Thoughts about what I capture when I'm standing behind my Nikon. I composed the title by considering the type of photographs I frequently take: salt for Newfoundland locations, angles because I rarely shoot looking straight ahead but instead looking up or lying on my stomach, and elation because that's how I feel when I know I've captured something with which I'll be pleased!
This is where IlluminAqua's vibrant concert series takes place in Welland during the summer months. Under a fresh application of snow, its curving benches almost appear abstract and you can really appreciate the beauty of the design.
That's one of the beautiful things about snow: the way it changes the landscape so what you are accustomed to seeing appears very different. It must be sad to live down south where there is no change of the seasons, no reset button on the routines of our lives.
It's easy for me to say this now because I love snow and I love winter. And because I am invigorated by fresh, crisp winter air, I am more comfortable getting outside for activity in December than in July, thanks to the thick, muggy air we must navigate around here in the summer months.
This was the first major snowfall of 2013, taken on Wednesday, November 27. I typically go for a run along these gorgeous canal lands, but on this particular day, I decided to take it a little slower and bring my camera along for the excursion.
The snow that fell overnight was so thick and damp that it clung to everything it touched. Bare tree branches were adorned with thick, white highlights, giving them a fresh, pristine quality. They stood out like works of art against the darker apartment buildings and churches in the area. Ordinary shrubs were transformed into tidy topiaries and everything from fences to street signs were painted in the cleanest, brightest white.
Not only does the appearance of the thick snow produce a smooth, cohesive environment, but the blanketing effect also absorbs noise. It's more noticeable at night for obvious reasons, but even as I walked along the canal at 9AM, there was barely a sound, even though vehicles were being driven along the Division Street bridge as usual.
I took photos from this location, then walked down to Lincoln Street, and across to the opposite bank, and back to Division Street. It was calming, therapeutic, and stimulating all at the same time, and provided more evidence of how beautiful the city can be.
It was a simple, specific goal. In the array of all that Manhattan has to offer, amid all the lights from the twinkle lights in the trees to the pattern of office windows still illuminated after 5, we wanted to see the tree at Rockefeller Center all decked out for Christmas!
As this year's trip was later in the year than usual, we decided it was a fair expectation. Not only were we on the cusp of December, but the sun would set earlier so we would have more time immersed in darkness and surrounded by lights before we had to make it back to the bus. As usual, the trip was a quick dart into the city... travel overnight on Friday and again on Saturday night, and be back in Canada by Sunday morning. I never spend the night, never stick around the see the sunrise. Some people say I'm crazy, but I think it's brilliant!
So around 5pm we made our way from Times Square to Rockefeller's explosion of lights. It was stunning but we were soon disappointed: there was a tall black void in the glow. The tree was erected but it was dark. No lights.
We wrestled our way through the crowd of skaters awaiting their turn on that famous rink. I stood on the platform and took several pictures of people whizzing past, before the glorious variety of lights. It was a gorgeous scene, one that eased our disappointment. As long as we didn't look too high upwards, it was a gorgeous scene!!
As we walked back towards the street, we spoke with a policeman in the crowd and discovered the tree wouldn't be lit until four days later. Four days into December when we would be back in our respective real worlds and putting up our own, smaller, versions of Christmas trees.
The knife became wedged in a little more on Sunday evening when my kids and I were watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. A holiday favourite for sure, particularly since both my son and I could utter the words: "I've been there" throughout the story. But he wasn't with me on this recent trip. So towards the end, when Kevin and his mother are reunited, the scene of the brilliantly lit Christmas behemoth was a frustration he didn't share.
It was cool to discover, though, that the path leading up to the rink in the movie was adorned with the same angels and stars I had just seen in person. So that was good!
