View allAll Photos Tagged Freezing-Temperatures
Recent below freezing temperatures at night and frosty mornings makes for new opportunities for swans, geese and ducks to have a field day on ice. Saanich, Vancouver Island, BC.
44/100 for the 100 Flowers group. We were wallowing in an amazing display of flowers on our visit to Victoria, BC., made all the more wonderful by the weather back home in Calgary on our return: snow and freezing temperatures.
Hapalotremus sp - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
What lurks in the shadows of the rocky windswept puna of high Andes? On an uncharacteristically warm night its an impressively large tarantula which has emerged from the shelter of its burrow underneath a rock pile. Little is known of the tarantulas that inhabit the highest reaches of the mountain passes, just last year 7 new species were described from the area and surroundings but there are more yet to be officially described, including this species. This species and most of the new tarantulas are in the Hapalotremus genus, a group of tarantulas that live higher in the mountains than any other members of their family. To survive at the high altitudes and freezing temperatures they spend most of their time in burrows underneath rocks where presumably a semi stable temperature is maintained but research is currently lacking. Interestingly, different valleys in the Cordillera often seem to host different species despite geographic proximity same with the elevational gradient. We'd spend the night at one location where we would encounter one tarantula species, then the next morning load up the packhorses and trek for 9 hours across the rough landscape and when we searched for frogs at the new campsite the tarantulas we found were sometimes of a whole different species than at the previous locale. Tarantulas, their niche partitioning and biogeography are not my area of expertise but it would be cool to someday see a map of Andean valleys with the tarantulas that occur there. I suspect there are high levels of speciation and thus endemism almost like whats been found in freshwater fish in some stream environments that may be close to each other geographically but have no to little gene flow between them. But thats just a guess with no scientific backing at this point of course.
A tree Sparrow happy to get seeds as the 30 cm of new snow was covering the ground.
The snow was all gone but a sudden snowstorm brought over a foot of snow on the 18th and 19th of April. Here is what I wrote on FB I checked the live bird migration map this morning and weather conditions. Seems like it snowed at least from S. Dakota to here. I also looked at maps to try to figure out the bird radar locations.
In spite of the wintry conditions, there was a large number of birds that left the area of Aberdeen, SD (where there is a big wildlife refuge) around 10 pm, and went generally NW, a bit over Bismark but mostly Minot, where activity peaked around 2- 3 am , 4 to 5 hours later to slowly disappear over the border into SK. I think the birds have to be strong flyers, likely cranes or waterfowl, but I am puzzled as to why they would migrate in a snowstorm with the ground covered with snow and freezing temperatures. It's not like they will have an easy time of finding open water and food when they get here....
For that matter, the night before there was certainly a large migration of Fox Sparrows and Juncos as I had 3 fox Sparrows in my yard and people seem to have reported lots around Regina. We even had an Orange-crowed Warbler. We also had 4 Yellow-rumped warblers the day before.
I get that it's the right time of year and the winds are suitable but am surprised that the birds are not apparenlty being deterred by the weather. Well, the snow started melting on the 21st but in the morning the ground was still 100 % snow cover. On the 21st, open patches were visible at the bse of some trees and under spruce Much more open by the end fo the afternoon with the street 98 % clear. I must have been worried for nothing. Even the Yellow-rumps nd RCKI seem to be ok. Home, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 22 April 2023
Autumn is a time for letting go, to breathe deeply and reflect. Nights draw in and get darker and time to snuggle under the duvet.
Plants must adapt to the conditions around them too. Trees have an amazing ability to sense changes in weather. They begin to prepare themselves as soon as they recognize the signals that winter is coming. Deciduous trees prepare for dormancy, which is like animal hibernation, by slowing their growth and dropping their leaves. Trees also protect their cells from freezing temperatures by moving water from inside the cell to tiny spaces outside of the cells, which prevents the cells from freezing.
Animals like bears, skunks, and squirrels also like to stay tucked in during the winter
When most people think of “birds flying south for the winter” they associate it with a mass exodus of Swallows, Martins, Swifts, Warblers and Terns (amongst others), but don’t forget that it also means an influx of over 50 waterbird species from northerly latitudes into Ireland for the winter! In the last few weeks the first reports of our wintering goose and swan species have been filtering in.
