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| Nikon Zf; 28mm f/2.8 SE Nikkor lens; 1/320th sec. @ f/8; ISO 100; camera set on Deep Tone Monochrome. (click to enlarge) |
There's not much I like about winter. About February I grow very weary of those dull, gray days and bland landscapes. There are a few things, however, that I do enjoy.
First, there is the colder temperatures. I've gotten to the point where I really dislike those hot, humid summer days—many 90º F (32º C) and above. You can have your hot weather. I'll take cool/cold over hot and humid anytime.
Second, I love snow. I grew up in an area where we had a lot of snow. Many of you don't like snow and I can understand that. But I miss snow. Until this past Sunday evening, we hadn't had any measurable snow in the area in which I now live in 1071 days. We had a dusting. Maybe a 1/2 inch (~13mm). Disappointing. But, if you are reading this on the day I posted it, we are expecting snow tonight! Maybe as much as 3-4 inches. By most measures that is a paltry amount but I’ll take any snow I can get.
Third, and best of all, I love winter light and winter shadows. I especially like the light in the early evening. The very warm, raking orange light on a cold, clear day with the sun very low in the sky casting long, deep shadows is by far my favorite light. That said, the image here is in morning light. It was 29º F (-1.6º C).
About that image at the top of this post…. As I was driving along a small country road the other day I saw this church with the strong shadows against the white clapboards. Of course, I had to stop and photograph it. Photographing the church in color with the cobalt blue sky is nice but I think black & white is my preferred rendering for this scene. Look at those shadows! You don’t get those any other time of the year.
I flipped the switch on the top of my Nikon Zf to B&W. I had it set to Deep Tone Monochrome. With only a small amount of editing, this is how the camera rendered it. Gorgeous!
Lastly, continuing with my intention to regularly use prime lenses as I had mentioned in this post, I had the Nikon SE 28mm f/2.8 lens attached to the Zf. I did a lot of 'zooming with my feet' as the saying goes while capturing a variety of compositions of this scene. There is nothing wrong with moving around to find the composition you like best. In fact, you should be doing that with every composition. I’ll move ten steps back, a half step to the left, four steps to the right, moving the camera to a lower position or higher up or whatever else it takes to record the subject just the way I want it captured to fulfill my vision.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
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Very nice image of a classic rural church. How different was the image from this camera position compared to the first?
ReplyDeleteI also notice a small building in the front. I have seen those as a roadside chapel. I have a photo of one that was built in the same architectural style as the main church.
On Virginia snow, less than 100 miles away I have 6" of snow that will not go away because of the very cold morning temperatures. My best image is that of an otter lounging on ice along the edge of the river while eating a fish. There was a juvenile eagle in a tree apparently looking for a opportunity to swoop down to steal the catch. That photo opportunity did not present itself while I was there.
Thank you. I made a variety of exposures, the closest showing only part of the church’s side and the farthest from across a road (behind me) which showed all of the tree and more behind and in front of the church. I also changed positions to keep separation between the front edge of the church, telephone pole, small roadside chapel, mailbox (?) and tree trunk. We still have snow in all of the shaded areas. I was disappointed we didn’t get more. ~Dennis
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