What's So Great About Winter, Anyways?

What's so great about winter, you ask? The short answer: Nothing. I don't think there is anything GREAT about winter. Winter, in my estimation, is barely tolerable. So what is acceptable about winter? At times it can be stunningly beautiful.

When you wake up in the morning after a soft snow through the night, it seems extra quiet. People who live in snowy climates have often told they can "hear" when it has been snowing. It's like the world stops turning, just long enough for the blanket of white to leave a fresh, clean look for the onlooker to behold.

It has a refreshing feel. That is, until the sun comes out, turns all the snow to muddy slush, and things look nasty again. Here are some photos from a practice shoot I did today. I used my manual lens, a 50mm f/1.8. I don't use this lens very often because it does not auto-focus. I really need to practice with it to improve my skills. So I set out to do that today! Here are some of the images from this afternoon.