Minus 40

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 10, 2009493 views31 comments

That's what the wind chill was this morning here at Twin Lakes CO, (and conveniently, no conversion to SSI units required!) although the temperature was a relatively balmy minus 10 F. I just had to get out this frigid morning after a big Colorado blizzard;
gave me a chance to test out a pair of new mitts i got at REI the other day

So, i took a fun-filled drive up the icy snowpacked roads through ground blizzards to get to one of my 'go-to' spots, Twin Lakes. I didnt have time to make it to the lake shore (the roads i usually take were buried) so i had to settle for the 'plan B' forest comps along a portion of the Colorado Trail. Hope this 'real' Winter weather keeps coming!
5DMkII; 17-40; 1s at f/16
C&C Welcome!

Comments

31 comments

Comment posted by Benjamin Glatt on December 10, 2009 at 4:51 AM

This is awesome, Stan! I like a 4x5 crop from the bottom. Very cool shot, and just in time for the holidays!

Registered on July 15, 2007, 171 Posts, 3566 Comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on December 10, 2009 at 5:46 AM

I'm definitely liking plan B Stan, really pretty winter scene, beautiful composition along with that amazing sky. The only thing I dont like is 40 below

Beautiful work
John

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Greg Maklae on December 10, 2009 at 6:44 AM

For me, this is all about the sky. Fantastic colors and light. Just be careful what you wish for, wished for snow, and now it won't stop!

Registered on November 18, 2008, 170 Posts, 759 Comments

Comment posted by Anthony Vincent on December 10, 2009 at 7:04 AM

Merry Christmas Stan, ya were getting some frigid weather here too. Nice comp but Im not quite sure the open space below is strong enough compared to the rest of the beautiful scene. Maybe a ladder from the Home depot would have boosted you up a little higher

The top half is killer though!

Registered on February 5, 2009, 199 Posts, 2775 Comments

Comment posted by Christer Johansson on December 10, 2009 at 7:05 AM

Great winter shot Stan. Nice composition and beautiful light. Like the foreground and the morning colors on the clouds

Registered on October 10, 2009, 50 Posts, 191 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on December 10, 2009 at 7:09 AM

what a great shot u have captured Stan

lovely colors and the white color is very natural here

i like the composition a lot

the exposure is perfect

very well done bro

Hamed

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin Trinkner on December 10, 2009 at 7:51 AM

Very nice Stan, great colors and light. I like the 4x5 crop idea to remove some of the bottom.

So how did those new mits work out? I need to find some new ones.

Registered on June 30, 2008, 203 Posts, 2641 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on December 10, 2009 at 8:43 AM

Thanks, Kevin. The Black Diamond mits worked great--i dont have very good circulation to my fingers so gloves don't cut it...one of these days ill have to get battery heated gloves

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on December 10, 2009 at 9:11 AM

Beautiful winter scene Stan. Love the pastel clouds too.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on December 10, 2009 at 10:39 AM

Foreground seems a bit bright/attention grabbing here Stan, but from the trees on back it's a very strong image IMO. I could see either darkening the bottom or cropping it.

Registered on September 17, 2005, 780 Posts, 8091 Comments

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on December 10, 2009 at 11:35 AM

Very holidays Stan, sounds like a fun filled chilly time. The midground is a bit chaotic for me, creating a visual road block between the foreground and mountains.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 306 Posts, 4840 Comments

Comment posted by Derek Sedillo on December 10, 2009 at 11:43 AM

Stan,

Great shot with a true Winter feel.

BTW You're an Animal!

Thats the same spot I shot one cold winter morning when my DSLR literally froze in zero conditions. After placing my camera on the tripod for several miutes all of the controls for shutter/aperture, etc... were locked solid!

Its a good idea you didn't venture down that road. James Egbert and I got all wheels stuck in the snow on a side road over there. Fortunately someone with a large 4x4 helped yanked us out.

Derek

Registered on May 2, 2006, 37 Posts, 232 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on December 10, 2009 at 12:02 PM

Very nice crisp and refresthing Stan, must have been nice on the fingers.

