winter solstice at allen creek

-

winter solstice at allen creek

starr ridge    
 
 
location: bear valley         

season: winter         

backstory: allen creek is one of those local places that i love to find.  there is no real reason to go there. locals may hunt or snowmobile around the area.  i found it while cross-country skiing.

it reflects what i call backyard nature: close to town, not remote like many of my photo treks.  no grand landscapes or features.  simple. down home.

and...in the right light, season, conditions, it revels a deep beauty that is always there if...we take the time to notice.

from spring through fall we might drive past and hardly see it.  in winter, snow sets off the colors of aspen, sky, willows and pines.  that's one of the reasons i love winter photography: a little snow changes everything. it becomes another place, shows a different aspect of nature in our own backyard.

once snow settles in, skis or snowmobile are the best ways to allen creek. it's about a 3 mile ski on forest service roads through rolling, forested hills that open up to this scene at the east side of bear valley.

the low angle of a solstice setting sun provides contrast, depth, shadow.  willow stalks seem to radiate red next to stark white aspen.

as sun disappears, cold wind picks up quickly dropping temperature toward zero. red tail hawk settles on snag, surveying evening. coyote calls from the background hills. seasons transition from one to another. 

 

 (click on image for full screen)

 (return to simply nature portfolio site) 


Comments

  1. Jim BayJanuary 8, 2021 at 9:24 AM

    Winter Solstice Allen Creek
    Needs a long narrow frame with less sky. I find myself looking for the ducks. Nice color enhancement choices.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

taking wing

-
Image
taking wing three forks (click on image for full screen) location: owyhee canyonlands season: spring backstory:  landscape scenes are my primary calling to photograph.  especially big panoramic vistas, endless sky, throw in some snow or moonlight (or both) and i am enchanted.  sometimes, while framing a scene, wildlife wander in front of the lens.  that was the case with this photo.  this was my first trek into the deep southeast corner of oregon; 40+ miles south and a little east of rome. the dirt ranch road was mostly dry, although someone had driven it recently when it was quite muddy.  some of the ruts, gashes approaching ravines, were up to 24" deep and went on for miles. bad things can happen when unintentionally sliding into those ruts. i was very grateful it wasn't me slogging  through that muck a few days earlier.  it was slow going while straddling the ruts and looking for ways around boggy spots. (i've mentioned this in several posts and it is worth repeating, o
Read more

setting sun/rising moon

-
Image
setting sun/rising moon juniper gulch (click on image for larger size) location: owyhee reservoir season: spring backstory: there are planned photos and then there are spontaneous photos. this is the later. i often organize backcountry treks around the full moon, a few days before and after the peak. most of the time i'm interested in using the moon to light a landscape. on this journey, i had planned a series of moonlit photos along several miles of leslie gulch. the canyons wind around affording different lighting angles based on moon and canyon positions.  i finished one scene with the moon cresting the horizon along a jagged ridgeline. it wasn't quite the right composition. figuring that was the horizon/moonrise chance for the night, i began hiking toward the next planned shot with the moon at a higher angle providing a light source. walking the high desert backcountry at night feels... other-worldly, except that i now consider it this-worldly; the rest is other. after a ho
Read more