Oooh ... it's bliss Photo

Photographer’s Note

Very often we escape the fog we have in the lowlands in winter and drive to our cottage whatever time at night it is, and sometimes I think to myself that I overdo things but when I get up the other morning and find scenes like this one, I know that I am not that crazy yet. We arrived around 1 a.m. and the driveway was deeply snowed in. I jumped out of the car, got the shovel out and started to shovel like crazy for almost half an hour. It was a bitter cold night around minus ten degrees but I tell you I became warm after five minutes loading one heavy pile after the other moving it to the side. Benno was meanwhile working on the car wheels trying to put on the chains which normally takes not long as he does it all the time in winter. I guess I looked rather wired shovelling in my business outfit but what has to be done has to be done :) I fell into a dreamless night sleep as you might imagine after two and I still have problems with my shoulder as this shovelling part belongs not to my daily routine and does not cover my yoga class either but rather other strange positions nobody can use.

This photo was taken in the late afternoon when the sun was just about to disappear behind the mountains and some fog was coming in. In late December the valley does not get a lot of sun and the first rays move in towards 10 a.m. and goes away after four. The farmhouse on the hill is a typical house of the area and it might well be that it is 150 years old or more … the silo looks newer :) My friend’s house not far away from this one is over 300 years old but belongs to the oldest in the area. So I would not know but next time I see someone stepping out I might ask.

The title is "stolen" from Queen's "A winter's tale" and I find it a wonderful winter song. I have it in the car right now and repeat it all the time making the other B. crazzzzzy.

lilimih33, PixelTerror, Merline, elihesamian, pboehringer, avene, gunbud, PierreMorel, plimrn, IgorDeleze, scobert, Angshu, cherryripe, alaindiveu, noborders, zmey, derek3755, Bruno40 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mirarer (4365) 2007-12-20 9:51

Hola Barbara,
Me gusta esta composición con la casa y el árbol ocupando los dos extremos y tan solo blanco y azul para el resto y la línea descendente.
Nice shot.
Regards,
Mirari

Buin (37756) 2007-12-20 9:57

Hallo Barbara!
Ein ungewöhnliches, minimalistisches aber sehr interessantes Foto! Die wenigen "Zutaten" ergeben hier einen schönes Aufbau - oder Komposition, wie man etwas vornehmer sagen würde ;-) Meine Herren Söhne würden sagen, "ein Hingucker"! Die Note ist toll!
Ich wünsche Dir und den Deinen schöne, geruhsame und besinnliche Weihnachtstage!
Grüße aus Kälte und Sonnenschein!
Frank

knerkowski (1467) 2007-12-20 10:13

Hi Barbara
excellent winter landscape with a very framing Good colours and sharpness
I like it a lot
thanks for sharing
Regards
Kevin

masama (11) 2007-12-20 10:36

Hola Barbara,
la casa, el arbol y el infinito. Bonita
saludos

sacavem (8311) 2007-12-20 10:57

Olá Barbara,

Beautiful photo of winter with snow.
Excellent composition, very nice colors, and sharpness. Pretty and very interesting postcard of Unterwasser.
Regards,Merry Christmas !
Filipe

bracasha75 (22139) 2007-12-20 11:54

Hello Barbara
Just ...wonderful
TFS
Cheers,Braca

CMJC (3128) 2007-12-20 12:54

très bel équilibre dans ce cliché et un contraste Blanc Bleu très agréable; vive la neige!

lilimih33 (9874) 2007-12-20 14:37

Hello Barbara!
Excellent composition with perfect detaila nd lovely point of view!
Beautiful colours and light!
Best regards and Happy Christmas!
Lili

PixelTerror (86192) 2007-12-21 2:08

Salut Barbara,
He he back to Unterwasser and to arrive at 1 AM is was quite an early drive ;-)
There are very pure colors on this image and noteworthy excellent highlights, which allows for good contrasts as well. I wish we could see more of the nice farmhouse, but zooming in we would loose the balancing tree on the right.
Scheeni Wiehnachte und e gute Rutsch ins neye Joor !
Jean-Yves

Merline (6578) 2007-12-21 5:41

It is !
Lovely landscape, I like very much the minimalism of the composition, wonderful sky, great balance of light and colors, very very nice work Barbara! I just love it.
Nice note too, hope you shoulder is better:-)

