Thanks for the Warning…
It always happens that as I put on the radio in the wee hours of the coldest morning of the year, I’m bombarded with the message that it’s just simply too dangerous to go outside. That message saddens me, as when the mornings dawn clear, with temperatures well below zero, it’s simply too beautiful NOT to go outside.
When it gets really cold, neat things happen in the atmosphere. Ice crystals form right in the clear air, and dance about glistening in the sunlight. Mist and seasmoke fill the air above any open water. Long crystals of hoar frost coat the trees. And the intensity of the morning light is unparalleled. The air itself feels different too, it’s dense and honestly feels great to breath!
Going out in these conditions requires proper gear, but I rarely find myself in serious discomfort while shooting. I’ve blogged about proper gear in the past, and taking proper precautions, I’ve yet to lose a limb or had any ill fall upon me befitting the stark warnings I always hear.
This past weekend was by far the coldest weekend of the year so far, and I set out to ‘reshoot’ some scenes that I wasn’t ever happy with last year. The first was from an overlook in North Conway, which had been recently cleared allowing a beautiful view of New Hampshire’s most “Prodigious Hilltop”.
Mount Washington Centered
Mount Washington Offset
Mount Washington - Pano
I shot a variety of compositions here, from centered to offset to pano pan. I’ll let the viewer decide which they like best. I like them all…such great atmosphere!
From there, I drove a few miles down to the dual covered bridges in Conway, and crept down to the river, and cautiously out onto the ice to get the sun rising through the mist over the bridge and river. The light was ever changing, and keeping the mist from icing the lens was a challenge, but the scene remained captivating for about 45 minutes.
Frigid Bridge - Conway, NH
By this time, the sun was high, the temperature was above zero, and I was itching for a cup of hot tea. So I went back inside to a local coffee shop…where everyone else was complaining about the cold, and ignoring the beauty surrounding them.
