Gallery: a March selection
It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
Charles Dickens
March has been a quiet month for photography, on the whole. It started slowly as I searched, sometimes in vain, for subjects that inspired me. Then halfway through the month spring started to arrive. Trees burst into blossom, shortly followed by my beloved magnolias.
The challenge then was not to take too many photos of the same thing! I’ve restricted myself to just one magnolia shot here, as I shared so many just a week ago. But I had to sneak a few tulips in too, of course, as well as some shots of a cheery bunch of daffodils. My featured photo was taken in St James’ Park, London, on 17th March, just as spring really began to be show itself.
The weather was much as Dickens describes above, with sunny days seeing us leave the winter coats at home to sit in the garden of our favourite coffee shop. Then as the month drew to an end the winter seemed to return and we finished March with icy winds, flurries of sleet (in London) and snow in much of the rest of the country.
Elsewhere of course war was raging, occupying everyone’s thoughts, and I can’t ignore that. So this month’s gallery finishes with a few shots of the London Stands With Ukraine march when Londoners came out to show their support for, and sympathies with, that beleaguered nation. My Ukrainian friend is thankfully safe with a mutual friend in Poland, but millions aren’t so lucky.
As I did last month, I’m linking to Ju-Lyn and Brian’s Changing Seasons challenge.
Technical notes
Some of these shots were taken with my compact Panasonic Lumix and some with my phone. Some are straight out of the camera or with minor adjustments; others have been quite heavily edited with Nik Color Efex, or in a couple of cases Nik Silver Efex. As always, it’s pretty obvious which ones have been ‘fiddled with’!
Lichen on bark 2022-03-02 
Red camellia 2022-03-04 
At the Moon & Maybe coffee shop 2022-03-09 
Daffodil 2022-03-12 
Daffodils 2022-03-14 
Fallen camellia in the rain 2022-03-16 
Street tree opposite our house 2022-03-20 
Blossoms springing out of the bark on a street tree 2022-03-21 
Pink tulip 2022-03-23 
Yellow tulip 2022-03-23 
Magnolia stellata 2022-03-23 
Fallen tulip petals 2022-03-26 
London Stands With Ukraine 2022-03-26 
London Stands With Ukraine 2022-03-26 
London Stands With Ukraine 2022-03-26
27 Comments
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Ju-Lyn
Truly a changing of seasons …. in more than one way!
Thank you for sharing your bounty!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed these!
Forestwood
I do know what Dickens means. That is winter here in my region. Lovely selection, Sarah. I liked the flowers springing forth from the bark. Such a textural contrast.
Sarah Wilkie
I know exactly what he means, we’ve had a lot of days like that so far this spring! Interesting that this is what winter feels like for you 😀
I was amazed to see those flowers, so dainty against the rough bark. And only a few yards from our house!
Annie Berger
I especially liked your commentary at the beginning, Sarah, with your reference to spring with Dickens’ quote leading into the lovely spring time shots and also your touching comments about what is happening in Ukraine and how Londoners are responding.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Annie, I’m glad you enjoyed this 🙂
Alli Templeton
A great collection of photos that together sum up March perfectly. The flowers are superb, and I have to say I’ve never seen lichen like that before. And your shots of London Stands with Ukraine are as heartwarming as those tantalising days of warmer weather we enjoyed during the month. The unity on show in the capital gives a flame of hope in the darkness, just as the daffodils are a symbol of hope of better times to come. Great stuff, Sarah. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Alli 😊 I quite often see lichen like that on our street trees – it’s such a lovely shade of pale green! Yes, the day of the march was lovely and warm, and the turnout was impressive, with people from all different cultures and backgrounds. London at its best ❤
wetanddustyroads
I love your close up shots of the flowers … it’s spring (even if it’s just slightly) and it should be celebrated with amazing photo’s like yours!
Sarah Wilkie
Well, it WAS spring for a week or so, not it feels like it’s gone back to winter 😆 But it will be back!
Tanja
beautiful images! love that blue dress on that lady in one of last photos 😉
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Tanja. She was dressed beautifully for the march and was handing out an artificial sunflower to the little girl in the shot. I think she must be either Ukrainian or possibly Polish.
Tanja
Probably
Bama
I wish the skies were like in your opening shot when I went to the UK back in 2007. It was in August, but it was cloudy most of the time. A friend of mine who had lived in England told me that such weather is actually quite common despite the fact that it’s in the summer.
Sarah Wilkie
That’s true. We can have blue skies at any time of the year but when we get them in the winter it usually means cold weather and in the summer it means hot (by UK standards). But we can also get cloudy skies at any time and in the winter that can actually make it milder whereas in the summer it makes it cooler. It’s all to do with our weather being most strongly influenced by the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream 🙂
the eternal traveller
We’ve had a very quiet start to the year and not gone anywhere much. But we’re off soon on some adventures so I’ll have new material to post about. Happy April to you!
Sarah Wilkie
Ooh, that sounds exciting! March was a quiet month for us but we’re off again soon although only for a few days 🙂
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Lovely set of images. The Spring weather has been similar here with some pleasantly warm days and now back to the cold – but still quite dry.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank Anabel. It’s cold but sunny today, but we’ve had some sleet showers over the last few days and even a little snow!
Heyjude
Fallen tulip petals is so lovely and I really like the Imagine Peace – if only the world could live as one.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Jude. For the march they had that Imagine Peace message on the huge neon billboard at Piccadilly Circus, instead of the usual advertising!
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bushboy
A wonderful selection for March Sarah. Love the flowers and macros but the lichen at the start is lovely. Thanks for joining in 🙂 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Brian, glad you liked the lichen in particular 🙂
SoyBend
I really liked the close up of the daffodil, Sarah! Nice processing.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Siobhan – I used one of the Color Efex vintage filters for that edit. It’s an effect I like a lot for flower shots 🙂