The first snow to fall in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont along the Connecticut river is always a magical moment.
After the brief explosion of color that is the amazing New England autumn season and the bitter reality of frigid air moving in, the first snow is an exciting promise of fun winter activities like skiing, skating, ice fishing, and snowshoeing.
Of course there is also the less desirable activities of shoveling, sanding, car cleaning and white-knuckle driving in the ice and snow which makes it difficult to get out and photograph in winter.
The challenges are the effects of cold on equipment, finding a place to safety park the car, staying out of the way of snowplows and dealing with power outages and dead batteries. Often what makes winter magical also slows one down — you just can’t care-freely wander around in winter like you might in summer and fall.
But the landscapes provided by a blanket of snow can’t be beat if you’ve planned ahead for your favorite subjects. Snow provides a minimal pallet that is perfect for a spot of color like an old red truck or barn. Black and white also works well in winter as the landscape is nearly monochromatic to start with.