TFS
Regards
Michèle

elihesamian (26091) 2007-12-21 10:43

Hello Barbara ,
nice to hear from you on my recent post,Thanks.
and here,what beautiful winter scene and photo !
an amazing sky you had and a great captured you did with a fine composition,with a few elements but in an artistic way,I like it very much,Thanks for the story in the note,great work,
Best Regards
M

pboehringer (770) 2007-12-21 14:20

Barbara,
lucky you to have a Huuesli oberhalb the Wolken. Cloud nine? The picture gives me the impression that it has to be, but than reading your note and the schufta that you had to do I start thinking a little bit diffferent. Well, the image that you got on the next day compensated anything! Great composition with the Bauernhuus and s'Baeumli!
Scheene Wyhnachte, Peter

avene (11032) 2007-12-21 17:10

Oooh ... it's perfect! seriously, the eye just glides on that slope from the house towards the tree :) fantastic composition, the symmetry creates such a peaceful scene. but what I like most is how smooth the snow and the sky seem, as if polished especially for this shot. just perfect! :)
wishing you a magic Christmas,
Kristine

gunbud (27933) 2007-12-22 19:13

Hello Barbara,
Wonderful prespective you choose to illustrate the ordeal that awaiting you and your shovel. The vibrant blue winter sky contrast beautifully with the freshly fallen snow as your cottage and the tree at the bottom of the drive do a wonderful job of anchoring this fine image. I would like to wish you and your a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year.
Regards, Tom

Nicou (44945) 2007-12-25 1:05

Hello,

Très belle coube blanche avec ce ciel bleu, 2 sujet simples et mangigique dans ce décor de rêve, superbe.

Bravo et joyeux noël.

Nicou

GerdVDC (836) 2007-12-25 7:22

Hello Barbara,

This composition really works well and the hill forms a lovely diagonal through the scenery. So sharp and so pure, it makes my day.
Thanks and have a wonderful Christmas.

All the best,
Gerd

brandstaetter (14186) 2007-12-26 3:23

Hallo Barbara,

ein wunderschönes Licht und ein perfektes Blau.. das Bild ist eine Waage: der Baum als natürliches Element und auf der anderen Seite das von Menschenhand Gebaute sind schön im Gleichgewicht.
LG Christian

PierreMorel (1168) 2007-12-26 5:02

Hi Barbara,
It like how you composed this shot and the contrast between the dark sky and the snow. Gorgeous winter atmosphere.
Regards,
Pierre

woozbman (366) 2007-12-26 16:24 [Comment]

Show Comment

Paolo (40703) 2007-12-27 9:19

Hi Barbara, excellent one with that large diagonal cutting in 2 pieces th epicture, with an amazing contrast of colours and light.
a brilliant POV and excellent quality too,
thanks, ciao

Faros (12) 2007-12-27 9:29

Cool,calm, quiet and white !

Phil.

UnTrained (0) 2007-12-27 9:41

Hallo Barbara,
dieses herrliche Weiß mit dem blauen Himmel ist uns hier in der Regel nicht vergönnt. Zum Skifahren müssen wir meist in die Alpen. Die klaren Farben zum Weiß machen sich durch die sonnigen Kontraste besonders gut, Baum und Häuser spielen eine gute Balance.
Noch nachträglich ein frohes Weihnachtsfest.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

paprika-jancsi (1957) 2007-12-30 10:20

This gorgeous, Barbara, beautiful composition, abstract and realistic at the same time. I am glad I discovered you 8:)) Jancsi

plimrn (19682) 2007-12-30 12:04

Hi Barbara,
The light is magic and the framing impeccable with the chalet and the tree balanced on the slope like a see-saw.

Ah the things we do spend time in our special places for brief moments. Ours is a 900m/1500k drive each way and we hammer it out in one day each way leaving us 5 days to enjoy our refuge.

Wishing you health, love & joy in the coming year.
Pat

kensimage (8541) 2007-12-30 15:22

The white snow set against the dark sky makes a beautiful contrast, Barbara, so it's a well-chosen POV! It's a nice graphic shot with good balance--the house on one side, the tree on the other. Simple but effective! Regards, Ken.

yso (3185) 2008-01-03 11:42

Hi Barbara,
I love your composition with position contrast between house and tree. Light is perfectly captured, superbe !
Très bonne soirée,
Yves

IgorDeleze (9247) 2008-01-04 10:04

Hello Barbara,
You have the "good eye" to catch this kind of very "simple" but beautiful landscape!
What I like the most in this one is the blue-grey of the sky, which give an excellent contrast with the white snow.
Greetings.
Igor

sebinho342 (18740) 2008-01-05 4:10

Hi Barbara, and all my wishes for this new year !
This is a great picture i really love it, really.
So neated and minimalist, the blue of your sky is perfect so as the white of the snow. Your gestion of exposition, contrasts and saturation is on top here. A great one for sure

danyy (68887) 2008-01-05 14:12

Ciel peu engageant Barabara, mais il a l'avantage de faire ressortir cette neige comme pas permis.
Une photo délicate dans les règlages ou alors un coup de chance, quoi qu'il en soit, elles est nickel sur la plan de l'exposition et de la balance des blancs.
On percoit même les scintillemnts dans la neige.

BIen amicalement.
Daniel.

Flavia (10202) 2008-01-05 23:54

Hi Barbara,

Wonderful composition, Quite minimalist, with grat line dividing sky and snow. The basic colors make it quite strongly attractive to the eys.

Happy 2008!

