I walked through waist high snow drifts. I was chased by a patrol snowmobile. I wasn’t ever able to get the tripod on solid ground. I had tingly fingers for quite some time after leaving. It was simply the pain and suffering that makes photography awesome.
The truth is, I simply needed to get out. It was the end of February. The end of the dreariest two month stretch in the Southern Ontario winter. We were just coming off a pretty epic winter storm. It was a storm that was common not much more than a decade ago but has become a rarity these days.
As is customary after a winter storm, the temperatures dropped pretty drastically and the north winds blew quite strong. If you can handle the elements, this is actually a very beautiful time of year.
First, let’s take a look at the results and I’ll ramble on some more below…
Blowing and Drifting Snow Image Gallery
The photos in the gallery have been cropped by the software to make a nice symmetrical grid. For a full-sized version, simply click on the individual pictures.
High resolution versions of these images and other photos from the same day are available at Dreamstime. Want to earn cash from your own photos? Why not sign up for free with Dreamstime and start submitting now: Become a paid photographer!
Frozen Finger Photography
My greatest disappointment from this late afternoon photography session was the video. I took a few video clips that I thought were going to be amazing. And, they sort of were. Nice close up shots of the snow blowing over the contour line like drifts, bathed in late day golden orange light.
But, I wasn’t able to get the tripod on solid ground through the waist high snow. Therefore, the wind was able to rock the camera just enough to make the video clips undesirable. It’s a shame. You would have thought you were watching some National Geographic special on the Arctic.
However, I still went away happy. It’s not about the photography as much as just getting out in the fresh air (is what we say when things don’t quite as planned). This winter has been so mild and is expected to continue in that manner. This one evening was probably one of the last kick’s at the can this winter for that cold, desolate, blowing snow look.
The Location
The photos were taken on the shores of the Orangeville Reservoir in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. It is better known as Island Lake Conservation Area. The ice fishing huts seen in some of the photos are owned by the conservation area and are available to rent. In fact, it was those images that were the main purpose of my visit. I figured it would be a great add to my stock photography portfolio…
