White landscape in Valserine valley

Snow on Valserine valley - Hau Jura Natural Park

An other image from the days i spent in Valserine valley at the end of 2011.

I returned a few days in Haut Jura Natural Park about one week ago. All the snow is now gone and springtime is rainy and cold. I mostly spent my time exploring some new places between Lajoux, Saint Claude and Longchaumois and i hope to be ready for some new images for the next decent weather period.

I'm currently working hard on some new features for my main website and i'm very late in processing and publishing new images but i found a short time to post 8 new photos of Nernier 2 days ago.

Blue hour on Merdassier mountain

Blue hour on Merdassier and Etale mountains

Another image from my recent visit to Aravis mountain range.
The first mountain on the photo is Merdassier (elevation 2313m) and behind, you can see the top of Etale mountain (2484m).
The image was taken at the beginning of blue hour and a few time before the one i posted one week ago about Mount Charvin.

17 photos of Aravis mountain range (including this one) where published yesterday on my french website.

Winter dusk on Charvin mountain

Winter dusk on Mount Charvin in Aravis mountain range

An image from today.
I spent the afternoon on Beauregard plateau in Aravis mountain range. It was a sunny but fresh day. It was the first time i returned there since i'm back in Haute Savoie. It was impossible for me last year and i really wanted some images before all the snow was gone.
Mount Charvin is one of the main mountains of this range and i don't know why but it seems that it's other sides are really more photographed than this one.

Blue hour on Annecy lake in winter

Blue hour on Annecy lake

One more image from 2 days ago. So it was a great sunday afternoon.

Cold was still really strong and i spent about one hour standing with my tripod in front of the lake photographing the changes of light during dusk time.
I'll post images from time to time here but i published the entire serie yesterday on my french website.

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.

Apple tree in the snow

Apple tree in the snow

A view of my garden in the early morning of february 1.

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.

Winter impression

Winter impression

On february 1, by a really cold and windy morning without any exciting light or atmosphere i was walking in the rural landscape around my home, just breathing the air and freezing my hands.

I stopped in front of these little trees growing along the path and spent some time, playing with them and my camera.

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 ...

Old barn under dusk light in Massif des Bauges mountains

Old barn under dusk light in Massif des Bauges mountains

An image from about one month in Massif des Bauges Natural Park, done some minutes before the one posted here.

Note : I've spent most of the afternoon and evening yesterday in the cold Fornant river, the first images will be posted here before the end of the week.

Roussette vineyard in the snow

Roussette vineyard in the snow

I started to make images of the french vineyard when i was living in Provence.
The first ones were done for wine producers and after that i did more and more of such photos and i know have a great stock collection of images about grapes and vines.

When i left Provence in 2010 i almost stopped to shoot vineyards but i live in an area where is done a special wine the Roussette de Savoie. So from time to time i take my camera and continue to grow the collection.
This image was done a few days ago at the beginning of the freezing cold whe know have.

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.

Winter morning

Winter morning

An image from this early morning, done during a cold outing in the rural landscape around my home.

Not a very good day : some snow but not enough for really nice images, some mist from time to time but not enough for a wonderful mood.
With two or three abstract ones, this photo is probably the most interesting from the serie.

Snowstorm impression in Valserine forest

Snowstorm in Valserine forest

An image from the last days of 2011 is spent in Haut Jura Natural Park.
Very similar to this one posted on january 5 and also done with shaking the camera during the exposure.
I don't know which one i prefer ...

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.

Blue hour on the mountains of Massif des Bauges Natural Park

Photograph at blue hour of the mountains of Massif des Bauges in winter

A photo from yesterday.
I was in Massif des Bauges Natural Park to make images of a large building entirely built with local wood. This work was finished in the beginning of the afternoon and i was able to go to the mountains for a few personnal images under a beautiful light.
The only trouble was that i was really not dressed to stay out by a winter dusk in the mountains. I just had somme rubber boots in my car. The snow was not too deep and hardened by the cold. So, i could hike a little in the snowy fields to find some interesting point of view but a moderate wind was blowing from the north ...

Winter in Valserine valley

Winter in Valserine valley

Snowstorm impression in Valserine forest

Snowstorm in Valserine forest

One more of these few days in Haut Jura Natural Park at the end of last year.

From the house where we were staying, i had to walk in the deep fresh snow to come to this place. After all these years spent in Provence, i forgot how difficult but funny it could be. My tripod helped me more than once and not only to make images ...

That said, this photo was done hand held with moving the camera during the exposure and i really love this effect here.

Note :I've added this afternoon one new gallery dedicated to snow images on my french website.

Snow on the coniferous trees of Jura forest

Snow on Jura forest

I've uploaded yesterday 24 new images of snow in Valserine valley.

Most of them where done on the left side of the valley and are so from Ain department. This one was done with a long lens and these trees are on the other side of Valserine river, they are so in Jura department.