Visions and Nature Sunny moments in the snow
Posted on December 2, 2013
Sunny moment in the snow
by Kristel Schneider
– A cloudy December Sunday
in the Livradois Forez –
Sometimes the weather is not very motivating to go out with your camera, like last Sunday, the weather was grey and dull.
But I am happy I changed my mind and around 3 pm I drove to the Haut Livradois, not very far from where I live. The temperature was below zero, which made the scenery frosty and cold.
The clouds were hanging low over the trees, many still covered with snow from the heavy snow showers of 2 weeks ago.
What made me happy last Sunday was the fast transformation of the light in the forest landscapes. The thick clouds were moving fast over the forest but when there was a tiny hole, these landscapes got a warm natural filter by the sun. Sometimes just for a few seconds and then the clouds would cover the sky again. These light transformations did not last long at around 4 pm the sky was too thick and dark, no warm sunlight would appear anymore. So even when the weather does not look that great at first, when you have time, go out and just look for the light.
Images taken with Canon 5DMII- 70-200L lens in Auvergne,France.
Waterfalls of Chiloza
Posted on November 5, 2013
Les Cascades de Chiloza
(Waterfalls of Chiloza)
by Kristel Schneider
Nearby Besse, a French village in Auvergne you can find a great area with many waterfalls and water basins. They come together, one after the other, within 1 km along the Pavin river. The waterfalls are quite different from each other and the forest shows a wide variety of trees, especially beeches.
It was the 3rd time I visited this place and every time it looked different. The 1st time was in 2011 (see earlier post) and last week I went back there twice.
During my first visit I wanted to see the effect the autumn colors had on the scene. I also wanted to look for other possible compositions. I was not totally satisfied with the color and light conditions, so I went back two days later with my friend (photographer Sebastien Lamadon). The night before we had had heavy rainfalls and I could immediately see the impact the rain had made: the scene looked amazingly different from the one I had seen a couple of days earlier. The Autumn colors had not changed, contrary to the light and color contrasts, due to wet weather .
Image of the 2nd visit
Image of after the rain
The rough water conditions were challenging but it was a great morning, rainy and overcast – ideal to photograph a forest scenery. Seb and I walked all the way down to the bottom of the river, and up again….looking for nice angles. Unfortunately, and despite the nice weather conditions, the water was too rough at some place, thus impossible to capture in the way I had imagined. After uploading my memory card at home, I finally decided not to keep a lot of images. But, nevertheless, the walk had given me extra new ideas to work on some other time, with hopefully just the right amount of water 😉
Click here for my latest image.
Photographer in action
Posted on September 1, 2013
Me in Action during a photo-shoot for
Regional Nature Park Livradois Forez
Last year I posted a blog post about my first big photo assignment in France.
The start up was a bit slow as the weather in Spring did not make it easy to plan things. But now, after a very busy Summer this assignment is reaching towards its end. I have still some work to do this month and in Autumn, but the big part of the assignment has been dealt with. And I can say that it was instructive and enjoyable at the same time.
I met a lot of very nice and interesting new people and I could explore some great (for me , new ) nature areas . Later on this year I will make a ‘best -of’ of my images in the final selection and put it all on my website under portfolio PNR Livradois Forez.
In the meantime people outside the project scene ‘ noticed’ the photo project for PNR Livradois Forez. It all started with the request for models for a photo shoot at the lake in Volle Montagne. The local newspaper, La Gazette picked it up and made an article about the photo reportage in the park, featuring me in action at a local garlic producer.
Moreover the editor of blog: Vollore Montagne – Gazette des Montagnards had heard about the photo-shoot in their village and asked me if it was ok to do a photo reportage on the shoot in Vollore Montagne (see images, Michel MENSE).
Yesterday the photo shoot took place at 8 AM at he lake.
The subject was: recreational activities at the lake.
A nice family and a St. Bernard (dog) signed up to volunteer. They had a pic-nick, a family walk and fun at the play ground. They also enjoyed the sun laying in a chair. Even though the ground was still very wet and the sun not very warm, they acted as naturally as possible, they did a very good job.
Image: One – editors pick
Posted on August 1, 2013
NatureScapes.NET Macro and Flower Gallery : Editors Pick
by Kristel Schneider
One
Col du Béal | PNR Livradois Forez | Auvergne, France
Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) flowering
Some feedback so far:
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Very pretty and dreamy colour tones, and a sweet isolation of the star of the show!
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Super shot, thinking outside the box here to get a great and different composition. Really like it!
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Sweet, sweet, sweet. This is fabulous.
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Just beautiful – elegant and sweet.
Hope you have a chance to get out and about soon. -
Lovely shot Kristel. You’ll have to teach me someday how to create this beautiful effect. I always end up with images that lack the softness yours have. Well seen and captured.
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Gorgeous OOF foreground and background – beautiful image.
Other editors picks so far (2013):
- Greens and White – Landscape gallery
- November mood in May – Landscape gallery
- They are awake – Macro and flower gallery
- Snow Dunes – Landscape Gallery
- Wood Anemone – Macro and flower gallery
- Snow waves- Landscape gallery
- Like a frame –Landscapes gallery
- Falling snow – Landscapes gallery
- Lake with mist- Landscapes gallery
- Abstract gras scene – Macro and flower gallery
Tuscany of the Auvergne
Posted on July 16, 2013
This summer I have not much time to go out and explore nature for myself. Working on a lot of reportage for the PNR Livradois Forez and the subjects are not always
nature related. Like this morning I was with the garlic pickers in the field. Got up very early to capture the nice first light while they were working.
The image above I took in the same area, nearby Billom. They call it Tuscany of the Auvergne and especially in the first sunlight the farmer fields look very nice. This year the sunflowers are late, so the nice yellow tints still have to come.
ENJOY THE SUMMER HOLIDAY SEASON!
Kristel
Visit Kristels website: click on logo
Visions and Nature 