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.

First Snow

Paulette and I have been walking in snow for the last two weeks at higher elevations in Charlevoix and Mont Mégantic; however, today we woke up to a delicate layer of snow in our backyard. With warm weather predicted later this week it is unlikely to stay. But we are happy to see a brightness in the landscape that dispels the November gloom. Snowshoeing here we come!

These pictures were taken last year during a walk in Station touristique Duchesnay on November 30, the first snow day of 2009.

Golden Reflection

Thursday past (Nov 11) Paulette, I and the TamaLOUPs hiked the Mestashibo trail along the Rivière Sainte-Anne. After lunch we reached the Cathedral, a narrow twisting gorge with fast moving water. While the river was in shade, reflected sunshine produced this rich monochromatic golden sheen. Lovely! Check back to the post Water on Ice to see a touch of gold.

Canon 7D at 35mm, ISO 200, 1/20 sec (slow shutter speed to create movement blur in the rapids), f/13 (for increased depth of field)

A few days earlier (Nov 6) Paulette, I and our friend Denis hiked to the top of Mont Saint-Joseph (elevation 1000m) in the Parc national du Mont-Mégantic where snow and hoar frost created the winter scene below. Interesting how an elevation change moves the seasons back and forward.

Canon 7D at 27mm, ISO 320, 1/640 sec, f/11