There is a softness to winterlight that is both soothing and serene. A muted whiteness with tinges of grey and blue. It takes the hard edges off buildings and makes them seem almost translucent, shimmering reflections rather than rough impositions of stone and glass. Driving through a sunrise in winter is particularly beautiful – the softness of the sky filters the sun, refracting its yellow-orange glow through a rolling field of gauzy clouds. The sun doesn’t shine so much as it provides backlight to a sleeping world, itself hidden beneath layers of clothes and the noise of blowing heaters in homes and cars. Winterlight brings out the depth and texture of the cloudy, hazy, snowy sky – it makes the unseen vapours and snow flakes visible. There is a magic in that, isn’t there?