Going out in the snow to record what I've seen is most satisfying. If photography is "capturing a moment" than the ephemeral nature of a snow fall makes it seem almost like taking pictures of a desert flower.
Geese on the pond in yesterday's later afternoon sun will never look the same as this photo.
Here the permanence of an abandoned railroad and an oak tree that likes to keep a few leaves each winter offers a photo I might like to remember in August.
Yesterday I took a whole lot of pictures, most of them on the Van Cortlandt Lake and surrounding wetlands of the Bronx park. Mostly they are photos of geese but I experimented with ways to defeat the other property of snow, monochromatic and way too bright.
Below the fold are the best of the 465 pictures I took yesterday.
I was up yesterday before sunrise. I always love how the Hudson and Palisades looks in the predawn light but the snow improves the view. If it looks frozen to you it does to me too but the water was ice free yesterday.
Here's a picture for you. Picture me out on my building's public catwalk wearing flip flops, gym shorts and a goose down parka trying to get a sunrise shot. I have got to get a pair of those fake fur slippers someday.
The foreground is always too dark for sunrise and sunset photos but yesterday the snow added a little punch to the landscape. Van Cortlandt park dominates my eastern view. The white spot on the right is the parade grounds and behind that is the lake. Those buildings in the middle are Co-Op City, the former location of Freedomland U.S.A. that I once loved. The narrow white line in the back is the Long Island Sound and Long Island is behind that.
Back to the living room for the view of first light and the shadow of the Bronx on the New Jersey Palisades.
At first I thought I would not be able to drive so my day started out with a walk through the neighborhood.
The Bronx looks pretty good in the snow, doesn't it?
The sidewalks and streets were clear so I drove down to the lake to see if I could get a few decent pictures. Lake photo compositions are like cheating for photo buffs. There are so many good frames.
As cold as lonely as these photos it was a pretty nice day. This photo grabs a little warmth.
And the pond to the side offer a little relief for the geese.
Lakes make easy compositions but forest are a little more difficult. It is sort of messy in there and someone really should get in there with a trimmer or something.
The north end of the lake is not frozen. I don't think it ever is.
Because of the snow covering the ground the geese that usually spend their days on the golf course have gathered on the water.
And I got my favorite photo of the day.
Across the old abandoned Putnam Railroad bridge from the north side of the lake is the southern end of a wetland that goes on for miles.
A walk along the old railroad path to one of my favorite places in the park.
There were so many geese there yesterday that the swans were hiding out.
Not a single golfer came out yesterday. I found a hole in the fence and took a nice walk but I was in way too deep.
One swan knew exactly where to be at feeding time.
And not the least bit shy about it but the geese got special treatment.
My day ended with an attempt to dramatize a dead tree in the swamp.
I almost had it but I got to "memory card full" first.
I did make it home for sunset.
Did you take any nice photos lately?
