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Winter TreeChestnut Ridge Park Sometimes, you just don't have a choice and have to go. At least that is what it feels like. And that certainly was the case this Christmas Eve. The day before, warm temperatures have given to a cold front, melting stopped, and the precipitation first turned from rain into a mix of rain and snow, and eventually into snow completely. And this transition, while certainly very unpleasant for driving, worked its magic on the landscape all around. The wintery mix attached itself to all trees, both coniferous and deciduous equally. Within a short while, everything looked like a magical winter wonderland. Later, when it was just snow it added to the decoration with a bit of fluff for an increased dose of festivity.

I watched this carefully and excitedly but with the fading light did not convince myself to rush out and act immediately. Usually, snowy decorations like this to not survive long. One can be lucky and catch nature dressed like this early in the morning but then the slightest wind shakes the snow off and the magic is gone. On this occasion however, since most of the coating was frozen to the trees, it had a little bit more endurance. Even around noon the next day, everything looked wonderful, with a few inches of snow added as a bonus.

And that I could no longer resist. Snow pants, coat, hat, gloves, camera bag, and a tripod and off I was to the nearby Chestnut Ridge Park to see it all first hand. All in all, I only wandered about for an hour or so and found what I came for, even with a little bonus.

First, I went for a wide angle photograph taking in trees on both sides of the path, the snow-covered ground, and the sky above with winter clouds carrying more snow from the lake. Add in the crisp air and it was a perfect winter moment. I liked how I was given the opportunity to capture the different looks of the deciduous and coniferous trees, each prevalent on one side of the path.

Happy with that scene and on the way out of the park, the old tree peeked my interest again. I looked at it a bit on the way in and tried to work it into an overall composition I'd like but could not. Now, approaching it from the opposite direction I did not have to search for a composition, it was right in front of me. All I had to do was move a bit to the left for an improved background and click, the tree was captured.

Trees Decorated for HolidaysChestnut Ridge Park

And yes, I have reversed the order of the two photos here. It just seemed to work better for the flow and for the sizes I wanted to include with this post.

May you all have a wonderful rest of 2017! Enjoy the Beauty that Surrounds You! (#etbtsy)

Would you like to see more photographs from Western New York? Visit my Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! To get a dose of white winter, click through to my Winter Collection of photographs.

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