Winter Photography

If you’re thinking of putting your camera away for the winter - don’t!  It’s one of the best times to get out and shoot photos. Cameras are far more tolerant of the cold than they used to be, and especially if you live in the northern latitudes where there is snow and ice, winter offers an entirely different perspective on the world around you.

In many areas up north, we often get “hoar frost”.  Simply put, hoar frost is caused by fog combined with freezing temperatures. According to weather.com, “with more moisture in the air, the interlocking crystal patterns of frost become more intricate and much larger, building up to a greater depth on tree branches, signs, fences, anything. This is hoarfrost.”

This frost clings to anything and everything: trees, blades of grass, wire fences - anything exposed to the air is a target. Anytime I can, I head out with my camera in the dead of winter, to get photos of hoar frost.

The photo of the pine tree was taken on top of a hill that overlooks the river near my house. This tree was naturally "flocked" with a thick layer of hoar frost. No need for a Christmas tree when there's a forest full of them practically in your own backyard! 

 

The second photo was a strand of barbed fence wire that enclosed a pasture. Talk about frost!  This is a great example of what hoar frost can look like when conditions are ideal.

The last photo was taken along the river near my house. It was taken on a whim, with no special results expected. But as often happens, the photo I expected to be a “throw away”: ended up being my favorite of the day.

So now that winter is here, bundle yourself up, grab your camera, and start shooting - the results can be amazing!