“In a single day, the world is transformed, gray foggy days are now filled with the brightness of new fallen snow. December has touched my world and I rejoice in it.” – Ed Lehming

It’s difficult to describe a scene like this and even more difficult to chose a single image from a day that filled me with such delight, especially since the days preceding it were dull and rain-filled. Those few days had me downright depressed. I’m not one to sit around the house and do nothing and dull days do not inspire me creatively. So, when the forecast called for two days of rain and wet snow it did not lift my spirits.

I was pleasantly surprised when I awoke yesterday and the world dawned with bright, clear sunshine and a winter wonderland of awe inspiring beauty. These days are often so overwhelmingly beautiful that t is difficult to capture it effectively.

Generally, these conditions begin to fade quickly as the sun warms the snow and even gentle breezes quickly undo the magic. So, I set out for an early hike, hoping to capture some of this wonder, while it lasted.

The morning did not disappoint and I was surrounded by a world of such incredible brightness that it actually bothered my eyes. Around every turn a fresh scene of pure tranquility greeted me. Even as the gentle wind stared to knock some of the snow down, it remained cool enough to stay on the branches. The brilliant sunshine further enhanced the effect by making the ice drops gleam like diamonds and cast long shadows across the ground.

My biggest concern when faced with these scenes is that the images will be blown -out or flat, ineffectively translating into a good photo that communicates the experience. However, yesterday I had my new iPhone 12 Pro with me and it did an astonishing job at producing brilliant, well-balanced images, without me having to do any adjustments in post. I’m thrilled to have yet another tool that I can use for these situations, and it is a lot lighter than my D800!

iPhone 12 Pro @ 4.2mm
1/1742 sec, f/1.2, ISO 32