Winter Beauty

So we got another healthy dose of winter this weekend and I was initially saddened by the weather because we had to postpone our Fundraiser for Journeymen due to the snow, but I managed to make the best of the weekend. I got up early yesterday and saw that the snow had a beautiful crust of ice on it and I knew that I had to get out and shoot before the sun hit it, so I got my boots on and headed out my door. Living on the north side of the mountain, things tend to freeze more quickly and stay frozen a little longer, great for photography, not so good for the road.. but that's another post. :)
Here are a couple of shots from the bushes and tress around my home...
Happy Winter!

 

Loved the light coming through the pine boughs on this shot.

A leaf holds on from fall.

The frozen snow crystals on this vine looked like a beautiful, natural barb wire.

The delicacy of nature reveals itself to me when I take the time to stop and look.

Frozen "hitch hikers".

The red of the berries against the white of the snow caught my eye here.

Ok, coolest example of mother natures magic right here. This is a spider web that has collected moisture and frozen. It was gently blowing in the morning breeze and to my amazement, the ice crystals did not break, but gently flexed with each breeze.

One of the prettiest blue skies I have seen in a while. No manipulation here... this is the real color.

Sedona Arizona

Just got back from 5 days in Sedona, Arizona supporting the Boys To Men International Mentoring Network's chapter there. I had a wonderful experience being part of teenage boys getting initiated and blessed for being on their journey to manhood.
The landscape in Sedona is visually breath taking, the red rocks rising from the ground to meet the deep blue sky, the multi colored rock formations reminding us that all of that area was under water not too terribly long ago and on top of all that, 1,700 year old trees. I will let the images speak for themselves...


This tree is not the oldest but the energy it put off was incredible.


Moon rise




1,700 + year old tree. The age can be determined by the "alligator" bark.