Stocking up piles of food is not the only way animals prepare for colder months. Some animals change their appearance to adapt to the weather. Just like we put on winter jackets, some animals’ fur grows thicker and heavier. Other animals’ fur changes colour to blend in with their surroundings.
Arctic foxes change their fur colour from darker colours in the summer to almost completely white in the winter. White-tailed deer become darker brown in colour to blend in with the dead plants and leafless trees.
So there you have it – thousands of geese and swans are currently migrating from Iceland, Greenland and Canada to spend the winter in Ireland! Many of these species are of conservation concern and we’re lucky to have the wetlands to support them, so do keep an eye out for them in your area as the winter goes on!
Country side, England.
Thanks to the lovely couple for obliging me even in the freezing temperatures.
I wish them and their soon to come baby a gr8 life ahead.
May LOVE be with you and all.
Winner(II) at BSB : "Valentine" contest
Winner(II) at Ratings and Contests Amos7 : "Low Light " contest
Explore #19
dramatic title, but i refer to the white ice in front. from the edge there where a drop about half a meter, can't really tell from looking, but i thought it was a suitable title anyway:) lol
his was taken in the beginning of december, a real cold afternoon. and if you watch real close you see these small ice particles on the edge, this comes from the freezing temperature.
i'm very pleased with the way this came out, i think the dark parts contains enough light and the ice covering the lake came out pretty smooth, well the smoothest i could get it, it will contain some structure anyway.
i believe i have a picture from this afternoon that includes more sky (it was wonderful btw) but i have to see how the compositions is in it:)
well, have expermented for the past three days and now i will post some landscapes the way i feel most comfortable with:)
i'm in my comfortzone with these kind of shots:)
i'm so glad for you visiting my stream commenting and faving my pictures, it really makes my day:))
have a wonderful weekend and take care everyone:)
Notice the moss on the flat rock in the birdbath, and the reflections of the olive tree above.
Tucson has been having the coldest temperatures in the USA. It is the first time anyone remembers this happening. This was taken earlier this week. We had two nights of mild freezing temperatures.
Dream Lake Alpenglow - Rocky Mountain National Park
Unreal experience capturing this image. After convincing my girlfriend to wake up very early to drive up to the park, we arrived at the Bear Lake parking lot around 5:15am. We got out of the car to feel freezing temperatures and the wind howling through the trees. We put on our headlamps and began the mile hike to Dream Lake. As we got on the trail it was covered in packed down snow making it very icy. We finally got to the lake after taking careful steps all the way there and all of a sudden the wind hit us. It must have been whipping 50mph+ coming right in our faces. I took out my tripod and set up and found the fastest composition I could. As I sat there holding on to my tripod for dear life and firing off shots, my girlfriend hunkered down behind a tree. After about 20 minutes the clouds began to light up and all the brutal elements began to be worth it. After enjoying the show for a few minutes, we carefully packed up and hiked back to the car. Beautiful experience and the best shots come when they aren't the easiest to get.
Freezing temperatures dropped onto Pennsylvania during the first week of February evident by the frozen over canal along the Cleveland Cliffs Steelton works. Thankfully i didnt have to wait around in the cold long at all to run into the Steelton switcher, almost immediately finding them switching along the canal.
The Steelton guys used the 70 to switch around the mill this day, one of the few remaining PBNE painted switchers still in active use at steel mills across Pennsylvania, a couple are used on the LVRM (former Bethlehem Steel) and Conemaugh & Black Lick in Johnstown. I'd say that many of these operations fly under the radar of most photographers, though not very exciting to most people due to most of the ops being random or just switching around, I've always had an interest in the gritty mill settings that these railroads operate in.
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© Graeme Webb 2013. All rights reserved.
Sometimes, luck is on our side a little bit. I happened upon this Heron standing on the ice of a local pond while I was out enjoying the wintery conditions.
Little did any of us (here in the UK) realise there would still be freezing temperatures and snow on the ground at the beginning of April.
No Invites | No Icons
This survived several days of below freezing temperatures. I took a pic of the same fungus a week before and left the cap there.
The moss is Springy Lawn Moss and it makes this a lovely bouncy bit of grass to walk on.
