So today, Monday, 1st January marks the beginning of another new year. Another year to attempt to set out new resolutions and jettison old ones. Another year of embarking upon the diverse and completely unpredictable world of photography.
During days off I like to be out of bed bright and early to make the most out of the day ahead. Whether it be an indulgent into my hobbies of photography, herpetology or tinkering with my cars, I try to prioritise them once the obligatory chores have been fulfilled. Today was no exception.
My first port of call is checking the weather apps for an hour-by hour forecast which helps me determine where to go and what to photograph. Today's forecast was for some wind and partially cloudy skies which was a euphonium of promising news for any landscape photography enthusiast. The catch: viciously cold temperatures of around -22C.
I set out around an hour before sunrise to buy extra time in deciding where to head for, and to thoroughly gauge what the sky was doing. Disappointingly, the "partial cloud" consisted of a typical storm's posterior of blanketing cloud to the east and completely clear skies behind it. Even with winter light which never becomes particularly harsh due to the lower inclination of the sun in the sky, this was enough to change the course of the style of photography I was about to undertake completely from one of grand vistas from hilltops surveying the valleys below, to more intimate landscapes and macro work. The heavy frost dominated by the frigid temperatures then gave way to a myriad of photo opportunities in stark contrast to the restricted chances of capturing a beautiful vista against a rubbish sunrise and a lifeless landscape.
The devil, as they say, is in the detail. Frost was encrusted over everything exposed, whether natural or man-made, There were trees, grasslands, and bushes all festooned with the grip of a frigid winter. As the sun rose above the horizon, it cast a soft light over it all which was impressive to shoot into and away from. Utilising my Nikkor 60mm micro (macro lens coupled with a crop sensor body - used only these days when I require the effective extra reach, or for video) I was able to get in close. I also used the Nikkor 180mm telephoto lens to compress frozen grasses against darker backgrounds.
Animals are another often neglected consideration for a landscape photographer looking to bring life into a bleak wintry landscape. They add foreground interest, colour and perspective into the image. I found a field of bulls by route 551 near Darlington, Pennsylvania which I have photographed before, but this time their hides were literally caked in a blanket of snow. I'm no expert when it comes to identifying cattle breeds and had no idea as to their resilience to such harsh temperatures, but even so I felt quite sorry for even taking the liberty to photograph their apparent discomfort for my own pleasure, but the view of one standing on the hillside against the barren wintry backdrop of the valley beyond added more diversity into today's shoot.