The first snows of the season got me in the winter photography spirit. And because of that, I took the liberty of going through my archives (I wiped the dust off my external hard drive and started browsing) for some of my favorite photos from winter.
The first one is one of my favorite images from a snow storm almost three years ago. Back home in Alleghany County, Va., we had a total accumulation of about seven to 10 inches of snow with a nice layer of sleet on top that did a good job of keeping the ground white for a week. But keep in mind, when you mix snow, sleet and narrow back country roads – nothing good can happen – you have to wait a day or so because we're the low man on the VDOT totem pole. So when I was actually able to drive around I made sure to stop frequently and look at the small things.
On one of my stops, I noticed the creek that runs along the road up to my house was almost completely frozen over. So braving the already cold temperatures and the risk of finding myself knee high in freezing cold water, I positioned myself to shoot up stream towards the late afternoon sun. I don't know what it is about the image, maybe the shade of orange the sun gives everything, but to be an image from such a cold time of year it just seems warm.
On the flip side, this one I get chills just looking at. Not scary chills, but the kind of chills that make you just want to grab a blanket and curl up next to the fireplace. If snow is the gentle side of winter, ice is what can just grab you by its cold grip and just stop everything in its tracks. And it's that trait of ice that makes me like this image. If you think about it – things really do stop going on during an ice storm (at least in the country) and yet randomly, a small little bird can just flutter right up to an iced-over bird feeder to grab a quick snack, proving that the world doesn't stop just because you're frozen in.
I can't wait for the next winter weather to hit the area. It'll give me an excuse to be out in the freezing cold.
