In a Colorado Winter, I don't take pictures just any day, or even that often. I wait until a snowstorm comes. I take some pictures during the storm, with snow falling in the fog and reduced visibility. But I take my best pictures when the sun comes out and the wind is still - revealing a beautiful sight of snow flocked trees, brilliant white mountains, and a deep blue sky. I use the snow flocked tree branches as a foreground for the mountains and sky background. If the wind suddenly comes up and blows the snow off the branches and trees, I stop taking pictures. The bare branches and trees are harsh and flat, so I wait for another snowstorm - not just any snowstorm, but one that clears out without wind to blow the snow off the trees. Some Winters in the Colorado mountains are very windy, leaving me with little to work with. Early snow this year has afforded me a lot of opportunities. When a storm comes with a lot of humidity, it leaves a frost on the trees - Hoarfrost, as it's called. The Pine and especially the Aspen branches are coated with thin ice and snow, sparkling in the sunlight. Early morning is the only time I can catch this sight, and as when the day progresses, the frost melts and the picture is gone. Summer in Colorado is wildflowers, Fall is Aspen leaves, Winter is flocked trees and frost coated branches.Winter in Colorado is almost 7 months - a lot of time to take pictures, but only when and after it storms. When I don't take pictures, which is most of the time in Winter, I go skiing at Copper Mountain, Colorado - my 37th year. Of course, I still take my camera, tucked in my jacket pocket!
