As a photographer, I also feel the call of a transformed landscape beaconing. My normal surroundings have been magically changed into elegant and serene vistas. The dull, gray-brown of winter has been replaced by a bright white that is stunning and pure.
If the landscape calls you away from the fireside, here are some thoughts on winter photography.
1 – Go for the big picture, of the total vista. This morning it was an apricot colored sky set against that pristine white, as dawn approached.
2 – Go for the detail shot, Examples: ice encrusted limbs of trees, heavy clumps of snow weighing down a pine bough.
3 – Explore the contrasts. Black and white is wonderful for this technique. Contrast the dark trees or barn against the white expanse of snow. Shadows are also beautiful on snow.
4 – Capture unique weather moments. Our creek has icy edges now, as the inky darkness of the stream runs past the brittle edges of ice and snow. Our ice is extremely thick now, due to several inches of icy rain and sleet on top of several inches of snow. The temperatures have remained low enough that the ice is thick enough to support the cattle and horses. That is definitely a different kind of look.
5 – Where is the wildlife? Fortunately we had filled the bird feeders before the big storms. My bird feeders are full of all types of birds. It is like a busy metro coffee bar for birds. The showiest birds, are of course, the cardinals with their bright red plumage and the woodpeckers with red heads and black and white ladder striped wings. If the cold is too much for you, arrange your feeders near a window and take your photos from inside the warmth of your home.
6 – What about those kids? Nobody loves snow more than kids. Capture them making snow angels, creating snowmen, building snow forts, and of course, sledding.
Remember to keep your spare batteries in your pants pocket, near the warmth of your body, for longer battery life. Batteries do not like cold.
Each season offers us a new, fresh look at our surroundings. Snow, is perhaps the most dramatic of all these transformations. Explore your immediate world and benefit from the changes that nature offers us.
Please view my website at www.suebloom.com
