The land looked wintry but I could feel that the end of winter was near when I pressed the shutter release button on this February day. The end of the winter was also the end of my mother’s life. I last saw her in December, at the end of autumn.

Lune in one of her exquisite guises: The waning, rising sickle moon early this morning over the village of Rowde in Wiltshire, England.

The light was already fading when I was out in the garden stacking logs this afternoon. Suddenly I felt a tap on my right shoulder. Madame Soleil and Mademoiselle Lune were vying for my attention.

I first noticed one, then a second arrived and a third, and suddenly a flock of at least thirty fieldfares descended on our garden for a meal of delicious looking red berries on a shrub.

A photograph for twelfth night – the evening of the 5th of January – of the picturesque and aptly named Christmas Steps in Bristol, England, still in their seasonal dress.

I take the sunshine on New Year’s Day as an exceedingly good omen for the year ahead. There will be love, warmth, sunshine, adventure, fun, satisfaction, success and happiness. Happy 2013!

“Not a hope of snow this Christmas”, the local television weather presenter said with an air of authority. So I decided to make my own winter.

This year’s face of winter at Wolf Kettler Photographer is … a human dormouse. Also season’s greetings, and Christmas and New Year closing schedule. In the New Year, let love warm your life, light brighten your mind and peace guide your way.

I was getting in logs for the fire when I saw the most beautiful, setting crescent moon early in the evening a few days ago. A photographer’s work is never done and, in any case, I have a thing about the moon.

At the beginning of December, Nikolaus and Krampus visit if you are privileged enough to live in one of the countries that is on their tour schedule. Edging closer to the shortest day and the longest night of the year we celebrate the winter solstice, then Christmas and, finally, the last day of the outgoing year with all the hopes that we have for the infantile new year. All those winter celebrations have one aim in common: To defeat the dark time of the year. And today is the beginning of Saturnalia.