Blanket of Light

A lone tree stands tall in the early morning sun, surrounded by a soft bank of fog all around.

Beyond, in the lower foothills of this picturesque Italian basin, houses remain shrouded in shadow, awaiting the light of day.

But this tree, proudly jutting out of the fertile earth, waves it's boughs laden with green in celebration of the day yet to come. It shakes off the blanket of night, ready to face a new day full of splendour and beauty.

In these winter months where the sun peaks its head over the horizon well after my alarm has gone off and the morning chill goes deep into my bones, where the fog of sleep lies heavy on me, I find it harder to face the day, to throw the blanket off and go about the business of regular life. It is in these months where I am the town in the hills beyond, warm and cosy.

But I know that once I am up, once I have made the gargantuan effort to throw the covers back and roll out of bed and feel the bracing air upon my skin, that I will become that tree, that I will welcome the day in my own way, and that soon enough I shall be excited for whatever it may bring.

The details for this image are:

• Nikon D7200 with Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
• f/11
• 1/40s
• ISO100