Winter Weather

[Karen]

If I took a photo now it would be all white as the snow is falling and drifting this way and that, sideway, upwards, every whim of the wind pushes in a different direction. The camera cannot capture the whimsy and wonder of a winter storm at night, with the hush of the snow fall, and glittering flakes as the streetlights try to make a path to the ground, but the light is reflected and refracted a millions way by a billion flakes, and the night is bright as day, and the sky reflects an odd pink from the city lights.

The only sound is the scrape of plows in the distance and the whisper and rush of wind, pierced suddenly and briefly by the peal of the back-up beeps as a plow attempts a different angle, doing its best to manage the unmanageable.

[ramanth]

We got a fair amount of snow here yesterday but I haven't measured it yet. At least 3 inches would be my guess.

[smokey the elder]

If I took a photo now it would be all white as the snow is falling and drifting this way and that, sideway, upwards, every whim of the wind pushes in a different direction. The camera cannot capture the whimsy and wonder of a winter storm at night, with the hush of the snow fall, and glittering flakes as the streetlights try to make a path to the ground, but the light is reflected and refracted a millions way by a billion flakes, and the night is bright as day, and the sky reflects an odd pink from the city lights.

The only sound is the scrape of plows in the distance and the whisper and rush of wind, pierced suddenly and briefly by the peal of the back-up beeps as a plow attempts a different angle, doing its best to manage the unmanageable.

Best bet for photographing a storm at night: Use a tripod, max aperture, long exposure. You'll get a blur from the snowflakes, and maybe trails from the occasional headlight.

[Randi]

They started naming storms over here, too. This last one was called Bodil. They change in between girls' and boys' names, just like in the US. No snow storm names, though.

[Karen]

Best bet for photographing a storm at night: Use a tripod, max aperture, long exposure. You'll get a blur from the snowflakes, and maybe trails from the occasional headlight.

I wasn't commenting in my ability, rather that a photograph, no matter how clear, never really captures the beauty and sensations of a winter storm at night. It cannot catch the subtle sounds, the sensation, the movement, or the shifting, oddly atmospheric light!

[Alysser]

My final on friday was cancelled due to an acidic smell in the building. It better not be cancelled again tomorrow thanks to this dumb stupid storm.

[Karen]

Okay, now I'll take this storm a bit more seriously - sure, once I put out birdseed this afternoon the juncos and sparrow arrived, and then the mama cardinal, but now the morning doves are out there, at the same time as the little birds!

[Karen]

Okay, just an inch or so off on their prediction, but I took one "storm at night photo" when in traffic, this is a neighbor who has lots of lights and stuff ...



And outside my office this morning:


And some of the birds during the storm were sheltering on the cement outside my door instead of eating the seed in the snow, so I put a plate on the barest patch of cement - and refilled it a little this morning - Papa cardinal likes it!