Grammar School
Stafford UK 21st January 2024
Our last minute decision to go to Niagara Falls was dependent on the weather reports. First, there were predictions of snow squalls along the route down. It turns out we missed them and had blue skies for the Saturday and an easy drive down. Then it stayed clear for the night but with freezing temperatures. We dressed warm. In the morning, the weather report was 90% cloudy. What the heck. We tried for a sunrise. I tried for a shot again but there was no way I could adjust settings for slow shutter speeds. Sheesh, I had trouble zooming in and out with my big mitts. But I managed to capture the essence of the frosty morning to remind me I survived the weekend. All in all, I'm glad we went.
Yesterday was a beautiful early spring morning and the sunshine made the crocus flowers in the garden open up so I went out with my camera to take a look. Inside this purple one was a bumblebee just beginning to wake up in the sun's warmth. It must have slept inside the flower to protect it from the freezing temperatures overnight. Nothing says that spring has sprung quite so much as a bumblebee having a kip inside a crocus.
Another cold, but beautiful day in Wisconsin brought more frosty windows into view. One more bitterly cold morning before we finally begin to warm up near freezing temperatures.
Jefferson, Wisconsin, USA
12 degrees F (-11 C)
Windchill of 0 F (-18 C)
What happens to Robins in the winter?
In the winter, they become nomadic, searching widely for their favorite cold-weather fare. Weather also influences robin movements. A heavy snowfall that persists for more than a few days may send them on their way, searching for better conditions. Robins also form flocks in the winter.
Can Robins survive snow?
Even in freezing temperatures, robins can stay warm enough to make staying through the winter worthwhile. ... If you want to observe robins in winter, try putting out water for them. They can survive on their own by eating snow, but birds always welcome a source of unfrozen water for drinking and bathing.
What do Robins eat when there is snow on the ground?
There isn't much one can feed robins in the winter. They're very adept at finding their preferred food and rarely visit feeding stations. During severe weather, robins may eat raisins, berries, or pieces of apples placed on the ground.
Do robins sing all day?
We know that robins are one of the first species to begin singing every morning. ... They sing the most early in the morning and at evening twilight after sunset. They sing the least around noon. We thought we could figure out approximately how many songs they sing each hour through the day, and add these up.
What is the sound of a robin singing?
It's a string of 10 or so clear whistles assembled from a few often-repeated syllables, and often described as cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up. The syllables rise and fall in pitch but are delivered at a steady rhythm, with a pause before the bird begins singing again. At dawn, the song is more rapid.
Why do robins sing in winter?
The sound of a robin chirping in winter is a good sign, say scientists. It means the bird has built up enough fat reserves to survive the cold nights and has enough energy left to defend its territory. The bird traditionally sings in spring to attract a mate but in winter, when food is short, it faces a dilemma.
Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.
I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.
© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II hand held - Monopod and SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Release Clamp - Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 ED VR fitted MPR-113 Multi-Purpose Rail lens foot and Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod.
Thanks for stopping and looking :)
While I was in Dennmark I wanted to visit Odense, once the home of one of my favourite childhood authors, Hans Christian Anderson, who wrote books such as The Ugly Duckling, and my faourite The Princess and the Pea.
After lots of research in to parking and locations, I managed to find Hans Jensens Street and the yellow cottage he was born in, (The one at the end of the street) and walked in his footsteps through the cobbled streets in 50mph howling winds and freezing temperatures. It was all worth it!
Wonderful frosted chaos as the Goldenrod in Smith's Capen Garden succumbs to the freezing temperatures. Tall, upright stands of Goldenrod look almost formal and so fit perfectly into an otherwise traditional perennial garden. They add beautiful texture to the Winter gardens, seeds for hungry creatures and habitat, as well.
It was worth the freezing temperatures for light like this. Incidentally, I flew on 9M-MNC to Kuala Lumpur from LHR in 2014.
Another shot of this very interesting Rime Frost -- Fog and freezing temperatures -- on a Rhododendron bud.
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Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
© All rights reserved
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This is a photo of the Androscoggin River taken this cold morning. We have had a couple of days of freezing temperatures leading ice on the river. In the foreground is a large pile of broken ice near the shore and in the background is sea smoke which forms on cold days over relatively warm open water. This was taken just after sunrise.
It's been a long time since I've seen this much snow accumulate, with below freezing temperatures allowing it to pillow up.
