Jumping into January with a Camera

Kingfisher on a frosty January Morning

The festive lights are back in the loft, mince pies a distant memory, and the weather forecast often involves words like "dank" "biting," and "stay indoors." For many, understandably it’s hibernation season. But for those with a camera, any camera? January can be an epic playground!

If you can convince yourself to leave the warmth of your home (and yes, that is often the hardest part), the rewards outside can be spectacular. The light is low and dramatic all day, the crowds have dispersed, and the landscape takes on a stark, beautiful simplicity. Even the duller days offer atmospheric and evocative photo opportunities.

So don’t neglect charging up those batteries, layer up like an onion, and jump into January with the enthusiasm of a child opening their Christmas stocking! Still need convincing? Here’s some ideas that may help kickstart your photographic year.

Landscapes: Nature’s Winter Sculptures

January strips back the landscape. Without the distraction of vibrant colours or lush summer greens, form, texture, and structure become key areas of focus. 

The real star of the show this month, however, is ice. It transforms the mundane into something magical. Look for the details: frozen puddles cracking like stained glass, frost rimming the edges of dried leaves, or dramatic icicles hanging from waterfalls.

Sometimes, nature throws up something truly weird and wonderful. Just this week on my local patch—the River Wharfe in Ilkley—the conditions were perfect for "Ice Pancakes."

These curious circular formations happen in rivers when foam freezes on the surface and gets churned around in eddies, knocking edges off until they form perfect lily pads of ice. They are mesmerizing to watch and make for fantastic abstract landscape subjects.

Ice pancakes forming on the River Wharfe this week.

Other exciting icy phenomena this time of year can be hoar frosts and hair ice and you can approach any of the frozen scapes in a variety of ways, up close in detail, wide vistas and everything in between. Experiment and enjoy! 

Street Photography: Heat Seekers

Hitting the streets in the summer months is easy; everyone is out eating ice cream and smiling. Street photography in January requires a bit more grit—both from the photographer and the subjects.

The narrative of January street shots is almost always "battling the elements." Look for clues that reveal the atmosphere in a single photograph. Steam rising from takeaway coffee cups, breath visible in the freezing air, and foggy shop windows glistening with condensation.

People change their body language in the cold. They hunch shoulders, bury chins into scarves, and hurry with purpose. There’s a wonderful photographic texture to be found in heavy wool coats, bobble hats, and the sheer determination on the face of someone just trying to get to the bus stop without freezing solid. It’s a great time to capture genuine, unguarded human moments.

Wildlife: Breaking the ice with the illusive Water Rail

Water Rail warming itself in the sun

When a real freeze sets in, elusive birds are forced out of their dense cover to find food. This is the absolute best time to try and photograph the Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus).

Normally, these secretive wetland birds are just a squealing noise deep in the reeds. But when the margins of ponds and lakes freeze over, they are pushed out into the open to forage. I’ve even seen them swallow their pride and appear beneath bird feeders in the depths of winter, looking for dropped scraps.

If you find an open patch of water near reedbeds during a cold snap, get low, stay quiet, and wait. The results can be worth frozen toes.

Speaking of Water Rails, I’m thrilled to mention that one of my recent images of this elusive character has been selected for publication in the upcoming British Wildlife Photography Awards! Proof that braving the January chill pays off.

Water Rail crossing a flooded and iced over footpath, selected for publication in the British Wildlife Photography Awards book 2026

For Warming Up at Home: Get Organised

Hopefully you’re starting to come round to the idea that January does offer an array of photo opportunities, but that said, the days are still short and the nights very cold. This creates the perfect opportunity to get cosy and get photo ready!

January is the perfect time to re-examine your post photo workflow. From how you get the photos off your camera to how you  store and catalogue them, the smoother the process the more time you’ll get to spend outdoors taking photos and the more photos you’ll be able to share with the world

 I will be the first to admit I am not naturally the most organised person in the world. However, I have learned (slowly) that a smooth, organised post-photo workflow means I spend less time swearing at screens and more time actually taking pictures. Use these dark evenings to reassess your systems. What’s your backup strategy? Is your Lightroom catalog an unsolvable labyrinth?

Future-you will thank present-you for sorting this out now before another year passes and that elephant in the room morphs into a whale! 

I’m going to be focusing heavily on organization, editing tips, and workflow improvements on the Walking Photographer YouTube channel this year, so keep an eye out for those videos coming soon if you need a hand getting sorted. You might also want to take a look at my Get a Grip Photography Workshops which offer both basic intros and more indepth Lightroom & Photoshop

Get Out There (And Keep Warm!)

Don't let January pass you by in a blur of Netflix. There are unique images right outside your door that you can't get at any other time of year. Wrap up warm, stay safe on the ice, and happy shooting!