SILVER RAIN

CORNWALL, UK, 2025

My rules when photographing in the wild are to get close, work against the sun and stay low. This print is a fine example of why I follow this rule. When all the conditions align, it creates the most captivating portraits. 

This early spring morning didn't start off like this. When I arrived at the castle grounds where this Buzzard patrolled, it was dark and unpromising. A huge rainstorm marched in from the Atlantic. There I was, damp and cold, waiting for the raptor to appear with no sign of things changing. 

I'd been waiting 4 hours and was about to pack up and leave. I said to myself, '5 more minutes'. I always do this when I feel like giving up. It makes me stay and often have special encounters that I'd have missed. 

My patience was rewarded when the Buzzard flew onto the grass to feed on the worms. As it began to move closer, the beautiful morning sun pierced through the wall of clouds like a cannonball onto the majestic predator. 

I stayed calm and still. This made the Buzzard calm and comfortable in my presence. You wait 4 hours in the rain for these moments. 

"I SAID TO MYSELF, '5 MORE MINUTES'. I ALWAYS DO THIS WHEN I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP. IT MAKES ME STAY AND OFTEN HAVE SPECIAL ENCOUNTERS THAT I'D HAVE MISSED. 

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

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