Cadbury Castle Dawn

Dawn over Compton Pauncefoot from Cadbury Castle, Somerset, England, 05:05, 25th July 2017

The creative process for photographers is a long and enduring affair, but David Noton explains why printing off your work is considered one of the biggest payoffs in the workflow

04:30 25th July 2017 Cadbury Castle, Somerset. Getting up before 4 am to climb a hill in the darkness before dawn is the most natural thing in the world to do, isn’t it? There’s something special about a dawn patrol; it feels like an adventure, even after all these years, and despite the fact I’m only a few miles from home.

On the drive over I saw patches of mist forming in fields. Now I’m trudging up to the iron age hill fort that could be Camelot as darkness lifts. Through the trees I gather glimpses of the mist shrouded landscape; this is looking good. My pace quickens; I’m panting in my eagerness to get there and set up. No matter how much time I allow I always end up rushing – desperate not to miss a thing.