland can be magical, but it also comes with real challenges.

Although I love taking pictures on days like this, the discomfort is very real, especially when I need to take my gloves off to press the shutter. The cold quickly becomes painful.

On one of the first days, my hands were hurting so much that I couldn’t even press the shutter properly. My fingers simply weren’t responding. I had left my gloves in the car days before, thinking I would be fine and could manage without them. I was wrong. The temperature was extremely low. I had to go back to the car and get them; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to take the first images for this blog at all.

Photography, Mood, and Creative Energy

To take meaningful photographs, it is important to be in a certain energy or mood. You don’t capture what is simply out there, you capture what is inside you and how you interpret the world through that state.

With that in mind, it’s clear that being in extreme pain would never produce the result I was looking for. Lesson learned (once again): preparation matters, especially when working outdoors in winter conditions.

Two Winter Days, Two Different Light Conditions

The images in this blog were taken on two separate days.

The first set was captured on the 3rd of January, under cloudy weather conditions, during the late afternoon. The second set was taken on the 10th of January, with equally cold temperatures but on a bright, sunny winter day.

Both days offered very different light, atmosphere, and emotional tones, a perfect example of how weather and light shape photography.

A Reminder for Content Creators and Business Owners

If you are a content creator or a business owner, days like these are a great opportunity to capture fresh images for your website and social media.

People are more open to connecting when there is something unusual happening around them, like snow. It gives you a natural excuse to share, start conversations, and show what’s happening in your local area.

And if your audience is outside Scotland, remember that not everyone experiences the same weather. Many people genuinely enjoy seeing that white winter blanket in your posts.

Best Time of Day for Winter Photography

When it comes to the best time to capture images, golden hour still reigns supreme, sunrise or sunset remains ideal.

That said, I sometimes enjoy working with stronger light as well. Experience plays a big role here. Knowing how to handle challenging light conditions allows me to capture and edit images in a way that stays true to the final result I want.

Winter may be cold, but creatively, it offers endless possibilities.