First Snow at Wedge Pond: A Morning of Winter Photography
Last week it snowed for a full day while we were up in Kananaskis. A day in the saunas, steam baths and outdoor pools of the Nordic Spa in the village was a pretty great way to enjoy the abrupt turn to winter. The forecast called for clearing skies overnight so I set an early alarm for the morning.
Driving along Highway 40 in the dark, I could see the outline of clouds and clusters of stars between them. Walking down to Wedge Pond, the snow was well above my ankles. I hadn’t planned on a snowy shoot so my footwear was far from up to the task. Wet feet and slip-sliding around aside, it was beautiful.
Dawn slowly revealed the lake and the surrounding valley. The trees decked out in white sleeves. Tall grass on the hillside and the stony shoreline both blanketed with snow.
Above, clouds stretched over Mount Kidd and the neighboring peaks. Early light painted the first ones pink, later the mountains looked like the sunlight had spun their eastern flanks in gold.
Across the water, bright yellow peaked out from under the sleeves of a few of the trees. The last remnants of the autumn colors that ring Wedge Pond in September each year.
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Aurora Borealis Abstracts
Throughout an amazing Northern Lights display on October 7th and 8th, the sky directly overhead was a nexus point for the ripples and bands of color. I typically compose with foreground landscape elements. This time I photographed straight up repeatedly and they were some of my favorite shots of the night.
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Out in a surprise snowstorm
I didn’t see the forecast so the snow falling this morning was unexpected. The dogs and I piled into the vehicle and headed out. I wanted to get some last wintry shots – and hoped to find an owl. I haven’t photographed one flying in the snow in a long time.
I found this one out hunting in the sleet. Snow falling off branches startled him a couple of times. He looked at the ground a few times in different places but never dove after something.
I’m sure it was just me but he look a little bit miserable. I look forward to finding him and his mate in nicer weather soon.
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The exuberance of chickadees
Chickadees are constant companions in our backyard throughout the winter. These hardy little balls of feather and fluff chitter away as they fly from tree to feeder and back.
Even on the coldest days, they energetically continue their conversations and activities. With winter hinting, somewhat reluctantly, at giving way to spring here in the Foothills, I have taken a few opportunities to photograph these little birds from our second story deck.
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Smoky summer sunsets
The rain the past few days has cleared the air west of Calgary. When the wildfire smoke was heavy before that, the colors from the sunlight filtering through the haze were surprising and very unusual. It made sunset an interesting little photographic adventure.
I thought these images looking at the eastern flank of the Rockies near Bragg Creek from the first day of August were stunning.
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Vintage Owl
I’m a fan of vintage vehicles. When this owl landed in front of this old truck, I had a smile watching him flare on to the fence.
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An evening hunt
It was just after 9pm when I spied this owl on a fence across the field. He seemed to be trying to get one more vole before dusk and I didn’t have to wait very long for him to fly low over the tall grass. He didn’t dive into the grass on this flight. Wheeling back towards the forest edge, I lost him in the darkness of the trees.
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Cloud spirits
The sky stole the show when I was out looking for photos a month ago. With the clouds low over a rise and the evening sun brightly coloring them, my exposure made the trees fall into dark silhouettes. Silhouettes are one of my favorite landscape elements so I enjoyed composing images of the clouds above them as the shapes appeared and quickly evaporated.
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Morning flight…
A great gray owl launches with the sun behind her.
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An owl hunting deep in the forest
My pup and I found this great gray owl perched in a small clearing. He was watching us when I noticed him on this fallen tree root. A short stare and he returned to scanning the ground.
At one point a raven flew over the treetops, the owl followed it pass by and then returned to watching the forest floor.
After close to 15 minutes, this spot lost whatever interest it had held and he flew deeper into the forest.
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A bright start to a stormy Aurora night
I have been watching the activity on the sun with growing excitement for a few days. Tonight there is a large storm hitting the Earth’s atmosphere with the Northern Lights appearing early. I will head out again in the early morning and see how the Aurora looks then. These photographs were from my neibourhood just after 9pm.
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Happy New Year!
I hope it is a year filled with joy for you and yours. To my family and my friends, I love you and look forward to new memories with you in 2023. I’m happy to put 2022 in the rearview mirror and looking forward to the year ahead.