Taken on a cold winter day, below freezing temperatures. high winds, periods of snow sleet and rain. If your out, best to keep your head down, your hands in your pockets and get to where you're going as quickly as you can
Juniper, Massive Sandstone Cliffs. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. October 26, 2012. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.
Massive sandstone cliffs tower above a single juniper tree among boulders
In the early evening, after a full day of photography that had begun in sub-freezing temperatures atop a remote ridge in Capitol Reef National Park, we found ourselves back in the more civilized regions, in a canyon served by a well-used road where a parking lot marked the jumping off point for trails that extended beyond the road end. We photographed here for a while, and as the canyon light faded we wandered back to our vehicle and loaded up to depart.
As we exited the mouth of the canyon and the terrain opened up, soft and subtle evening light glowed on the massive cliffs above. We had thought we were finished for the day, but we quickly reconsidered, pulling over and jumping out to retrieve cameras and tripods and find places from which to photograph in the diminishing light. I was intrigued by these huge, reddish blocks of sandstone standing against the base of a cliff of lighter rock, with a single juniper tree growing amongst the boulders.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, "California's Fall Color: A Photographer's Guide to Autumn in the Sierra" is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
Italy is usually associated with relatively warm weather, but this week it, too, has fallen victim to the cold snap nicknamed the Beast from the East.
Freezing temperatures carried on winds from Siberia have brought snow to much of Europe, causing widespread disruption. As this image captured on 27 February by the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite shows, Italy in southern Europe was not spared. Temperatures in Rome (bottom right of the image) are normally between 6°C and 14°C, but this week it has been down to –5°C during the night, and it is the first time the city has seen snowfall in six years. Naples also had its heaviest snowfall in decades.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2018), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
A Lone Joshua Tree Below Towering Mountains (Death Valley National Park, California)
When a person thinks of Death Valley National Park and the Mojave Desert, freezing temperatures and rolling fog is likely not what comes to mind. Yet no matter how many times I visit this region, I always find something new and unexpected like the conditions we experienced on the day I took this photo. While the photography portion of the evening was invigorating, the fog turned out to be incredibly disorienting and a little unsettling as it quickly thickened and darkness set in. I had been to this remote area of the park many times before and felt comfortable with navigation so I didn’t pay much attention to where I was wandering. After we were finished taking photos, I looked at my GPS and headed in the direction of our car, which was about a mile and a half away. The only problem is that the compass on the GPS was not working properly and we had been heading in the wrong direction. By this point, we were fully surrounded by thick fog and it was getting colder and darker by the minute. Luckily, restarting the GPS eventually fixed the issue and we made it back to our car but not without a few moments of panic and a reminder that being a little more prepared might be a better plan next time…
Happy Monday Everyone,
2 and a half weeks till I leave for South Africa again and the clock is ticking!!!
This past weekend I had a chance to revisit with some Flickr friends in Corona Del Mar Beach in Southern CA- there were 5 of us that had a little get together photoshoot & the sunset was spectacular, those photos later this week!! :D So good to make friends with like minds (crazy for landscape photography!!)
THESE shots (series of 2 new) were taken in below freezing temperatures in the high 9,000ft altitude of the Eastern Sierra's in California at North Lake. I went there with my Flickr friend Jojo(images of dreams) I've never seen so many photographers stacked, literally lined up to shoot this sunrise over the reflection in North Lake... we arrived a little late to the party so my angle (i.e. composition) was "chosen for me" in the first shot as I wedged between 2 other tripods.... i couldn't do it so I jumped the stream escaping a fall narrowly... and got to the other side where I could get a wider angle.
This place is amazing to Explore!!Photography opportunities abound all around the town of Bishop,CA near Mammouth Lakes. I hope you like them :D Thanks for your visits and comments!! Have a great week!
A Common Buckeye who, unlike the bird in my adjacent post who was briefly on the branches beside this, perched with wings-open for a good while.
The Common Buckeye butterfly cannot survive freezing temperatures in any stage, so they must migrate south, or perish. Therefore, many Common Buckeyes that spend their summers in northern states, fly south to overwinter in Gulf Coast states like Florida.
What created the natural features at La Ventana Natural Arch?
Rather than being formed from uplifted sandstone as most arches are, the Ventana Arch formed within a magma intrusion called a volcanic dike. Lava from the Summer Coon volcanic complex intruded into cracks in the surrounding alluvial and volcanic deposits about 30 million years ago.
