As the Arctic air wins the battle with the Tropic air from the Gulf we'll see the surfaces of our lakes, streams, and ponds cease to ripple. This transformation is the true litmus test of winter's might. If in the middle of February you can still cruise around in a boat, surely it's been a mild winter. It seems that we're heading the opposite direction here in the Poconos. Up on the plateau they received up to 20" of snow in October, lakes were covered in a thin coat of ice by mid-November, and the ski resorts are celebrating one of the earliest openings in their history.
If your looking for an interesting subject to photograph this winter I urge you to go out to your favorite lake and search for magic in the ice. The ice provides many wonderful scenes. In this post I'd like to talk about the beautiful designs the wind can produce in the coves of lakes. Where the water exits or enters ponds and lakes the water tends to stay unfrozen. The wind enters these coves and carves curves into the edge of the ice. Look for these curves and get in tight with your framing. Also, look for reflections in the water alongside these wonderful curving lines. Just make sure you don't step out on this ice it's almost always thin! See you out there!
All photos from the winter of 2004 at Promised Land State Park, PA Copyright 2008 Daniel Brodeen
For more tips and photos by Daniel Brodeen please visit www.brodeenphoto.com/blog1 and www.brodeenphoto.com
