San Diego Snow...Self Portraits...and Naps

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Mark² - 19 Dec 2006 23:24 GMT

If you want to capture snow, you need low, angled light...and last night I
discovered that car headlights fit the bill rather well...

San Diego is known for it's mild weather year-round...but even San Diego's
local mountains can put on their own Winter display from time to time.

Last night at 5:00PM, it was nearly dark, but I decided to just go alone.
Nearing the mountains, the highway police were turning cars away unless they
had a 4-wheel drive vehicle with chains and snow tires.which I had.so they
let me go. To make a long story short.if I had come ½ hour later, they
wouldn't have let me go, because the roads became too dangerous. I ended up
being one of only a few people up there at all, because they closed the road
completely to others. I'm sure most of you in colder areas know how
slippery ice-covered roads are.but one of the few OTHERS apparently did not
know this, and lost control of their vehicle right in front of me and slid
into a ditch where they became quite stuck. I ended up pulling them out
with my vehicle. The funny thing was, only about one mile farther, I pulled
ANOTHER person out of ANOTHER ditch after they got stuck also. -Sometimes
it's good to have the right vehicle...and a brain (wonder what that's
like...)

Anyway. While there, the snow stopped for a little while, and I spent some
time just lying on the ground on my back.in the middle of the snow.and
staring up at the sky through the tree branches. It was just so peaceful
and perfect there. Cold, but wonderful and perfect.

So these are pictures that I took.

Here:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893527/original
The strange yellow in the tree picture was due to the mixture of two
distinctly different light near a cabin.

Snow Bed Nap-time:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893517/original
Mark² wakes up:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893523/original
And smiles:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893519/original
More car head-light lighting:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893516/original
Snow-Plow Ghost:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893529/original
San Diego Icicles!:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893525/original

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Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

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John McWilliams - 19 Dec 2006 23:52 GMT

> If you want to capture snow, you need low, angled light...and last night I
> discovered that car headlights fit the bill rather well...

Very interesting; thanks.

<http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893529>

I have a burning question on this one: Did the snowplow travel right to
left? And is the illumination on the majority of the branches
reflections from your headlights, or other, such as the Plow?

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john mcwilliams

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Frank ess - 20 Dec 2006 02:54 GMT

> If you want to capture snow, you need low, angled light...and last
> night I discovered that car headlights fit the bill rather well...
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> time
> to time.

Very cool.

My winter photos from a couple weeks ago (near Mesa College) don't
compare:
Icecicles and stalagmite
http://static.flickr.com/119/311402601_c0da2eb55f_o.jpg
"Standing water"
http://static.flickr.com/108/311402599_457904029a_o.jpg

<snippage has occurred>

> Here:
> http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893527/original
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> San Diego Icicles!:
> http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893525/original

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helensilverburg@hotmail.com - 20 Dec 2006 04:02 GMT

> If you want to capture snow, you need low, angled light...and last night I
> discovered that car headlights fit the bill rather well...
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
> Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
> www.pbase.com/markuson

I particularly like this shot
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893529/original
the snow plow. The trees look beautiful.
Helen

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John McWilliams - 20 Dec 2006 04:59 GMT

> I particularly like this shot
> http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893529/original
> the snow plow. The trees look beautiful.

Yes, I posted a question about that very shot quite a while ago.

john

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Annika1980 - 20 Dec 2006 16:24 GMT

> I particularly like this shot
> http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893529/original
> the snow plow. The trees look beautiful.

I would've liked it more if the SUV was out of the shot to the right,
turned around with the headlights illuminating the snow.

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Mark² - 20 Dec 2006 20:25 GMT

>> I particularly like this shot
>> http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893529/original
>> the snow plow. The trees look beautiful.
>
> I would've liked it more if the SUV was out of the shot to the right,
> turned around with the headlights illuminating the snow.

Ya, but that would have rendered the immediately illuminated snow hopelessly
blown out in order to slowly accujmulate enough light for anything else
(upper trees, etc.).

Really, that wasn't a highly planned shot anyway.
That was taken by just pivoting round to the right from the same tripod
location as the "yellow snow" shot.
...

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Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

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Pudentame - 20 Dec 2006 20:45 GMT

> I'm sure most of you in colder areas know how
> slippery ice-covered roads are.but one of the few OTHERS apparently did not
> know this, and lost control of their vehicle right in front of me and slid
> into a ditch where they became quite stuck.

I'm in Raleigh, NC. We don't get much snow here; couple of inches is
enough to close the place down & what we do get is mostly wet, icy
slushy snow that quickly freezes into a glaze on the roads, especially
after the sun goes down.

We also have a high percentage population of northern imports who take
the attitude "I'm from New York, I *KNOW* how to drive in snow." I see a
whole lot of them run off the road & turned turtle while I'm *slowly*
wending my way out to wherever I have to go using just FWD and common sense.

I used to work for IBM here in RTP. IBM is run by people from Armonk NY.
Every time we'd have a snow IBM would be open because 2" of snow is
nothing to them. But all the schools, all the day care, all of just
about everything would be closed and 3/4 of the work force would stay
home because there was no where to take the kids. I'd go in to work, and
every time the powers that be at IBM would end up closing down at
mid-morning and sending us home with a full day's pay.

All along I-40 from Raleigh to RTP and back there'd be dozens of 4WD
trucks & SUVs in the ditches.

Back in 2000, we got a storm that was predicted to be 3", but when I
checked in the morning I had 24" in the front yard. I figured IBM would
finally announce a closing for this one, and sure enough they did.

But, the next thing out of the announcer's mouth after the IBM closing
was "and the Governor's called out the National Guard". I went ahead and
started getting into uniform.

The call came about 2 minutes later. "Can you get out to the armory and
dig out a HMWWV? We need you to pick up soldiers who will support the
rescue/recovery effort."

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Alan Browne - 21 Dec 2006 10:36 GMT

> completely to others. I'm sure most of you in colder areas know how
> slippery ice-covered roads are.but one of the few OTHERS apparently did not
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> it's good to have the right vehicle...and a brain (wonder what that's
> like...)

We would hardly mention such mis-adventures here. People are less
likely to slide off of a road as they're used to such (and worse)
conditions. It's all about a gentle touch on the gas and the brakes and
how you align your front wheels v. inertia...

> Anyway. While there, the snow stopped for a little while, and I spent some
> time just lying on the ground on my back.in the middle of the snow.and
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Here:
> http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/71893527/original

I like that one, a bit dramatic.

Cheers,
Alan

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