IN THE FIELD: Shadows In The Snow

Early morning or late afternoon is the perfect time for catching some great shadows in the snow.

I took this photo in the early morning using a custom in-camera B&W mode. I chose B&W because I liked the stark contrast of the tree trunks against the softness of the snow.

Another reason I didn’t shoot this in color was due to the deep blue shadows from the early morning light. Even though the scene is a cold visual, I didn’t want to show it as any colder.

When shooting in color, there are times when the snow is that blue from the light and shadows, it can be difficult to expose the snow as white without overexposing the whole scene and losing detail.

Of course there is always the post processing route to fix things, but I would rather get it right in camera rather than spend time adjusting the image on the computer. I suppose I’m from the old school in my way of thinking. Plus, I would rather be out shooting photographs.

There is still about two feet of snow on the ground with more on the way late tonight. This certainly has been a long snowy winter this year. It reminds me of when we were kids and the ground would be white for months.

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ISO 100

cloudy WB

IN THE FIELD: Snow Day

Yesterday was another snow day where I live. It wasn’t a big storm, but we did get about three inches of fresh light fluffy snow.

For some reason I wasn’t able to get warm…all day. So I decided to stay inside and play with some close-up photography. I looked around the house for objects that would photograph well, and tried to create images that were not easily recognizable.

Okay, okay, I’ll tell you what the objects in the photos are. The first image is a close up looking down into a drinking glass.

The second is a portion of a glass vase with a blue light placed inside to add some color.

The last image was taken as I was preparing dinner. This is a pot of water with some safflower oil floating on top.

You are probably wondering what in the world was for dinner.  Winter comfort food….cheese ravioli in a rich chunky tomato/vegetable sauce. I finally felt warm after devouring more than I should have eaten. After all, the internal furnace needed fuel.

 

IN THE FIELD: Sunset Snow

Yesterday evening I was closing the curtains for the night to help keep the warmth inside. And to cover the big black holes that form at every window opening when it’s dark outside.

As I looked out one of the windows on the western side of the house, I caught a glimpse of yet another vibrant sunset. The sky was brightly colored with yellow, orange, pink, lavender, and purple. As a bonus, the snow in our side yard was glistening from the light of the setting sun. I grabbed my camera and was able to take a few photos before the color began to fade.

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cloudy WB

IN THE FIELD: Winter Wonderland

This certainly has been quite a winter for some folks. It may not be the snowiest as in years past, but the storms sure have been frequent. Another storm blew through this past Sunday night thru Monday afternoon and deposited nine more inches of snow. Last night was a night of freezing rain and snow…and guess what? There is more winter weather predicted for this weekend. The area around here is beginning to look like the Great White North.

I’m not complaining because I really enjoy the winter season…I just need a break from the outdoor gym (shoveling).

Yesterday I ventured down to a nearby small creek for some scenic winter photos. I was surprised to see the water flowing at such a high rate. I thought the water would have been frozen solid since the temperature has been below freezing since…well, I can’t remember when it wasn’t.

Here is a shot I took looking upstream. It was late afternoon and there wasn’t  much sunlight at this location because of the hillside on the left was blocking the setting sun.

After viewing the image, I decided to de-saturate it to see how it would look. I like the color version because the brown leaves add some interest. I also like the monotone rendition for the really cold feeling in conveys. I think I’ll keep both.

f 6.7

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ISO 200

cloudy WB