Frosty Morning

Winter has finally settled in to Southwest Wisconsin. With the mild winter we have had up until last week, the photo opportunities seemed to be pretty limited. With no snow, the landscaped simply looked brown and boring. The lack of snow also means that there is plenty of food around for wildlife so they don't need to be on the move as much. So with what seems like a lack of subjects to photograph, what's a nature/wildlife photographer to do?

The answer is simple. All you have to do is take a look around and you will find something to photograph. Just because you like to shoot a specific type of subject doesn't mean that you stop looking at other options. Something as simple as frost on a window can make for an interesting photo.

This time of year is one of my favorite times to be out photographing the landscape. Snow, frost and ice transform our surroundings into magical displays of mother nature.

If you don't like being out in the cold, stay inside and find something that interests you. One nice thing about photography frost on your windows is that you can stay inside where it's warm and still make interesting winter photos.

Another great thing about this time of year for photographers is that the sun rises and sets at a lower angle to the earth than at other times of the year. The result is that great magic light last longer into the morning, and begins sooner in the afternoons. That magic light can really help to warm up a cold scene and turn it into something special.

If you like the cold or hate it, there are plenty of opportunities to capture winter scenes if you simply take a look around you and are willing to explore photographic possibilities that you hadn't thought of before.