Cheers,

Flavia

fulvio52 (8314) 2008-01-12 5:37

Great minimal shot!
This is all you need : a snowy slope, deep blue skies, a tree and a cottage. Everything is perfectly positioned and your management of light absolutely superb.
Have a wonderful weekend, I'll see you around.
Ciao,
Fulvio.

dilane (10289) 2008-01-14 7:55

Très belle diagonale de neige se détachant à merveille sur un ciel idéalement bleu, et si l'on se fie à l'inclinaison du plateau de la balance...l'arbre pèse bien plus lourd que la maison ! J'aime beaucoup - c'est simple, c'est pur, c'est beau-
amicalement
daniel

zmey (7250) 2008-01-15 7:15

wow, barbara! this is wonderful. extremely clean and crispy capture... like pure, sunny mountain winter day itself. it does look like a bliss. good match with the song too.

and let me grab this opportunity to wish you Very Happy 2008!

my compliments and TFS
kristaps

scobert (5333) 2008-01-21 10:39

Hello Barbara,
Your story about shoveling snow is an appropriate one about how we photographers attack life. We are an energetic and curious lot as a whole. My Grandmother always told me that it is better to wear out than to rust out. She lived to be 90 so I guess that she knew what she was talking about. I think that the reason that we use this credo (wear out rather than rust out) is that we realize more than most people about how fleeting the moment is. This is outstanding composition, simple yet very dynamic. Your exposure was perfect also (not easy with winter scenes). Excellent work!
Stan

rminkow (1566) 2008-01-27 13:13

Hi Barbara..I like the great contrast between the sky and snow and the angle of the separation.. nicely balanced.

Roger

Angshu (33729) 2008-01-27 20:47

Hello Barbara
A delighful picture. Superbly composed with the diagonal slope from your low POV. The house on the left is balanced by the barren tree on the right capped by the deep dark sky. Excellent exposure control with the dominant white. A superb picture with a grear note as always.
With Regards
Angshu

brevbrev14 (372) 2008-02-01 1:07

dear Barbara, i like a lot to see the snow....
the composition here is very good with a great contrast of colours..
i like it...andi woul like to be there.... :)))
ciao!!!!
Valeria

BIG SMILE!!!!

cherryripe (19031) 2008-02-04 7:39

Hi Barbara
I guess seeing scenery like this is worth the effort. I really like the simplicity of the composition with good balance between the tree and the house joined by the smooth curve. The light is absolutely stunning too.
Regards
Nikki

paguru (1052) 2008-02-24 3:32

Hallo Barbara,
Du hast eine tolle Fotosammlung. Dieses hier hat mir auf Anhieb gefallen, schöner Bildaufbau und angenehme Farben. Die harten Lichter auf dem alten Haus lassen es fast grafisch aussehen und bilden einen schönen Kontrast zu den sanften Farbübergängen in den Wolken.
viele Grüße
Oliver

clio (22795) 2008-02-24 10:15

Bonjour Barbara,
This deep grey blue is magnificent. The opposition with the snow makes a very beautiful contrast.
Your POV and your centring are very successful with this descent which takes us of the farm to the tree.
Bravo
Diane

mumek (17468) 2008-02-29 4:21

Good morning Barbara!
Very well taken and composed winter scenery.Fantastic composition with beautiful view at the farmhouse on the hill and lonely tree. Great contrast between the snow and blue sky. My compliments
regards
ziggy

muratcaloglu (1281) 2008-03-11 2:15

Hello Barbara,
An excellent composition full of calm and peace..
TFS
Regards
Murat

alaindiveu (1192) 2008-03-25 11:11

Hi Barbara
Excellent composition here.
Blue against white, tree against farm ; the diagonal....
Everything here is good
Really good shot, Barbara
Alain

noborders (14199) 2008-03-25 14:13

Hi Barbara, I was attracted by the nice thumb, then enjoyed reading your story - your write as well as you take photos, it was fun !
Splendid light and nice POV,
Compliments,
Cath.

Stepan (27175) 2008-05-18 0:08

Minimasist but really stunning thanks to the graphism and the deep light you get. Well seen, well captured and well... shared !!
Stéphane

derek3755 (2341) 2008-05-18 1:49

Hi Barbara

Beautiful Winter Landscape. Like the composition, and nice contrast with the blue sky.

Regards
Derek

Waylim (10843) 2008-05-22 19:36

Oh my. I would like to wake up to this scene with lot of warm clothes on though. I'm a tropical born, I don't do well in the cold. Thanks to you I don't have to be out there. Just absolutely stunning, so simple but so beautiful. technically I can't find anything to pick on. Love it.
Way

davidsinger (2121) 2008-11-15 9:57

Hi Barbara, excellent composition and very nice gradient colour on the sky!

Cheers
David

Bruno40 (6440) 2009-04-22 6:40

Hi Barbara,
very simple yet beautiful photo. the colors are excellent, very well saturated.
Nicely done
Jorge