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As Winter Fades Away ...
Gentle Signs of WinterMurder Creek, Akron Falls Park
This winter has a lot of people longing for spring and summer and they will all soon get their wish. The temperatures have been rising up from the record breaking lows of February, we have seen a lot of sunshine lately, and the pile up of snow is quickly melting making sump pumps work after a long break.
That leads me to believe that people may not be in the mood for more winter photographs, and it may be months before the heat and humidity of summer brings that mood back. For that reason, let me get couple more photographs out of the way before spring officially starts in just a few days on March 20 (March equinox).
Both photographs are from earlier this winter. It was between the snow phases. The November snow already melted by then and the January and February snow did not fall yet. However, temperatures dropped and water started working its magic, creating icy formations all around.
Both photographs are from Murder Creek, not much downstream from the Lower Akron Falls. After I satisfied my "ice cavern" cravings by the falls (Western New York Winter Wonderland at Akron Falls), I walked along the creek and enjoyed watching the low temperatures in action. As this was early in the season, the creek was nowhere close to being frozen over. However, there were beautiful ice crystals forming along the banks and the rocks were capped with ice and snow.
Then I came upon the scene in the photograph below. The splashing water was slowly freezing on the bottom of a branch laying over the creek, creating these beautiful upside down icicles. The top of each of them was so thin I could not believe it could support the weight of the ice below, as it gradually widened and flattened out just above the water flow.
Winter's Art on Murder CreekMurder Creek, Akron Falls Park
Winter's Art on Murder Creek, Akron Falls Park near Buffalo, New York
Have fun!
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Previously from Akron Falls Park: Western New York Winter Wonderland at Akron Falls, Morning on Murder Creek - Going for the Details Again, Variety: Follow the Grand Vistas with Detail Shots
Akron Falls Park in Pictures:
Shenandoah: On Skyline Drive - Colorful Flashback
On Skyline DriveFall Colors of Shenandoah
It's a beautiful warm day here in Buffalo, NY at 26°F and lots of sunshine. It's still a white world all around though with a few inches of fresh snow on the ground topping off the solid dose this winter provided.
As such, here's a little colorful distraction from that white world, a photo from my On the Road collection featuring photos of roads in a variety of landscapes.
Today's addition is from Skyline Drive that follows the ridge of the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and provides for a wonderful experience whether you just cruise along or use its many trail heads to experience the nature around first hand.
Have fun!
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
Frozen Mist on Fire over Horseshoe Falls
Mist on FireHorseshoe Falls in Winter
First, let's get the record straight. Despite all of the media frenzy, Niagara Falls are not frozen. Not the American Falls, not the Bridal Veil Falls, and not the Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Falls). All three waterfalls are flowing, roaring, and falling strong! However, there certainly is a lot of ice. Especially in front of the American Falls there is quite a mound of ice significantly obstructing the view of the falls, especially from the Canadian side. And there is quite a bit of ice above the falls too in the upper rapids.
So why do the waterfalls not freeze despite the recent temperatures dropping as low as -10°F (-23°C)? The sheer volume and force of the water does not allow for that. 75,750 gallons (286,744 liters) of water per second flow over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons (2,580,704 liters) per second over the Horseshoe Falls.
Have fun and keep warm!
References: Amazing Niagara Falls Facts, World's Largest Waterfalls by Volume, What's the Largest Waterfall in the World?, 10 Widest Waterfalls
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
Winter Dozen
This winter season has been ... thorough in Western New York. Lots of snow, lots of low temperatures, lots of true winter. I like winter photography because winter landscapes are simple and clean. Lots of distracting elements are simply covered by snow and a fresh layer of white snow is perfectly clean. However, winter does not have to be devoid of color. Clear days with blue skies, however rare, provide a nice contrast between the blues and the whites. A sunrise or sunset can fire up the sky with a wide palette of warm colors to contrast the cold ice and snow. And a blue hour at dusk or dawn provides even more intense blue tones that can be combined with street lights for even more intensity.
Let's look at some samples from each category, from an almost pure white abstract pattern in snow to some wild colors. Enjoy the winter dozen and keep warm! If you'd like to see more of my winter photographs, feel free to visit the Winter Collection.