Although the arch area is surrounded by extensive black lava fields, the arch itself is composed of Zuni sandstone. Compressed sand dunes were eventually hardened enough to become a soft rock, easily eroded by wind, water and frost wedging. Deep cracks found in the rock allow water to penetrate. When water expands by freezing temperatures, rock fragments are forced out. Constant freeze and thaw cycles eventually form an opening in the arch face. The talus slope below the arch reminds us that the size of the arch window will continue to grow as it weathers, and some day in the distant future it will return to being sand.
2016's around and I hope y'all got a nice start into the new year. Having experienced until now only a distinctly unfotogenic pseudo winter (mostly dark, mostly rainy and almost entirely above freezing temperatures), let's start with some leftovers from last year. Here's one of my wide angle macro experiments, using my 18-55 kit lense coupled to a short extension tube. This pudgy bombus with it's decorative pollen hairdo made a bit of a hypothermic impression on that wet August day, clinging to it's summer lilac as if it were a lifeboat.
Ufer des Niederfeldsees in Essen Altendorf.
For the first time in just under 50 years, a scheduled steam service replaced the normal diesels on main line service. To mark the reopening of the Settle to Carlisle line (closed for a year due to a huge land slip north of Appleby), Northern Rail ran three days of a steam hauled service between Skipton and Appleby. Such is the love of steam, 50 years after it was withdrawn from the main line that it proved to be a huge success. All trains were full (5,500 people traveled on this limited service over the three days) , all stations were crowded and all vantage points were overflowing despite the usual wind, rain and freezing temperatures.
The loco selected to haul the 12 trains was "new build" A1 Class 60163 "Tornado" seen here crossing The Dandry Mire Viaduct at Garsdale Head just after leaving Garsdale Station with the 10.44am from Skipton to Appleby.
Heading south-east from Walgett, New South Wales today we entered wheat country, where, despite the drought, they have planted some wheat crops. They have not had a winter wheat crop for at least three years and this is a major production area. I guess this is the summer crop if it survives. Australia is a significant wheat exporter but at the moment, we are importing as well as sucking up whatever is growing in Western Australia for the eastern states. But the green attempts to paint a lie about the seriousness of the drought. Everyone knows about our massive kangaroo numbers but in 400 kilometres today, while we saw more emus, we only saw one live and two dead kangaroos. While that makes it safer on the roads, it does indicate the depth of the great dry.
There is an Antarctic cold blast heading across southern Australia in the next few days, bringing strong winds, freezing temperatures, snow to lower slopes and hail....and perhaps some rain. In our first hour or two this morning, we passed through several ever so brief and teasing showers of rain, totally useless. You can see some of them dropping small fingers of rain from the clouds in this shot near the town of Coonamble. Let’s hope for lots more, the land is so far behind now, towns are literally running out of water so we need lots and lots of water to catch up.
I kind of wish there were more large rocks in the lake to hop out onto... The water is pretty frigid, as I learned. The air is pretty frigid too, not at all like winter in Hawaii. This was the unseasonably warm day (55 degrees) that plunged into freezing temperatures (20 degrees) when the sun went down. It's been bone-chillingly cold since.
Here in Alverstoke, part of Gosport, we cannot compete on freezing temperatures that other parts of the UK have had. We have not got below -4C. However Little Anglesey lake which is seawater (gets topped up by high spring tides) is partially frozen!
Look closely you can see Black-headed gulls standing on the ice on the right side of the photo in the distance.
"The key challenge here was focus and balancing two handheld cameras at the same time." -Tomitheos
Inspired by my flickr friend Alex's pic
SANCTUARY
With the onset of the winter season the sports anglers change focus to lower Fraser tributaries like the Vedder/Chilliwack river to search for the prized winter steelhead. For many anglers, catching a steelhead is an ultimate dream, wether catching it on a fly, bait casting, spinner or centerpin is an incredible experience. These fish are classic and highly respected throughout the sport, It is the hardest fish to catch in the world, fishing or steelhead is not for everyone. You have to brave the cold and damp winter weather, spending hours in the cold, chilly weather, you have to wear layers to beat the freezing temperature, Steelhead fishing is not best-known as quantity fishery but it is absolutely renowned as a `must-try`one. I dedicate this to the strong willed sports anglers of the river of BC.
A day at the river with my fishing buddies & fellow photographers, thanks for a great day at the river,
Summer Azure -male- (Celastrina neglecta) Washington DC
With warm springlike sunshine and temperatures in the 60's (Fahrenheit) for several days, the first brood of Celastrina neglecta emerged. This adorable small butterfly was flying in large numbers on March 5th, 2023.
The weather has now turned back to winter with high winds and nighttime temperatures hovering near or below freezing for the next ten days.
What will happen to the first brood of Celastrina neglecta (males who emerge ahead of females) since they are not equipped to survive freezing temperatures?
I Came this morning home from work with perfect freezing temperature "14F" for making Crystal bubbles. the blue is the stainglass butterfly I shot the other day covered in snow.
A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. A snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is called a blizzard.
Winter storms are formed when moist air rises up into the atmosphere, creating low pressure near the ground and clouds up in the air. The air can also be pushed upwards by hills or large mountains. The upward motion is called lift. The moisture is collected by the wind from large bodies of water, such as a big lake or the ocean. If temperature is below freezing, 0 °C (32 °F), near the ground and up in the clouds, precipitation will fall as snow, ice, rain and snow mixed (sleet), ice pellets or even graupel (soft hail). Since cold air can not hold as much moisture as warm air, the total precipitation will be less than at higher temperature.
The Planting Time for Pumpkins
By Jacob J. Wright
Pumpkins are the close kin of zucchini, gourd and squash.
Pumpkins, a form of winter squash (Cucurbita pepo) are annual vines native to the Americas. Appropriately, the pumpkin serves as a central piece of American fall festivals, including Halloween decorations and as sweet filling for Thanksgiving pie. Pumpkin vines are frost sensitive, so must be planted as seeds in warm soil and the 75 to 100 days following must not include freezing temperatures. Sow pumpkin seeds the same time you plant tomatoes outdoors in your region.
Planting Time
Sow pumpkin seeds or set out small pumpkin seedlings in spring after the last expected killing frost date and the garden soil is warmed to at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. When gardeners in your region are planting sweet corn, watermelon, eggplant, pepper or tomato, it's also time to plant pumpkins. A fertile, organic-rich soil promotes the best growth and productivity of pumpkins. Do not plant in soggy areas or where flooding occurs after rain. Place both bush and vine types of pumpkins in full sun settings, receiving at least eight hours of direct rays.
Timing the Harvest
Besides not growing well in extremely hot conditions, gardeners in the United States in regions with long growing seasons often delay planting pumpkins. Looking at seed packets, you can deduct the number of days it takes for any pumpkin variety to grow to maturity and yield the orange fruits. You don't want pumpkins to ripen on the vine too early in the late summer or fall, since they might succumb to fungal rot and leaf diseases. Once the fruits ripen, the vine naturally deteriorates and dries up. Americans tend to want their fresh pumpkins from late September until late November.
I am in the process of trying to express what winter means to me. I know the answer, deep in my psyche and reaffirm it every time I stand on a frozen lake or a barren, snow-swept ridge, or in a deep, shrouded forest - but knowing and saying are two different matters. Some things we know, but we don't have the words to articulate that meaning. This is one of the dangers with becoming fluent in the alternative language of photography. You start to express things through imagery that you cannot really back up in writing. The photos allow you to go places the words cannot follow. Normally this is ok, preferable even. Until you try to put together a book, which is what I have been working on as a side project to keep myself busier these quarantine nights. And I think it is going well, but I have hit the writing part.
Now, I don't feel that writing with your photos is a required thing. Hard to believe me if you spend much time reading my posts. But truly, I don't think it is required. In fact, I think it should only accompany photos when it adds further depth or context, otherwise it detracts. But if you can manage to write something meaningful or thoughtful, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. You add another facet to the work. So many times I have flipped through a book only to reach the end, go back to the beginning and finally read the artist statement and then look through the book again with a new perspective and new insight.
I may be too tired to do this tonight but I wanted to make a post and begin that process. The hardest part about writing anything is often the beginning - the getting started. So I figured a Flickr post would be ideal. I can get on here and babble gibberish or write stream-of-conscious and at least break that ice (pun intended). Then tomorrow I can come back and review, amend, add and progress from there.
