The illusion of winter

No, no, it’s not winter yet, it’s October. Yes, it snowed a bit in Skellefteå last weekend. Yes, some frozen snow is left. Yes, the maximum temperature in Skelleftehamn was only + 0.2 °C yesterday. Yes, we even have snow storm this night (snow warning: 5 – 15 cm until tomorrow morning).

But after the snow storm it will get warm. And rainy! 4 °C at lunchtime and 6 °C in the evening. With wind gusts up to 60 km/h. Probably the streets will be full of wet slush tomorrow and I won’t leave the house without rubber boots. But, as I mentioned above, it’s not winter, it’s just plain old October.

Anyway, the snow covering the houses, the gardens and the streets and lighting up the whole nocturnal scenery gives a perfect illusion of winter, even if it’s only for a night and half a day.

Some photos made in the forest two hours before the snow arrived:

The illusion of winterWinter treeWinter tussock

And some photos I made in Skelleftehamn just now, between ten and eleven o’clock:

Way to StorgrundetAnother forest wayTallvägen, the street where I live

 

6 comments to “The illusion of winter”

  1. Sandra 2014-10-24 07:32

    Yes, yes, yes… :-) what a beautiful night… (the last picture is my favorite).
    Have a nice day!

  2. way-up-north 2014-10-24 09:35

    Yes, a stormy but beautiful night, Sandra. Now a thaw has set in and all is grey and wet.

  3. Ma HB 2014-10-24 18:39

    Dear Olaf, nearly photos in black/white, but there is a charm from night-blue too. Which time did you make this pictures? In the afternoon, evening or night? After light summerdays and summernights it’s the beginning to darkness now? Sorry! – The last photo is my favourite too. Yours Ma-

  4. way-up-north 2014-10-24 19:08

    Dear Ma HB, as a matter of fact: These photos are black/white, but with a light blueish tone, that I added in Photoshop.

    I made the first series of three round six o’clock, the latter one between ten and eleven o’clock in the evening. The sky is bright because of the low snow clouds that reflect the light from Skelleftehamn. On the second last photo the sky was even brighter than the snow covered way.

    Yes, now the darkness begins, it will be a hard day on Sunday, when daylight saving time ends and it gets dark at four o’clock.

    The last photo is my favourite, too. The lens was a bit damp of the wet snow blown by the wind, but this moisture made nice patterns round the street lamps.

    Snow, wind and ± 0 °C is tough for the camera. It gets easier again if it’s below – 5°C und the snow doesn’t melt on the camera and lenses anymore.

    Yours
    /Olaf

  5. Martin 2014-11-05 21:45

    Eigentlich wollte ich mich bei den Bildern vom 19. 10. ein bisschen beschweren über den strukturlosen Himmel bzw. Hintergrund und die horizontalen Linien, die den Blick in die Tiefe des Bildes ausbremsen – und dann kommen diese Bilder mit wundervoller Tiefe, dem Himmel passend zur Landschaft, dem ersten Matsch-Schnee, der die Formen der Landschaftselemente nachzeichnet. Toll, und da wäre ich gerne dabei …

  6. way-up-north 2014-11-07 08:58

    Der erste Schnee hat für mich jedes Jahr wieder etwas magisches, Martin, selbst wenn man noch nichts davon hat.

    Bei dem dritten Bild kniete ich mit Kamera auf dem Stativ im Wasser. Ein Mann, der den Weg entlang spaziert kam, fragte mich, was ich denn suchte. Als er erfuhr, dass ich nur fotografiere, winkte er kopfschüttelnd mit einer Geste ab und ging weiter. Der Geste nach hielt er mich für völlig bescheuert. Vielleicht hat er recht …

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