In New England, the word snow, usually light, fluffy and
harmless, has reached a whole new definition.
When it is uttered, every man, woman and child acquainted with a shovel,
feels a dull ache in the lower back, thighs and biceps. The plowmen simply give a vacant thousand
yard stare. Like the landscape, their
spirits are buried under winter’s barrage.
During this assault from “Old Man Winter”, it would be easy
to forget about photography until spring.
With the transformation of the landscape comes an opportunity to rejuvenate
all things artistic. Seeing the land in new ways and finding new
sources of inspiration from old haunts is one of the great blessings of
winter.
This is not an easy task.
Simply dressing appropriately, will take close to a half hour. Once our armor of snow pants, boots, gaiters,
hand warmers and multiple layers of gloves are donned, we need to explore by
car, skis or snow shoes. This effort
is almost always rewarded.
Setting out with a plan is important. Have specific goals and locations in
mind. These opportunities often work
best with forethought in regards to subject, lighting, and weather
conditions. When preparation does not
play out as expected, be flexible.
On my latest adventure, I went to a remote beach on the
Cape. I spend more time on the beach in
the winter than I ever would in the summer.
I love the beach, but I treasure solace and parking, which is rare in
the warmer months. The desolate and
bleak landscapes of winter provide the peace and quiet that I seek. The tranquil sound of the waves breaking
upon the land still my soul.
On this day, I had a plan and a back-up plan in mind. While the back-up plan actually came to fruition,
the best image of the day came as a result of being flexible. Walking through the dunes, I noticed a song bird
that I had not seen up close before. It
was knocking seeds off of tall beach grasses.
The bird was so hungry that ignored me as I approached. Easing myself into the snow pack, I readied
my camera equipment and made some beautiful images of a male snow bunting.
The snow bunting is a beautiful bird in its own right, but
on this day, the form of the grasses made the image. The hardest part was keeping up with the
small bird as it flitted from stalk to stalk.
It would frequently face away
from the camera and it would often be hidden behind clumps of grass. Moments later it would fly into clear view
and rest on top of a stalk of grass for just a moment. The experience of observing this arctic bird
made my day.
Tip of the Month: Be
Flexible. When well thought out plans
don’t come together, look for another opportunity. This beautiful world is limitless.
