I can’t resist the call of the river, even at (especially at?) -25c. The way the cold transforms the landscape is always captivating and I especially love visiting the places where the water runs fast and manages to defy the freezing temperatures. It can be difficult to truly capture the majesty of the winter wonderland but perhaps that is part of what keeps me coming back.
Karen McRae, 2015
The river’s edge, late afternoon
A starling in winter dress
The woods fully iced
After a quick succession of snow, freezing rain, and plummeting temperatures the sun came out and today everything was sparkling.
Karen McRae, 2015
The river in full snow and low light, last January (long exposure with camera movement).
Bare streets and coloured lights, today at dusk (long exposure with camera movement).
Karen McRae, 2015
We have lost the snow ~ the light of winter ~ so I went back to look at some photographs from last year and found these; images made at night while a gentle snow was falling. These are in-camera double exposures, the first exposure is a still frame with flash (to catch the snowflakes), and in the second exposure camera movement was used to ‘sketch’ in the landscape. I have shifted the colour somewhat to make them look as inky as the night felt.
Karen McRae, 2014
Another one of those magnanimous birds of winter.
© Karen McRae, 2014
A place to return to when more snow is falling, or has fallen (soon). I love the unkempt wildness here.
© Karen McRae, 2014
Just a couple of days with warmer temperatures and the earth has gobbled up all the snow. It won’t be long before the landscape is blanketed in white again but in the meantime we are back to silver and gold. I made these photographs yesterday from the passenger seat of a car. The skies were a heavy grey but I love these moody colours of autumn.
© Karen McRae, 2014
Here we go. The first real snow came today. I couldn’t resist going out to watch the landscape brighten as the snow sifted down. It wasn’t too cold, either. Just warm enough for fingerless mittens and standing still while the chickadees dance at your fingertips.
© Karen McRae, 2014
If there had been time…
The autumn as it teeters exquisitely between warm and cold, light and dark, sun and rain.
© Karen McRae, 2014
draw and shoot 