Another winter scene in Fornant river and a few words about my portfolio on Whytake.net

Winter along Fornant river

I returned yesterday to Fornant river for another visit to the place i've discovered on monday.
The wind was crazy. I spent there just an hour according to the files times on my CF card but it seemed an eternity. The goal was to make some long exposure images of this little waterfall with my Hoya ND 400 filter, once done i went back home quickly.

Some weeks ago i've started to build a portfolio on Whytake.net.

Whytake.net is a community website for nature photographers. It's nicely done with some very good features and it's a nice place to show your nature images (nature only).
It's not a place for competition where photographers run after comments and fav but it includes a kind of blog where you can post updates in your portfolio and other things about nature photography. You can also follow other photographers you like.
Want to see some beautiful images ? Have a look at the inspire page !

Snow and ice on Fornant river

Snow and ice on Fornant river

One more image from the beginning of the week done a few hours before the one i posted a few days ago.

When i arrived at the river, i was hapilly surprised to find some deep and strong ice. After a few tests, i started to walk on the ice, exploring the river for some interesting point of views. When i arrived where i made this image, i was looking for the best place to setup my tripod when the ice broke under my left foot and my leg plunged in the flow to the knee, filling my boots with really cold water.

I hesitated between continuing my work during all the afternoon with a wet foot by a temperatured really under -10 celsius and going back home. I choose the first option. Although it was really uncomfortable, this day was probably a unique occasion to make images of the cold winter here. I could work around the river until dusk and when i came back home, my foot had no trouble.

Cold water in Fornant river

Cold water in Fornant river

First and fav image from my monday at the Fornant river.
Done in a place i've recently discovered and that i still need to explore more. That won't be an easy hike but i feel i'll found some nice spots just lower on the river. Will i be wise enough to let the banks dry a little ...

A cold winter morning along Fornant river

A cold morning along Fornant river

For a few days, we have a siberian weather here. Temperature is often below -10° celcius, strong wind and a little snow.
I went this morning to Fornant river because the canyon is naturally protected from the wind. I started with a few images of the river caught by the ice in a special places, the i went to Barbennaz waterfall and terminated by a walk along a part of the river i had left unexplored until today.
I made the image posted here in this last place, the long exposure in day light was possible thank's to my Hoya ND 400 filter.

End of autumn at Barbennaz waterfall

End of autumn at Barbennaz waterfall

Just the vertical version of the image posted yesterday.

Weekly commented photo # 50 - End of autumn at Barbennaz waterfall

Last year we had some huge snow falls and big colds at the end of november but as i said in a recent post, this year we spend the end of autumn under a countinous rain.

Fortunately we had two days of nice weather during the last week end.
Nice weather but no stunning conditions for serious landscape photography. No leaves on the trees, deep mud in the fields and forests and no beautiful white snow on the surrounding mountains.
So i decided to take once more the way to Fornant river running in the forest under my home.

After all that rain the water was running strongly. I spent a short time walking the muddy path along the river just looking at the stream. From the top of a little rock i devined a kind of passage going through dead trees and drift woods to a little canyon i had never explored before. So i left the path and walked to the canyon entrance where i had to go in the water to make 2 or 3 images possibly interesting.

After that refreshing stop, i went back to the path and walked to its end : at Barbennaz waterfall.

I first went just near the waterfall but was imedaitely soaked by the water spray. So i moved back to the place you can see on the image where i spent about half an hour before darkness, trying different compositions and different shutter speeds.

The photo posted here was the last i did there. For people interested in technical details, exposure time was around 3 seconds and i used a 2 stops soft GND filter to protect the upper part of the waterfall from over exposure. I also did the same image image without any filter but i really prefer this one. Last try : i took five bracketed exposure for a future HDR processing but they are still waiting.

Running water cascading in Fornant river

Running water cascading in Fornant river

Another one from this recent outing to Fornant river.
It was in the late evening and the long exposure (more than 1 minute) didn't need any filter.


Note : I've added yesterday 26 new images on my french website about the rural landscapes in Haute Savoie department.

One rock in the water

One mossy rock standing in the running water of Fornant river

Another closeup of the water running between the stones of Fornant river in Haute Savoie.

Same rock that the one posted here but with a different composition.

Fornant river cascading under the woods and my new photo gallery about the french forests

Fornant river cascading under the woods


I don't know where it comes from but i always had a true love for these little underwoods streams. Having one now just near my home is a real pleasure. I always like to be there in the fresh, wet and colorful atmosphere.

This image is about one year old from my first explorations of Fornant river.
It was in the late afternoon, i wanted to go to Barbennaz waterfall but i finally decided to stay here, in this little canyon surrounded by the forest.


MY NEW PHOTO GALLERY ABOUT THE FOREST :

On thursday i started to setup one new photo gallery featuring the french forests.
Of course the work is not terminated and i still have a big set of images to upload but you can ever have a look.

You will find there some typical forest scenes but also some closeups and some more abstract photographs.

Pure abstraction in Fornant river

Pure abstraction in Fornant river

Melting white water, golden stones and green moss in Fornant river with moving the camera during a few seconds exposure.

Moss, rock and running water - A closeup in Fornant river

Moss, rock and running water

Yesterday in the late afternoon, i went back to the Fornant river, just near Barbennaz waterfall.

I went there with the idea of making images of details with water running around the stones of the river bed and so did i.
I post just one here today but i've published 8 of them this morning on my french website. If you want to have a look, it starts here.

Mossy rocks at Barbennaz waterfall

Mossy rocks at Barbennaz waterfall

Running water in Fornant river

Running water in Fornant river

An image from september, done before the ice.

Ice in Fornant river

Ice in Fornant river

Another one in the serie, with a different composition and different colors than the previous ones.

Ice stalactites in the Fornant river

Ice stalactites in the Fornant river

Afetr viewing and reviewing my files, i think this one will be one of the last of this serie perharps will i publish one or two more here but that's all. BTW, this one is also one of my fav.

Ice stalactites in the Fornant river

Ice stalactites in the Fornant river

One more in this serie from past december.
I love the reflection on the big ice ball on the right.

Ice formations in the Fornant river - continuing

Ice formations in the Fornant river

Another one in this serie on which i worked during the last month of 2010.
These ones are not real stalactites but were done along some tiny tree roots hanging in the river. I love how the first one looks like an elephant leg :)

Cold water in the Fornant river

Cold water in the Fornant river

An image from monday morning after another serie of ice closeups you'll see soon.

I think it was a very cold monday and not only because i was tired after spending 6 hours in the night driving on snowy roads. If you don't know how to keep your feet fresh, just spend a few hours making such images :)

Winter ice in the Fornant river

Another image from the same serie that the one posted here but with different tones and composition.
I think the serie will be a little long. I've ever posted 15 of such images on my french website and as the weather is cold to death these days, i went back to the river this morning to make some new ones.

Ice stalactites in the Fornant river

Ice stalactites in the Fornant river

For a few days, the weather is almost dry but very cold.
I went early this morning to the Fornant river with the idea of making images of ice formations around the water.
The water was still running but in many places such ice stalactites where hanging on the rocks or on tree roots. I caught some beautiful closeups in the first place where i stopped but i'll certainly return to explore a little more. If the weather stays cold of course. But i think i don't need to worry about that :)