WINTER VIEWS
MARTIN BOND @acambridgediary
Our winters are much milder than in the past and so it’s unusual to have sub-zero temperatures over a period of several days. However, when this does happen, the photographer seeking a perfect winter scene should head for the frozen flooded fields around Upware and Welney for an activity steeped in history – fen skating. Fen skating has been part of Fenland life for centuries: in towns and villages throughout the region, local men would compete for prizes of money, clothing or food during severe winters when agricultural work was unavailable. Their legendary endurance races and informal matches are the stuff of local folklore. If you are lucky, as I was in 2022, the icy conditions might coincide with a morning mist or even a hoarfrost, which adds drama to the scene. When wandering about in sub-zero temperatures, it pays to keep plenty of spare batteries to hand since the cold weather dramatically shortens battery life. When you get home, leave your camera in the bag so it acclimatises slowly to avoid condensation on your equipment. When shooting wintry scenes, set your ISO low (100-400) to minimise noise, use low apertures (f/5.6-11) for sharpness and add positive exposure compensation to prevent the snow from looking grey. To capture action, use a fast shutter speed (1/500sec).
FENLAND SKATER A photo by Martin Bond from Cambridge Light & Shade , available at cambridgebooks.co.uk and all bookshops
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK DECEMBER 2025 11
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