Two images of the ice and snow sculptures show artificial mountain ranges. An icy layer hanging over a decaying tree trunk creates a dark mountain image, while an ice sheet at the bottom becomes a snowy mountain against the dark, blurry background of the same tree trunk. What do you see in the other photos? Enjoy.
During the last two weeks, I may have created the false impression that I did not like winter with my nostalgic look back to summer and fall. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Every season has its beauty. I pulled photos out of my archives because I had to take care of my wife and make sure that her broken leg was healing properly. There was just no time to go out and take pictures for both of us. Today and the day before, Biene and I drove down to the lake. My wife could not leave the car but took photos through the open window. I wandered around the parking lot to look for some worthwhile themes. The highways crew had piled up the snow such that the resulting sculptures displayed interesting shapes. Here they are. Enjoy!
Last week I posted flowers. I sense from your comments that you too enjoyed looking at their bright colours and beautiful shapes. Today I would like to focus on the landscape around the Arrow Lakes that is so delightful to view, especially in the fall. One month of winter is already behind us. Only two more to go until spring. Rejoice!
When the snow is too deep to shovel, the wind howling around the house and the thermometer reaches rock bottom, one begins to yearn for sunshine, warmth and flowers to cheer you up. I found a few pictures in my archive, which gave me a big lift. Enjoy.
Adding motion to a still picture is an effective way to add interest to your slide show. This is known as the Ken Burns effect and can be accomplished by using the crop and zoom tool in a video editor. Recently, I learned a more advanced technique that is making use of the so-called keyframes. They allow you to gain more precise control over the motion within a given time. In addition, the keyframes also let you change the opacity and quite a few other interesting functions, such as colour, rotation, scale etc. Ideally, you start out with a high resolution image. The above photo I used for this experiment lacks the clarity, which is very noticeable after I more than doubled its magnification in the process. Playing the short video will give a good idea of what I was trying to accomplish.
In November, there have been some unseasonably warm and sunny days, whose images in stark contrast to the snowy and bleak start in December create fond memories. In the third Advent week, I need to hurry to publish the photos before Christmas. The mushrooms you see are a scarce sight so late in the fall and so unusually close to the sandy and stony beach. Enjoy.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 