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The Last Days of Winter
March 2004
Winter has a way of fooling us. As the weather changes, we think spring is around the corner, and then the cold returns and we realize we were mistaken. But in March we know that it can’t be long before the new season will arrive, so we look around at the snow and ice ready to say farewell for this year.
Our cover image is a delightful way to end the winter season: a beautiful image of delicate stems bending in the wind, with just a few remnants of ice here and there. The photographer has caught the view at an ideal moment and created a lovely composition that gives us a sense that the cold weather is receding.
On the left side of the first double page we see what the photographer calls “Winter Wonder.” It is a superb composition of a decorative metal form covered with ice, while a pensive bird looks around to see what there is to see. There’s a lot of empty space in the photograph, adding tension to the forms that are there. This is in striking contrast to the more spring like photograph on the opposite page that is filled with a light frosting of snow covering leaves and flowers, forming a lovely pattern from top to bottom.
In the next spread we see two images of ice and snow covering the foliage of evergreens. Just looking at those images makes one feel cold! The ice creates its own forms that are quite different from the foliage it covers, and in these photographs it produces intriguing designs. Then on the next spread we see different kinds of ice-created designs. On the left page, the ice surrounds branches and little red berries. It’s amazing to see those long icicles hanging from the berries. On the right we see a dramatic structure that almost looks like an architectural work of art. It is a remarkable image, and one wonders what forces were in play to create such unusual ice-forms. On the final page of the portfolio we see a cluster of berries surrounded by what seems to be a large accretion of ice.
Soon the ice and snow will leave us and we will see the beginnings of spring. We look forward to the images in next month’s portfolio which we are sure will help welcome the new season that lies ahead.
- David Finn
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