Chasing Light #002
Snapshots from a wet winter walk by the White River
We had a few moderately warm, drizzly, and foggy days between polar vortexes in February. I knew the warmer weather would cause fog as it warmed the frozen ground. We don’t get this type of weather very often here, so it seemed like a good day to go out with the camera. I debated with myself for a while, giving myself plenty of excuses to stay cozy indoors …but ultimately threw my gear in the car and headed out.
I didn’t have a plan other than take my camera and drive down some county roads looking for photo opportunities. I typically pick a direction and make random turns on county roads looking for old cars, barns, interesting trees, or houses. As I drove west I was getting close to a small community named Waverly tucked next to the White River. I had never been to Waverly, but I knew it has a two-mile section of the White River Greenway Trail and I figured that would be a great place to walk and look for photos on a dreary day.
The White River is a muddy shallow river that I don’t find very photogenic on a typical day, but it is a great location when you have atmosphere like this.
This image would not work well on a sunny day. The fog and mist provide separation between the tree and the background.
It was quiet and serene along the river. I took my time exploring the banks and walking the path looking for interesting trees or grasses. I have to look a little harder to find color in the muted brown and gray landscape of Indiana during the winter. The bright yellow grasses and green water caught my eye.
It was nice to see a few other folks getting outdoors in this short respite from the near-zero temperatures and this gentleman happened to have this bright blue and white umbrella that really popped out from the background.
As I continued walking I was drawn to several scenes along the rivers edge enhanced by the weather. I really like black and white for these photos.
As I neared the end of the trail I noticed a large section of ice remained in a small side inlet to the river. The warm air created a subtle layer of fog over the ice. The stark contrast of the ice against the dark ground makes a nice composition.
Walking back toward the car these trees caught my attention. We don’t have many open forests in Indiana. The ground is typically covered in brambles and underbrush making it difficult to find nice compositions with groups of trees.
I headed for the car after these shots, but that didn’t end my photography for the day. I took a scenic route home and found a barn and a house worthy of a photo. I had some fun with artistic filters on these.
Thanks for reading my post and I hope you enjoyed the photos. See you next time.
Great photographs. I really like the barn one. The processing you did on it was on point.
These photos are wonderful! I think they exude feelings of silence and solitude and so fill me with a sense of peace. Thank you for sharing these :)