Photographers, professional and keen amateurs alike, all have a few images in their library that are special to them for a variety of reasons. It could be where, when or how the picture was taken, or a reminder of a particular time in the photographer’s life when things were going particularly well and photographs of loved ones, now so treasured, or beautiful locations were recorded. It can also be for aesthetic reasons when impressive images bring particular pleasure. This photograph was taken on a bitterly cold morning at Burgh-next-Aylsham in North Norfolk near where I then lived. The early morning mist was hanging in the trees along the banks of the River Bure and the frosted grass crunched underfoot as I walked. It was very still and quiet until the swan decided to take off to head up river.

The image was recorded on Kodak Tri-X 400 and the film was developed and printed in my home darkroom. I decided to tone the top of the print and I did some bleaching work on the swan’s body to increase the contrast between it and the dark water of the river. This image is now framed and is on the wall of my office and when I look at it my memory flashes back to that time, now many years ago, that was a particularly happy period of my life.