On Christmas Eve 2020, the weather decided to cooperate and sent a nice dose of puffy snow our way. Waking up the next morning was quite magical with almost a foot of snow on the ground and trees coated in white. It was time for a family walk and definitely an opportunity to take a camera along. The location choice? Birdsong Park right in Orchard Park, New York.

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We were the first ones to arrive for a walk there. The road leading to the parking lot loop was plowed but the parking spaces were not. With a four wheel drive vehicle and a shovel in the trunk the foot of snow was not going to stop us even if the snow plow created an even higher barrier to enter. Off to the side we pushed in, parked, and set for our walk.

We had to make our own path through the field before entering the woods, which made walking more challenging but also more rewarding and definitely created a wonderful winter mood. Nothing quite matches the feeling of walking through fresh snow, feet sinking ankle deep or more with fresh cold air to breathe.

As always, this park does not kid around and has some beautiful sites to offer as soon as one turns into the woods on the first boardwalk. The path leads over a wet area and a creek and looks beautiful on both sides. I usually find the view to the left more appealing but this morning I believe the right-hand side actually had an edge with the trees and branches covered in pristine white snow.

Winter Creek at BirdsongOrchard Park, New York

Snowy Winter Creek at Birdsong, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a Yashica LM twin-lens reflex on Fomapan 200 Black and White Negative Film
Developed in Caffenol Delta Recipe

It's beautiful occasions like these that the camera of choice drives my photography quite a bit. With the Yashica twin lens reflex camera being loaded with 120 film I only had 12 frames for the morning. And since this was a family walk I wanted to keep things simple and did not even bring a spare roll. Thus, 12 it was to be split between portraits and landscape photos. With a 35mm roll of 36 I would have probably gone crazy and used up the whole roll too. As a result, the shorter roll held me back and made me pick and choose. That is not a complaint, that was a good thing. This being one of my favorite local destinations I already have many photos in all seasons and being choosy is the right approach, I believe.

Branches Dressed for WinterOrchard Park, New York

Branches Dressed for Winter, Birdsong Park, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a Yashica LM twin-lens reflex on Fomapan 200 Black and White Negative Film
Developed in Caffenol Delta Recipe

Despite the need for restraint, this spot got me. After two frames to the right I just had to take a picture of the scene on the left too. The tree bent over the creek forming a gate has been my favorite for a long time and it looked very nice this morning, Even its reflection in the creek looked better with all of the snow around.

Birdsong Gate in WinterOrchard Park, New York

Birdsong Park Gate in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a Yashica LM twin-lens reflex on Fomapan 200 Black and White Negative Film
Developed in Caffenol Delta Recipe

Later that day more snow arrived and we were knee deep making for even more charming walks. Unfortunately, true to the last few years, the winter wonderland did not last long and a warm front arrived and rained on the parade. I already look forward for the next winter visit. Still, even if brief, I love winter landscapes. Snow covers everything up and creates nice clean and simple landscapes. Come on winter, come back and bring it on!

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

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