[Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 "pancake" lens @ f/8]
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2014/02/makin-tracks.html
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Raleigh's second snow and ice storm of this year
Yesterday's snowstorm caused traffic tie ups in Raleigh severe enough to make national news. My usually 15-20 minute commute home took 5 hours…oh well, so much for hopes of photographing an idyllic landscape covered in pristine snow! I was hungry and tired, and the light was almost gone.
Fortunately for me, I was free to go out for a walk this morning, and although a combination of sleet and rain was falling steadily, it was fun to wander with a camera. Also fortunate is that the camera and lens are pretty solidly weather sealed (though not truly "waterproof" by any means).
I was following a little creek that runs through our neighborhood park. It flows into Crabtree Creek, which I've pictured here a few times.
Most of what caught my eye today was detail, rather than a large, sweeping landscape. That's mostly because there isn't much of a grand landscape where I was.
I think this fallen leaf was caught and imprisoned in a jail of ice twigs.
Even a drainage conduit looks nicer in icy weather.
I found some leaves embedded in packed snow.
On my way home, I spotted some kids having fun, and Max the dog seemed to be as excited as anyone could be!
Fortunately for me, I was free to go out for a walk this morning, and although a combination of sleet and rain was falling steadily, it was fun to wander with a camera. Also fortunate is that the camera and lens are pretty solidly weather sealed (though not truly "waterproof" by any means).
I was following a little creek that runs through our neighborhood park. It flows into Crabtree Creek, which I've pictured here a few times.
Most of what caught my eye today was detail, rather than a large, sweeping landscape. That's mostly because there isn't much of a grand landscape where I was.
I think this fallen leaf was caught and imprisoned in a jail of ice twigs.
Even a drainage conduit looks nicer in icy weather.
I found some leaves embedded in packed snow.
On my way home, I spotted some kids having fun, and Max the dog seemed to be as excited as anyone could be!
[All photos, Canon 1DX and EF 70-200/4 L IS]
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2014/02/raleighs-second-snow-and-ice-storm-of.html
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Lunar Landscape or Tracks in the Snow?
Some small mammals, as well as lots of birds, have been braving the cold, looking for food.
Two paths diverged in the snow, and I…I lost them both when they disappeared into the Liriope muscari (lily turf).
Two paths diverged in the snow, and I…I lost them both when they disappeared into the Liriope muscari (lily turf).
[EF 24mm f/3.5 TS-E II]
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
A snowy walk on the Raleigh Greenway system
A forecast of 3 to 6 inches of snow turned into something around the low end of that range, or perhaps less in our neck of the woods, but the "glorified dusting", as it might be viewed by those who hail from snow country, was still enough to transform our cityscape/landscape in Raleigh.
I was lucky to have the time to go hiking about for a few hours, and found a few interesting things (in my eyes) to photograph. Here are some of them. First, ice sheets hanging from a squirrel baffle beneath a bird feeder.
A reflection at the opposite bank of Crabtree Creek.
A precipitously leaning tree that was outlined nicely by the snow it caught thanks to its angle.
A bend in the creek.
Rusty bridge rails.
Two views from that bridge.
Some other people had to be out in the freezing weather, such as this surveyor.
I revisited a condemned bridge that I've photographed before.
I like the way the structure of the wooden planks shows through the snow accumulation.
This slower tributary of Crabtree Creek froze, which helped to emphasize the reflected colors and shadow patterns.
I was lucky to have the time to go hiking about for a few hours, and found a few interesting things (in my eyes) to photograph. Here are some of them. First, ice sheets hanging from a squirrel baffle beneath a bird feeder.
A reflection at the opposite bank of Crabtree Creek.
A precipitously leaning tree that was outlined nicely by the snow it caught thanks to its angle.
A bend in the creek.
Rusty bridge rails.
Two views from that bridge.
Some other people had to be out in the freezing weather, such as this surveyor.
I revisited a condemned bridge that I've photographed before.
I like the way the structure of the wooden planks shows through the snow accumulation.
This slower tributary of Crabtree Creek froze, which helped to emphasize the reflected colors and shadow patterns.
[photos done with EF16-35mm f/2.8 L II, 24-105mm f/4 L IS, and 70-200mm f/4 L IS]
From a few days ago, here are some photos when we had ice but no snow:
and
Highly variable weather has been the norm this year.
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-snowy-walk-on-raleigh-greenway-system.html
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Impure as the Undriven Snow
Tonight, the very first tiny hint of a snowfall in Raleigh this winter. Here are some of those tiny ice crystals, captured by a rather battered group of leaves. I don't know about you, but I'd love to see the land blanketed by a heavy carpet of snow, driven by wind into beautiful drifts, covering the humdrum trees and houses with a fairyland look…sorry, not getting to actually see it, so the cliches just came pouring out.
Anyway, this is the stingy reality so far. When (and if) I decide that a few of the other leaves I shot are worth your glance, I'll post other shots.
