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.

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.

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.

Another winter dusk on Annecy lake

Winter dusk on Annecy lake

Obviously the same scene that on my last Weekly Commented Photo and posted here on december 30. This image was done some minutes later and as you can see, the light changed during this short time.

Two last things :

• Next week should be dry and very cold so i've a chance to find some nice icy rivers in Haut Jura and Massif des Bauges natural parks.
• I've posted 11 new images of Valserine river in winter on my french website.

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.

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.

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

Night illumination on Annecy lake

Night illumination on Annecy lake

One more from this winter evening at Annecy lake.

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.

Snow on the branches

Snow on the branches

We have spent the end of 2011 with our friends living in the heart of Valserine valley. While it was raining for more than one week around my home, their house and the landscape all around were under a huge amount of snow.

I just retreived my office and computers this morning and couldn't wait to wish you a wonderful new year with this abstract image done with no other effect than camera shake during the exposure.

Weekly commented photo # 52 - Winter dusk on Annecy lake

Winter dusk on Annecy lake

So that's the last week of 2011 and my Weekly Commented Photo project reaches its end (you can read a short introduction here).
It was a bit fun but not really easy for me french speaking photographer to find every friday some english words to put under a photo. At least, it was a good exercise :)

I went to Annecy on last friday expecting to find some snow on the mountains around the lake. As you can devine i was a little disapointed and i just found one or two interesting views at dusk time when the christmas light started.
A little time before i took this photo, the place was overcrowded by tourists. I don't know why but they all nicely disapeared in a few minutes.

The image was done with a soft and light GND filter. The exposure was 30 seconds long.

See you next year !

Weekly commented photo # 51 - First snow

First snow on the rural landscape around my home

Three weeks later than in 2010, the first snows came here during the last week end.
Not huge snowfalls but enough to paint most of the landscape in white.
This image is from monday, i had no other correct photographic opportunities since these days. The rain came back and i couldn't left my office to go to the mountains because the end of year is filled with administratives obligations and clients relationships. So i spent most of the week on the phone and behind the computers.

The good news are i received the confirmation that i was hired for photographing many wood made buildings in 2012 and the biggest french producer of chestnut cream also bought seven of my stock images about chestnuts and chestnut trees.

Weekly commented photo # 34 - Trees, snow and mist in a rural landscape

Trees, snow and mist in a rural landscape

Here in Haute Savoie we had an unusual winter.
The snow started to fall strongly at the end of november until the first days of december. After that the weather was really cold until january and then winter was gone and spring started.

On december 2, just after the snow falls i woke up early and took my gear for a walk in the misty rural landscape around my home.

I first took a few images in a strong mist that you can see here on my french website.
I was still turning around in this field, trying to find interesting point of views and taking care of leaving the most important places free of footprints when the mist became lighter.
If i remember well i just did this image before walking back home. It's certainly less ethereal and "beautiful" than the other ones of the serie but i really love the simple composition and how it shows the wet and cold atmosphere.

Weekly commented photo #20 - The forest in the mountains of Massif des Bauges natural park

Forest in the mountains of Massif des Bauges natural park

In France, we have 3 kinds of natural parks :

• Marine natural parks.
• National parks.
• Regional natural parks.

There are two Marine natural parks. About ten National parks (9 really but one new should be created soon) and tens of Regional natural parks (some are also created from time to time).

The Massif des Bauges regional natural park was created at the end of 1995 and includes some very nice areas of mountains and rural places from Savoie and Haute Savoie departments.

I know many of these places from a long time before the park's creation. When i was younger i often went there for mountaineering, hiking or cycling.

The park was created while i was living in Provence and i was hearing by the news, friends and family that the Massif des Bauges was becoming more and more famous. More and more famous for its nature, for its cheese, for its landscapes, ...
I have to say that i was a little afraid that it becomes before all a tourist place.

Since we came back to live in Haute Savoie last summer, i went to the Massif des Bauges a very few times and i could seen that things changed but not too much. Some villages just look a little more modern and seem to be a little less lost in the wilderness.

This image was done in march during my first but unsuccessful try of photography in the park.
After spending hours with driving and walking under a dull light in the Savoie's mountains i decided to come back and explore some areas closer to Annecy. I finally stopped in that forest just near Bellecombe en Bauges.
It started to be late but i could make a few photos before the night and noted this place as one i would have to visit again.