Iced Trees

Quiet Autumn Snow

Winter Refuge

I got up at 6:00 on Monday morning to take a pre-dawn photographic trek into the Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge. I snowshoed under twilight for an hour before stumbling into a copse of trees that were dripping with warm glowing light. I fell to my knees--which is pretty difficult when you are wearing snowshoes in two feet of snow-- and immediately setup my panoramic equipment. It was about 8 degrees fahrenheit, so when I put on my thinner gloves for using my camera, my fingers were already numb. I clumsily stumbled through three versions of the same image--two rows of 15 shots. I was shivering, so I packed up my gear and headed home. I didn't know if any of my shots came out well, but I did have a feeling of satisfaction. As I crested one of the hills, I turned back and saw my meandering path arch across the hillside. I was cold, but I was rejuvenated by the beauty of the wilderness refuge. I recall thinking that it would be fun to throw myself down on the powdery snow and and wriggle around on my back like a dog does in the soft green grass of spring.

Canaan Mountain Winter

The wind and snow were swirling like a banshee up on Canaan Mountain. We skied along the mountaintop as the snow accumulated on our shoulders and in our hair. I stopped to make this image. In the five minutes it took to capture the images that compose this print, I frequently had to brush snow accumulation off the top of the camera, but I didn't need to worry about the camera getting wet, it was about 15 degrees F.

Roundtop Skier

Yes, the skier in this picture is shown three times. The ability to repeat the same subjects in panoramics is both a curse and a blessing. On this snowy day, we were hunkered down in a shelter watching a few hardy souls glide through the meadow with the dark trees as a background. I think my favorite quality of this image is the densely intersecting branches of the background giving the image a slightly dark and foreboding feel.

Old Snow Winter Trees

Along the Blackwater River in the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, there is this trail that meanders among the riverside trees and boulders. In the winter, this trail is perfect for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. On this warm, winter day, the sun was settling low in the sky melting intricate patterns into the snow and casting long shadows with the tree-trunks. The texture of the bark on the trees and the snow on the ground gave this image a warmth and accesibility that is unexpected for a cold snowy scene. You can almost instinctively sense how easily the snow would ball-up for making snowballs or a snowman.

White Savage River

The winter was too warm. We hadn't seen any cold or snow for weeks. I was in withdrawal. Sunday morning I awoke to 10 inches of heavy, but beautiful, snow. By 7:00 am I was in the car heading for the closest natural scenery I could find, about a mile from my house. I got out on the trail and practically ran down the trail towards a view of the river. As I turned the corner and saw the water turned green with snowy slush, I was elated. I carefully climbed down the steep, slippery embankment to the rocks along the river and then scooched across the ridge of a large boulder hanging over the water. Perched precariously on the slippery rock, I took out the tripod and captured the 21 images that composed this print. I considered printing this in black and white, but I decided that I liked the duo-tone effect of white snow and green water. Almost all the snow melted by noon that day. I was satisfied that I had captured the river at peak snowiness.

Bald Knob Kissed By Winter

This was the panoramic image that got the ball rolling for me. I recall hiking on an early January day. I was disappointed at the lack of snow for backcountry skiing, so I contented myself with shooting photographs of the early winter dusting of snow. I spent 15 minutes and about 30 frames photographing a cute little pine tree that had been windbeaten over the years. When I was done, I turned around and rapidly--without thinking too much--snapped 7 images in succession for this panoramic. When I got home I was speechless. The image was beautiful. This image was the first wide format panoramic that I felt could be considered Fine Art. I still take pride in this image even while my technique making panoramics has evolved. It just goes to show that photography, and art, is as much about emotion as technique. Here is what I wrote shortly after taking the picture.