Registered on January 2, 2008, 360 Posts, 5321 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on December 10, 2009 at 12:35 PM

I love this winter wonderland Stan. Wonderful sky too.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Marcellini on December 10, 2009 at 12:36 PM

Love the way those trees are dusted with snow. A great scene, but l feel a crop from bottom might strengthen it.

Registered on November 27, 2007, 250 Posts, 2468 Comments

Comment posted by Abdullaziz Bin Ali on December 10, 2009 at 2:18 PM

it seems no more sands during this season

Wonderful composition Stan. The light and exposure are incredible
well done Stan

Registered on May 31, 2009, 112 Posts, 1590 Comments

Comment posted by Laurent Baig on December 10, 2009 at 2:22 PM

Nice!

Registered on January 12, 2005, 206 Posts, 6784 Comments

Comment posted by Verena & Georg Pop on December 10, 2009 at 2:44 PM

beautiful! looks like a forest of christmas trees!
you should have brought red candles and put em on the trees - that would be THE christmas card seller for the year!

georg

Registered on July 5, 2006, 272 Posts, 2823 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on December 10, 2009 at 6:42 PM

Hi Stan

A great winter scene

With fine color and detail. Agree with floris,about The mid ground being busy.

Albert Darmo Darmo

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments

Comment posted by Michael R Reynolds on December 10, 2009 at 7:40 PM

Stan,
Sounds cold.. but absolutely no nits to pick on this composition. It really conveys that winter feeling. Nicely done!

Registered on February 26, 2008, 54 Posts, 812 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on December 10, 2009 at 9:49 PM

Eeeeee. It does look cold, Stan. Clouds are a nice contrast to the blue snow. Does snow actually get more blue at lower temperatures?

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Michael J Greene, on December 10, 2009 at 9:51 PM

Hi Stan,

Super sharp, crisp, clear image. I also agree a small crop off the bottom image would help. Thanks for sharing. Michael

Registered on June 18, 2009, 86 Posts, 2317 Comments

Comment posted by Don Grall on December 10, 2009 at 11:27 PM

Super shot, Stan. Looks sooo fresh and cold, perfect spot for a product placement of a frosty cold, C---s in the foreground.

Registered on November 18, 2003, 16 Posts, 132 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on December 11, 2009 at 2:48 AM

No C---s for me, Don; that's almost as bad as B_d

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Rajeev Thomas on December 11, 2009 at 4:12 AM

Love this one Stan.... excellent job.... I am not sure how you have survived the cold...but you have done an excellent job capturing this...

Registered on February 20, 2008, 0 Posts, 291 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on December 11, 2009 at 9:28 AM

The diagonal flow of the foreground leads the eye away from the magnificent background, but otherwise a great winter shot Stan. We need an icon shivering with goose-bumps!

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Gabi Lach on December 11, 2009 at 9:59 AM

Beautiful scene with lovely conditions. It arrived for us, Stan. Exciting season.

Love your capture here. Cannot wait to go backpacking in fresh powder. Colder the better.

Registered on May 1, 2007, 101 Posts, 3187 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on December 11, 2009 at 6:52 PM

Best comp in your series, with really nice color and light.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Duval on December 11, 2009 at 8:16 PM

Hunker down Stan, they are lining up like shoppers on Black friday, and the weather Channel is talking El Nino winter storm pattern. There's going to be an all weekend storm here in So Cal and the Sierras, so about midweek in Colorado? I know it's just me, but the warm morning cloud colors steal some of the chill from this image for me. I'm just a contrarian I guess. It is a beautiful scene, but I don't have enough clothes to handle this kind of cold.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 508 Posts, 1907 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on December 12, 2009 at 2:36 AM

Paul, as a meteorologist who forecasts CO weather for the national weather service, i generally dont pay much attention to that company based in Atlanta, that weather channel thing

That weekend storm will miss us for the most part--its the one that follows that will hit us around the 21-22d.

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on December 14, 2009 at 5:26 AM

A beautiful image, Stan. It looks VERY cold indeed compared to our roasting temps here, which are have been hovering over 90 F for weeks with high humidity!

Anyway, this is an exquisite shot... beautiful light and a fabulous comp. Great shot!

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments