Nénuphars de Glace (Ice Water Lilies)

A week ago Paulette, Michelle and I snowshoed from the Centre Le Refuge-St-Adolphe-Stoneham down along the Rivière des Hurons. In the picture below you can see a waterfall (les trois chutes) cascading into a open pool of water in the foreground. Pretty, yes?

A week later (December 27) we returned with Fiona and Pete, family friends and snowshoe neophytes, to see the same waterfall, this time with the most amazing ice water lilies bobbing/undulating at its foot. What caused them to form? Why are they circular? Why the different sizes? Happily I don't need answers to appreciate their beauty.

Check out Morten Prom's flickr page to see Oslo Fjord ice lilies.

Canon 7D, 15-85 mm lens at 15 mm, 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 320

Snow Day Challenge - PHOTONews

I've been going through my collection of winter photos (the number of winter photos I have testifies to the length of this season and the amount of time I spend outdoors) and submitting the best to a PHOTO News "Snow Day Challenge". They're looking for "subjects that represents friends or family enjoying winter activities - or any image that you feel is really "cool" in every sense of the word!"

Follow Snow Day Challenge link to see who's posting what at PHOTO News or go to my flickr page the see my Snow Day choices.

Happy Holidays.

More photos to come in 2011.

Andrew

Four-Bridge Walk

When we only have an hour and no time to drive to the many trails around Quebec City our default walk is along the Rivière Cap-Rouge. Even late in the afternoon near sunset (4 pm currently and still getting earlier), we complete our 5 km, Four-Bridge Walk in just under an hour. If I'm stopping to take pictures we need a little more clothing and a little more time.

In the photo above Paulette is pointing the way across snow-laden Bridge #2. I'm shooting with a 70-200 mm lens at f/4 and ISO 800 so digital noise is a problem when you look at the image full size. The same is true for the reindeer-on-rooftop near Bridge #4 taken ten minutes after sunset.

Christmas light are a welcome sight in December, dispelling the gloom of shortened days.