Under the stars in the snow Dec 2010

The snow always transforms a landscape and makes many wondrous changes that you cannot imagine.  The familiar view is altered and that which you have previously overlooked takes on a new prominence.  These few shots are part of a series that were taken on a single journey through the snow. Although I have seen these scenes many times before they are made magical by the snow and the stars.  Not everyone takes to the road when the snows fall and even fewer venture forth when the stars are sparkling.  Some of these pictures may form a view of the other side of the page, they are the hidden underside of the day lit snowy landscape photographs.

On a cold frosty night I was thrilled to be under the stars out in the snow.  Each stop involved a quick set up for a few long exposures.  As I waited for the light to form an image I took to my heels and toes to dance a warming jig.  Each exposure was between 10 and 30 seconds long and the dances of were each terminated by the awakening of the preview image.  If you should happen across a well wrapped man dancing strangely in the frozen landscape who stops to view the images being created by his camera don’t pause to see if the dancing gets better.  The dances are not of any great artistic merit I hope that the pictures make up for the bad shuffles and the icy stumbles.  Without the dances I would not have stayed out so long so these images are my record of my dancing under the Stars in the snow.

Pictures on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phhsykes/sets/72157625623425930/with/5271199764/ 


©2010 PHH Sykes
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Fancies 
http://www.phhsykes.co.uk