Morning blue ice

Morning blue ice

 

An image of last friday done during a (very) cold walk along Fornant river.

Autumn leaves caught in ice

Autumn leaves caught in ice

Pieces of ice, one new gallery

 

I've just added one new and very short photo gallery to my RedBubble site. It contains a very few of my favorite icy details caught during winter in the french rivers.
Click here to visit.

Something different

White ghosts in Fornant river

Blue hour on Geneva lake

Blue hour on Geneva lake at Nernier harbor

Although the real name of this lake is Léman lake, out of France it's mostly known as Geneva lake. One part is french and the other is swiss.
The photo was made in France and the mountains in the backgroud are in Switzerland.

During the freezing cold we had a few time ago this pier looked like an artic place with amazing ice sculptures done by the wind.
I could go there only this afternoon. I was not sure to find some ice because the weather is a little more hot for some days but i wanted to explore a little this unknown place.

Ice at Barbennaz waterfall

Ice at Barbennaz waterfall

Exceptionally, i don't provide a larger view for this image. Because of the vertical crop it wouldn't fit many screens.

Winter dusk on Valserine river

Winter dusk on Valserine river

An image from the middle of januray. Before the big cold wave which now freezes the europe but this valley is always very cold.

More images of this place and day where added on my french website on january 28.
You can have a look here.

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 ...

Icy bells in Valserine river

Icy bells in Valserine river

Another view of these beautiful ice stalactites hanging hover the cold water of Valserine river.

Cold and powerful water in Valserine river

Cold and powerful water in Valserine river

That's a place of Valserine river i've left unexplored until last week.
Access between snow, rocks and ice in a strong slope was not exactly easy but at least i spent a nice time there and came back with 2 or 3 interesting images.
This one comes from a HDR work done with 5 exposures processed mostly with Picturenaut.

Winter stream in Massif des Bauges natural park and a selection of my favorite images from 2011

Winter stream in Massif des Bauges natural park

Another image from my recent and short outing in Massif des Bauges natural park.
While the previous one was done at dusk in a widely open area, this one was made a few hours before in a little valley between the mountains around Aillon le jeune. I'm not absolutely sure but i think the name of this stream is Lindar.
The place was very cold and i was surprised after a long exploration, to find just a very few ice stalactites in the river. Doesn't matter, i loved the winter mood here.

Note : I've posted yesterday on my french website a selection of my 20 favorite images done last year.

Icy bells in Valserine river

Icy bells in Valserine river

Last year, i did many images of ice stalactites in Fornant river just near my home.
As this year the winter is not cold enough for such photos here, i went yesterday to Valserine valley in Haut Jura Natural Park. That's a very cold place and i spent there the afternoon until late dusk. I could make many images of the cold and powerful river including landscapes and a few closeups like this one.

These closeups where done with the tripod head really low over the water surface and while i was preparing all the stuff for a good composition, my remote shutter release had a little bath and stopped working. I was able to continue my work with the camera integrated self timer but i was a little worry for the next hours because the self timer is really not the solution for very long exposures. Fortunately, about one hour later my shutter release was dry and worked perfectly again.

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 formations in the Fornant river

Ice formations in the Fornant river

An other addition in this ongoing serie.
Perharps a little more abstract thant the other ones.

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 :)