The winter days in London can be unforgiving. Sometimes the world is shrouded in heavy cloud. For the photographer, there is no light and shade, colours are flat – there is little to work with.

Aside from coming home with no shots at all, there is a way to deal with these dispiriting days. Embrace the gloom and look for images that capture this maudlin mood. My usual approach is to go monochrome, think black and white and seek out the sunlessness.

THAMES EMPTINESS

This photograph is the product of a recent low light day. It’s the River Thames at Putney, with simple layers of sky, trees, river banks and a waterway showing little life and action. There is a sheen on the water, but it’s dark and empty. Quite unusual for this stretch of the Thames.

I saw this view and pounced on it, hopefully capturing the mood of a flat day.