Shadows

I had given my students a word to use as a theme over the past weekend for their shooting assignment-"Shadows."  When I make an assignment like this, I always keep it open to their interpretation, hoping they'll come up with something less obvious or literal.  When someone does, it's more fun for me as a their teacher to see their creativity.  As usual, some didn't start the assignment until after downloads were due, but others did have some good examples and experimented with light and shadow-great to see.  Since this was all on my mind, this morning I decided to pull out a photo from last winter that really had little to do with nature and everything to do with shadow and composition.  This was one of my favorites from that morning.

Fog and Luminance

Schools closed today because of thick fog-really some pea soup out there.  Had a chance anyway to get grades done, keep an eye on the crisis in Madison and then escape to the woods with camera and Molly.  I knew I wanted to make a picture or two, just had a hard time finding the right thing.  Late in my hike, banks of fog would move in and out, which was pretty cool.  Hopefully I caught a little of that feeling.

Fog Bank on the Move

Black on White

Snow Art by Mother Nature

For unknown reasons, I've always loved reading about adventures of polar explorers.  My favorite book on the subject was "Endurance" by Ernest Shackleton.  It's the story of a failed attempt to cross Antarctica by sledge and the struggle to survive during a two year period stranded by pack ice and remoteness.  It's worth a read.  I think part of my attraction to these stories are that I truly enjoy snow and winter and being outdoors doing just about anything.  Call me a bit crazy, but there are times I love the bite of below zero on my skin and the struggle to just traverse deep snow.  For myself, it makes me feel alive.

As I snowshoed yesterday, the wind was up pretty high, but temps were not terrible.  I knew after working my way through the woods, I'd end up out on an open windy field.  I shot a few frames, but there wasn't a lot that caught my eye.  Nearing sunset and cresting the top of a hill,  the forms of the snow drifts started to interest me.  We'd received some rain a week ago, which formed a crust, and more recently, powder snow on top.  The strong winds during the past day or two really sculpted it and made (for me) some interesting forms.  I also liked the warm colors of the late day sun reflecting off of it.  I stopped at the highest point of my hike and wondered if those polar explorers appreciated the same beauty provided by the rawness of nature.  Perhaps, or maybe it was just another hurdle in the way to achieve their goals.

Snow Crescent

Sunset on Snow and Crust

Track Stories

I probably post something similar to this every winter, but it's something I just need to do.  I enjoy tracks.  I like the stories they can tell or the stories I try to interpret and think about.  They stop me in my.....ahhh, tracks.  They make me consider the when and why and it's okay if I never figure it all out-that's part of wonder Iguess.

White Footed Mouse tracks

These Wild Turkey tracks I happened to cut several times during my snowshoe.  The first time was out on a crusty and windblown field, where they could barely break the surface, then later in the woods wandering around in search of food.  I saw them several more times and finally they wandered into the yard checking for bird feeder leftovers.

Wild Turkey track in snow

Tubbs Snowshoe Tracks  on Cliffs field

Lastly, I stopped and checked out my own tracks.  The 24" snowshoes struggle in the 2' of snow here...or maybe it's just me.  I did get a workout, breathed fresh cold air and enjoyed the quiet.