Still Learning To See

What about snow?

In my upcoming solo photography show at the Highland Center for the Arts, I’ll not be showing many photos of snow even though it is a “near cousin” to frost which I will feature. Why? I’m not sure! Maybe, even in the large gallery space available, there just is not enough room!

As I write this I am looking out on a foot or more of gorgeous powder, refreshed several times this week with nary a drop of rain to turn it to crust. It is stunningly beautiful. It is, of course, not always the case in Vermont that we are blanketed with the stuff, but the last few weeks make many of us happy, including me who can view it from the warmth of my home or on a walk dressed with layers. (I recognize this is not the case for some, including many who are unhoused.)

I remember clearly one of the first photographs I ever made of sunlight streaming across a snow-covered field. In my mind it was going to be beautiful, but, a few weeks later after getting the prints back from the store, it was an unrecognizable, contrasty mess compared to what I had in my imagination. Since then I’ve learned some of the techniques needed to photograph snow more successfully, and share a few of my more recent images here.

May your day include, if you so choose, being out in this glorious white stuff!

This entry was published on January 21, 2024 at 9:24 am and is filed under Frost, Highland Center for the Arts, John Snell, John Snell Photographer, Photograph, Snow, Trees, Vermont, Winter, www.johnsnell.photography. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.

One thought on “What about snow?

  1. Kate Conway's avatarKate Conway on said:

    John, today Bruce, Benjamin and I were at Grout Pond, enjoying the deep cold. Your photo of the snow with tree shadows reminds me of the graceful windblown snow we saw, with deep pockets of shadow.

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