shadows

I’ve been unable to make new images for several weeks.  Not for a lack of motivation…  tonight was a beautiful sunset with bright purple, orange and red and we’ve had several amazing ice and snow events.  No, the reason I’ve not been able to photograph is I’ve been waiting on my new eyeglasses; the toric lenses are giving the optician some troubles and I’m getting a lesson in patience.  When I photograph up close, I focus manually.  And since I’ve been in the suburbs of Philadelphia this winter, I’ve been limited to the more intimate landscape.  The image for this post was made last year after an epic snowfall.  I really like the contrast of the tree trunk with the tree’s shadows on the snow.  The way the snow melts around the tree trunk is also an amazing piece of science in the wonders of nature.  As the temperatures start to nudge well above freezing this week I am promised those eyeglasses… just in time to see some signs of late winter flowers?

time for slow

I was reminded again today to slow down… not by a person, but by nature herself.  An “ice event” they call these storms, causing headaches for commuters who have to drive or walk to work.  I’m one of those walkers most every day with a mile long walk to work and then back home again; a slower mode of transportation that allows me valuable creative time.  I often think of photographic opportunities, or new subject matter during these walks. One of those musings reminded me to visit a site along the Crum Creek I photographed last year in February.  So I ventured out last Sunday into the first sun we’ve had in what seems like a month.  Lots of kids and their families were enjoying some sledding on the hill of the Holly Collection slope.  But I kept my distance taking the less traveled route along the shore of the creek, sharing some footsteps with cross-country skiers from earlier in the day.  Snow covered canes of invasive-exotic weeds that line the creek in the sunnier locations gave me less than sure footing as I plunged hip deep into the snow… the joyous cry of happily airborne sledders in the distance.  But this solitude and slow snowy walk allowed me time to watch, to watch the light, to watch the patterns, and to sense the beauty of the day.  Time didn’t matter and for a moment I was drawn back to the sand dunes of Death Valley.  Yes, sand dunes of one of the hottest places in North America on a snowy January day.  The mounds of snow along the creek and the play of light over them from the forest of beech, maple and hemlock reminded me of lessons learned from watching the light in the desert.

Winter is here

This past week I visited Harriman State Park in NY for some photography during some really chilly weather.  The week prior the east coast had a really great snowstorm and I was looking forward to some snow pictures in this area.  But most of the snow was gone and what remained what lots and lots of ice.  Ice on the seven lakes there, ice on plants and ice on outcrops. The plants seemed happy to have their protective coating of ice on this 19F day… glistening forms of spring hopeful.

During this time of year there are very few people in the park; I ran into four people hiking the entire day.  But during the warmer months it’s obvious this park is trampled by crowds from nearby New York City, day visitors and group campgrounds filled to capacity.   This day I found solace in the sounds of wind and cracking ice shifting on the lakes.  Stalactites of ice forming from a shelf ice balanced between two rocks on the edge of one of the lakes brought me back to childhood wonder and amazement… how?