Here is a different version of Snow Zebra I I posted yesterday – a completely different photograph, actually, from a different perspective and converted to black and white (which this scene basically is, anyway, except for the sky). I would be interested in any comments as to which of these two images you prefer —
Snow Zebra II
Today I’m going to put up another photograph taken on my recent snowshoe outing to Franklin Creek Nature Area. This is just to prove to some people that all of Illinois is not one big wind swept cornfield! (although, admittedly, it mostly is). I really like Franklin Creek – it’s not as large or impressive as, say, Starved Rock or Mathiessen State Parks, however it is consederably less developed and less traveled. I plan on becoming a regular visitor of this area!
Franklin Creek - January 2010
We’ve gotten some good snow over the last few days, so I decided to go snowshoeing at the Franklin Creek Nature Area sixty miles west of Batavia, despite the near zero degree temperature! I could have probably got by without the snow shoes, the snow depth was right at the boarder between needing them and being able to get by with boots. Great day, had the place to myself – and got a few good photos. Here is one with lots of shadow/striations, “zebra snow”. I took a bunch, I knew these would be great, it’s just a matter of finding the best one. That’s why I labeled this Snow Zebra I – there may be more! This is what I came up with on my first look at the photographs:
Zebra Snow I
Well, the predicted snow has started to fall – the snowplows were out before I got up this morning (6:30, as usual) and it’s supposed to come down all day – up to a foot! I can’t help but feel sorry for the sad bastards who have to drive into the city to work – the traffic reports this morning were scary to say the least! I, however, decided to take a walk around downtown Batavia to take some photos of this wonderful and beautiful day. The following was taken through a hole in the fence behind the dumpster at the Phillips 66 station down the street – one of my “secret” spots as it offers a unique view of the Batavia Depot Museum and the Fox River beyond.
Snowy Day, Batavia, Illinois
It looks like we’re having a real winter in Batavia this year – highs in the mid-teens and lows around zero for the next week and a nice foot of snow on the ground! A welcome change from the last two winters I’ve been here with the constant freezing and thawing – get some nice snow and a week later it’s gone. However, I’m sure the good winter weather won’t last. The locals, of course, think it’s horrible – most will not leave their houses if it’s below 20!
I walked down to the Batavia Riverwalk and the Challenge Dam around noon today and took some photos. Still using my old 50mm lens, no word on when my digital lens will be out of the shop. Another great thing about this time of year is that you can actually take a decent picture during the middle of the day – nice shadows and low angled light even at noon! Here is a photo of the dam taken at as slow a shutter speed as I could manage without having it wash out – ISO 200, f/16, 1/60 sec. If you look closely you can see a line of unhappy geese in the water above the dam:
Challenge Dam, Batavia Illinois Jan 1, 2010
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