And here is the unreality, because if I don't see what I hope for, maybe I can imagine it, and if I can imagine it, there's Photoshop®...
Anyway, this is the stingy reality so far. When (and if) I decide that a few of the other leaves I shot are worth your glance, I'll post other shots.
And here is the unreality, because if I don't see what I hope for, maybe I can imagine it, and if I can imagine it, there's Photoshop®...
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2014/01/impure-as-undriven-snow.html
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Hint of snow, hunt for subjects
At 10 am today, I was pleasantly surprised to see very large flakes of snow begin to fall. Precipitation had been predicted, but was expected to start as rain. Temps near the ground were enough above the freezing mark that nothing frozen should have made it all the way down until later in the day, but apparently the local temperature dipped just enough overnight to allow these very soft flakes to survive until they touched the surface. I watched them melt in less than a second, whether they landed on concrete or leaves.
After about an hour and a half, a little bit of white stuff began to accumulate on pine straw and some leaves. It even showed up on the feathers of hunting birds, like the robin below.
The snow around town was very patchy. Then it turned to rain, and then it quit. I'm pinning my hopes on the chance of a little more precip tonight, which could lead to some photo ops tomorrow.
This is how it looked when it began to fall:
Here's the robin, foraging in the late morning:
After about an hour and a half, a little bit of white stuff began to accumulate on pine straw and some leaves. It even showed up on the feathers of hunting birds, like the robin below.
The snow around town was very patchy. Then it turned to rain, and then it quit. I'm pinning my hopes on the chance of a little more precip tonight, which could lead to some photo ops tomorrow.
This is how it looked when it began to fall:
Here's the robin, foraging in the late morning:
And finally, the look of a mix of snow and rain falling between the trees:
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2013/02/hint-of-snow-hunt-for-subjects.html
Saturday, January 19, 2013
A tiny hint of snow
Thursday night, central North Carolina got a mix of rain and snow. In Raleigh, it was rain until about midnight, followed by a puny dusting of snow that soon ended, with an accumulation - at least in our neighborhood - that would better be measured in millimeters than fractions of an inch. Still, I prepared a camera and lens so that I could do some quick shooting in the morning before it was necessary to leave for rehearsal. If only I'd had time to drive an hour northwest, where the snowfall was significant...but there's no sense in bemoaning what wasn't an option.
I like to make the best of situations, including when I've assigned myself a task that seems to depend on external circumstances. In this case, I wanted to create some images that said "winter", and even though we didn't have the wall to wall carpet of white that immediately describes the season, I hoped I could arrange elements to highlight hints of snow and frost without looking contrived.
No doubt due to the warm weather we've had recently, some perennials are starting to bloom. It would have been nice (from a photographic point of view) if they had been covered with flakes, but there was only water from the rain. The leaves on the ground did catch a little snow and ice, so I chose a high enough vantage to make that my background.
This leaf caught the sun just right, making its texture a good contrast with the ice.
There was lots of water on this group, along with just a hint of remaining frost.
The morning sun began working on what little frozen stuff there was.
This little beauty flaunted her charms, acting as if the sparse field of frost around her might be the perfect frozen stage of a ballet on ice:
Just when I was running out of time, I caught sight of a curved leaf that made a pretty effective ice trap. This is a rather cluttered composition, and I have misgivings about it, but there are also some things to like, so I'll let it be seen.
Now I can go back to hoping that in the next month or two there might be a "real" snowstorm that I can get to. It's a purely selfish wish, I know! Children like to play in the snow, and I guess at heart I'm still very much a child, though this kid likes to play with a camera instead of a sled!
I like to make the best of situations, including when I've assigned myself a task that seems to depend on external circumstances. In this case, I wanted to create some images that said "winter", and even though we didn't have the wall to wall carpet of white that immediately describes the season, I hoped I could arrange elements to highlight hints of snow and frost without looking contrived.
No doubt due to the warm weather we've had recently, some perennials are starting to bloom. It would have been nice (from a photographic point of view) if they had been covered with flakes, but there was only water from the rain. The leaves on the ground did catch a little snow and ice, so I chose a high enough vantage to make that my background.
This leaf caught the sun just right, making its texture a good contrast with the ice.
There was lots of water on this group, along with just a hint of remaining frost.
The morning sun began working on what little frozen stuff there was.
This little beauty flaunted her charms, acting as if the sparse field of frost around her might be the perfect frozen stage of a ballet on ice:
Just when I was running out of time, I caught sight of a curved leaf that made a pretty effective ice trap. This is a rather cluttered composition, and I have misgivings about it, but there are also some things to like, so I'll let it be seen.
Now I can go back to hoping that in the next month or two there might be a "real" snowstorm that I can get to. It's a purely selfish wish, I know! Children like to play in the snow, and I guess at heart I'm still very much a child, though this kid likes to play with a camera instead of a sled!
Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-tiny-hint-of-snow.html
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