So why my affinity for winter? So much of literature seems to be fairly sour on the subject -commenting on winter's bite, or the wind's teeth. And when winter is enjoyed it is often from indoors, looking out. Sure, there is the famous Robert Frost poem but for every one of those there are ten others warning, complaining, ruing, etc. Many photographers I talk with on the subject explain that winter is their slowest period, it is the time they spend catching up on work from the rest of the year, huddled in their darkrooms or in front of computers. For me it is my busiest time of year and I spend the summer months catching up on my winter photography. But why. Or what.
I think there are several factors at work. Winter is the time of year I feel most alive. Maybe it is the bite of the wind reminding of how hostile the conditions you are in really are, that if not for those few inches of cloth your life would soon be over. There is something in the numbing touch of freezing temperatures that encourages one to strive, to move, to be at action for to stop is to freeze. But I don't know if that wholly encapsulates the feeling. There is a sense of being at the edge too. Like an explorer pushes the boundaries of the known map, winter presents a climatological instead of geographical edge. In terms of weather, this is about as far as we can go, beyond this, and even in this, human life is not meant to be. But for those curious enough to poke around its edges there is a whole new world to discover.
I must also admit that I like the quiet and the peace that is so much more easily found in the winter. There are few quieter places than a snowy forest. Oftentimes the crunch of my boots is the only sound I hear for hours. Nary the chirp of a bird or the echo of conversation between other hikers. There are few places we can easily go where we are afforded such silence. Even miles up a forest trail you now have a good chance of passing others, hearing them long before you see them. The solitude that winter brings is important to me.
And I'd be remiss to not point out the beauty that is winter as well. The softening of all the hard edges of the world that fresh snow brings. Or the intricate sculptures of ice that form as water freezes. And the unique beauty that is snow falling, barely paying attention to gravity as it drifts down. I love a green forest quite a bit, but a white forest is a magical place. A mountain is not a mountain without its white coat. There isn't a blue on this planet like that of compressed ice in a glacier.
Anyway, those are my thoughts tonight. I feel the well starting to run dry. But I wanted to get these down in writing at least. Writing is after all, a process. Fully essays don't just come into being complete. They take time to grow and mature, not to mention effort. Maybe someday I will finish this book, and maybe it will have a decent essay to introduce it, and maybe you will end up reading it and perhaps you will remember it started here with these kernels of ideas and semi-formed rambling. Maybe. We'll see.
Hasselblad 500C
Kodak Tri-X
There were a lot of stumps and branches sticking up out of the ice on the lake at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. The movement of the water in below freezing temperatures created this really interesting ice sculptures
Best Viewed on Black, please
It had been two years since last I had the pleasure of photographing a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) and today, finally, that drought came to an end in a flurry of snow. This female is roosting in a tree with her gentleman suitor seated on a branch not ten feet away. Hunkered down against the cold, they waited for nightfall—at just about the time of this posting, actually—when they would take wing and ferret out the night's meal. This lady might even be contemplating laying an egg or three, as GHOs lay them in the dead of winter when other birds are simply struggling to survive...or have slipped off to warmer climes. This seemingly insane tactic of sitting on eggs in freezing temperatures pays off in the end. The little owlets emerge before other springtime babies and just western New York is reacquainting itself with warmth…the perfect time to raise a young family!
(Look in the top right of the photo, and you may just make out the male owl's tail!)
Yesterday afternoon we had ideal conditions for landscape photography… a sky full of beautiful clouds and not a breath of wind to be felt!
I was itching to go out shooting again after all the pelting rain and freezing temperatures that we’ve had here in Cape Town this past week… so as soon as the light started looking nice… Jenny and I grabbed our cameras and went out to look for something interesting to photograph. I was holding my fingers tightly crossed that the sun would pass behind one of the gaps in the clouds to light up the foreground… but unfortunately it didn’t… so this was the best light that we got.
Okay… I know… I’ve got at least a hundred photos (if not more) in my stream that look similar to this one… so unfortunately I wasn’t really challenging myself with this. But hey… I do so love these reflective sunset compositions… heh heh… and I really loved squelching around in the mud in my gumboots… looking for the best foreground compositions! :)
Nikon D300, Sigma 10-20mm at 13mm, aperture of f13, with a 1/10th second exposure.
This one is a little dark... but it looks much better when viewed large on black.
Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.