I am constantly amazed by the wonderful fluid and organic shapes nature creates. When wind and movable particles work together, the results can be absolutely stunning. Whether walking along a road, a beach or an open field, I feel as though I am walking through the world’s largest art gallery. Come spring, the exhibition closes and we wait till the following winter to see a whole new exhibit of wonders provided free of charge to the viewer.
When nature provides, I’m not going to say no.
Everything turns to gold…
Sea smoke rising off Lake Superior on a cold (-4F) February morning.
Spotting the simple aspects of nature requires a keen sense of awareness in the moment. I discovered this fragile bit of ice close to melting away on a warm, early spring afternoon. Shortly after taking the shot, I broke through the ice on Lake Superior. Lucky for me I was close to shore and the water was shallow. In the moment, my first concern was for my camera, which I was able to keep safe and set on a rock as I extricated myself from the ice.
Canon EOS 7D, ISO 100, 60mm, f/7.1, 1/1600 sec
Who knows if I’ll catch sight of another set of snowdrifts as I drive along a road in an open area prone to drifting? But, I suppose if that happens, and I have a camera, I’ll stop the car and spend time searching for the right combination of light and shadow inherent in snowdrifts everywhere.
Sony RX100 Mk5, ISO 100, 8.8mm, f/2.2, 1/1000 sec.
Silver Efex Pro 2, Preset 032 Film Noir 3, Kodak Tri-X 400TX Pro
The other aspect of snowdrifts is the opportunity to explore light and shadow. The shape of the snow as the wind sculpts the form creates soft curves that shapes the light in unique patterns.
Sony RX100 MkV, ISO 100, 8.8mm, f/I2.2, 1/1250 sec
Silver Efex Pro 2, Preset 032 Film Noir 1, Kodak 100 TMAX Pro
Nature has a knack for forming lovely, organic shapes and this image is a wonderful example of what’s possible when wind and snow work together.
Sony RX100 MkV, ISO 100, 8.8 mm, f/2.2, 1/1000 sec
Silver Efex Pro 2, Preset 037 Pinhole, Kodak 100 TMAX Pro
Winter seems to lend itself to black and white photography. Most color has left for the season, leaving only the play of light and shadow on the landscape of mostly white. It’s at this time I enjoy seeking out the flowing, organic forms of snowdrifts. With the right lighting, the curves and edges create wonderful abstract forms similar to those found in areas where water and wind have worn the soft rock into amazing shapes. But, where those took thousands, if not millions, of years to form, these can form in minutes.
Sony RX100MV, ISO 100, 12.2mm, f/2.8, 1/1250 sec
Processed with Silver Efex Pro 2, Preset 031 Film Noir 2, Llford FP4 Plus 125
I’ve had some questions about the amount of ice piled along the shore of Lake Superior near Duluth, this is just a small sample of conditions as of this past Wednesday. As winds shift, so will the piles of ice.
Northern Visions Media 