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The magic of winter on Buffalo's Outer Harbor. Lake Erie frozen solid through the first and second break walls and beyond giving Western New York arctic look and feel. Cold temperatures below 20ºF, ice below one's feet with snow tossed around by the evening breeze, and the warmth of the sunset across the lake. What a wonderful time! |
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My favorite alley at Emery Park a day after a winter storm. The weather changed from rain to freezing rain to wet snow to snow. All along, temperatures dropped creating a mess on the roads and a winter wonderland in trees. Fortunately, the coating was just right, not too heavy to hurt the trees, yet solid enough to paint everything in sight in white! |
Frosty Alley at Emery Park |
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Gallagher Pier in Ice |
This Gallagher Pier photo is not just about the pier but also about the beautiful white season the city of Buffalo is known for. A cloudy morning shortly after sunrise provided diffused light and even illumination to capture the details of the pier underneath along with the surrounding ice and distant break wall. |
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The Horseshoe Falls of Niagara Falls moments after sunset and before the rise of a full wolf moon, the full moon of January. Also moments before the artificial illumination starts at dusk, at varying times throughout the year. January means winter and there are clear signs of it on the vegetation in the foreground. As the mist constantly rises over the falls and wraps everything around in moisture, freezing temperatures turn that moisture into a blanket of white. |
Frosty Horseshoe Falls |
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Knox Farm Birdhouses by Fence |
Two birdhouses and a fence leading you into distance along one of the hiking trails at Know Farm State Park in winter. |
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Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh Depot in Orchard Park, New York located behind the Orchard Park Erie County Public Library, owned and operated by the Western New York Railway Historical Society. In this photograph, you see the depot with a blue hour wintery look, the season Western New York and Buffalo are very well known for. |
Where the Trains Don't Go Any More |
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Horseshoe Falls in White |
While most crowds frequent Niagara Falls in summer I find them even more impressive in winter. Whether you visit on the American or Canadian side the whole experience is so much more intense. The colder, the better! Your experience will also be much more natural despite being in the middle of civilization as not many people tend to brave the elements. Come after sunset or before sunrise, and you may be on your own. |
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A chilly winter morning sunrise on Buffalo's waterfront with everything dressed in white. Lake Erie and Buffalo River frozen solid, and the lighthouse reaching for the blue sky, a sight not so common in Buffalo in winter. And look, instead of the fresnel lens equipped light, there's a Christmas tree up there! A beautiful morning full of fresh air with a bite! A beautiful morning to be outdoors! A beautiful morning for photography! |
Season's Greetings from Buffalo Light |
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Winter Roar at Akron Falls |
When one hears mighty and waterfall in one sentence around here the topic usually is Niagara Falls. This morning though that is what immediately came to my mind as I approached the Lower Akron Falls. There was so much rumble, there was so much noise! And most of the rocks I use in the fall to hop across the creek were not there! The few days leading to this morning had below freezing temperatures resulting in an icicle paradise, a true Western New York winter wonderland. |
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The first snow of the season to create a nice thick white blanket on the ground and a coat on the trees. Green Lake and Yates Park took on a winter wonderland look overnight. Everything is clean and white, winter is here. Thanksgiving 2013 is going to be in white! |
Green Lake in Snow |
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Sunset Fire over Frozen Green Lake |
The wonder of sunset over frozen Green Lake. The contrast between the white puffy snow covering the lake and the colorful show nature put on in the sky was amazing, altho brief. As the sun set, the sky looked nice but not spectacular. Then a few clouds rolled in from the west at the perfect time for the sun to light them up from below and set the sky on fire! |
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Winter photography is usually so much subtler than all other seasons, especially fall with its bold colors. Landscapes are devoid of color and everything is white and clean. Lots of distractions are buried in snow. |
Snowdrift Lines & Curves |
I hope you've had fun scrolling through these. Clicking on any of the photos above will take you to their respective galleries and allow large viewing, which always works best for landscape photographs. Once you click the photo and the gallery page loads, you can click it one more time for a full page view. There is also a Slideshow button in top right.
You can see more winter photography in the Winter collection, and other themed photographs in these photo collections:
Buffalo in Blue - Bridges of Buffalo - Subway - Buffalo Metro Rail - Autumn - World without Color - On the Road - Refractography - aMazing Bookmarks
Thanks for visiting today, and in the future!
Have fun!
Using my links to buy your equipment keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
The Frozen Theme at Outer Harbor, Buffalo, NY
Colors over WhitesSmall Boat Harbor at Sunset, Buffalo, NY
With the temperatures in Buffalo and Western New York bouncing between -10°F and +10°F and wind chills well below that I feel that it is appropriate to stick with the photographs frozen solid.
So today, we're back on the ice of frozen Buffalo's Outer Harbor, this time shortly after sunset. Chilly air, a thick layer of ice under your feet, and a sky painted with beautiful palette of warm yellows and oranges. You let your eyes wander well into the distance and get lost in a thought, take in a deep breath to fill your lungs with that fresh air, and just soak in the moment.
Have fun!
Using my links to buy your equipment keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!