Visions and Nature Snow dunes
Posted on March 17, 2013
by Kristel Schneider
Last Friday I had a nice snowshoe walk in the ‘ Monts du Forez’.
For my photo assignment I wanted to have a second look at the lake from the dam des Pradeaux. The night before it had snowed and the forecast for that Friday was sun with some clouds. When I parked my car at the Col Les Pradeaux (1.196 m altitude) the clouds were still hanging above the Nordic ski slope for the children.
I was hoping for more snow on the trees around the lake than the first time I was there , but unfortunately that side is early in the sun and when I arrived the trees looked green with some powder snow on it, too bad for me. 
The lake was frozen and totally covered with snow, the wind had created some nice snow dunes. I got attracted by the lines and shades.
Balancing in the deep snow I managed to get some lower angle shots.
The sun was nicely reflecting on the top of the dunes, which made it challenging to get details in the bright whiteness of the snow.
I also had to be careful that my tripod did not slide down in the deep snow while I was focusing. It would not be the first time you think that everything is nicely in focus and then, realize that the tripod moved.
Image: snow waves, editors pick
Posted on March 2, 2013
NatureScapes.NET Landscape Gallery : Editors Pick
Snow Waves
Puy de Chabane | Auvergne, France
Some feedback so far:
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Simple, elegant and beautiful!
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Very nice layer shot.
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I think I would prefer to crop this vertically where the foot prints start and take you away from the bottom of the photo… but I think I have a vertical fetish lol.
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Really beautiful. I like the layers and light, but the tracks on the foreground hill make it for me.
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Beautiful!…esp like the sliver of light on the ridge.
Other editors picks so far:
- Like a frame -Landscapes forum
- Falling snow – Landscapes Forum
- Lake with mist- Landscapes forum
- Abstract grass scene – Macro and flower forum
Image of the week at NatureScapes
Posted on November 4, 2012
I just found out that my image: Autumn wind -Auvergne Toscany, has been selected as ‘Image Of the Week’ at Naturescapes.Net (a photography forum) in the category, Travel and Culture.
Autumn wind -Auvergne Toscany
Late afternoon – early evening, sun going down, wind blowing in the valley.
Castle of Montmorin near Billom | Auvergne | France
Some feedback :
– Very nice and serene.
– Stunning view Kristel — lovely foreground, with the idyllic castle on the hill in the background! I would be tempted to give midtone contrast a little nudge. A terrific scene!
– Wonderful photo Kristel! and a fantastic and well deserved IOW!!!
Nature Photography in Your Own Backyard
Posted on June 6, 2012
by Kristel Schneider
Nature Photography in your Backyard sounds easy but you still have to walk around and look for the right light, different angles and backgrounds to create an interesting image.
Yesterday afternoon I decided to remove the dust from my Sigma 150mm macro lens. I noticed that lately I was stuck to my 300mm L 4.0 lens for close-up photography so I made myself walk around with the Sigma lens and I looked for a nice insect or a nice flower.
This little Crab Spider (Thomisidae) was waiting for its next pray. I did not see the spider at first because it was white and sitting on a white flower.
For me ‘the white on white’ was interesting so I looked around for some nice soft background light. I turned and turned to get another flower in the upper part of the frame to make the composition complete. 
The white little spider has two orange/red stripes and while I was looking for different angles I noticed an orange Lily nearby. In my mind this could be a nice repetition of the two colors and the white from the flower against the orange background would provide a nice color contrast. While waiting for the little spider to move into the right position on the flower I walked around and tried out different angles and positions.
Both images were taken with a Canon 5DMII -Sigma 150 Macro lens, natural light.
Nature backyard photography tips:
- Look for an interesting subject (flowerbeds, insects, different details, water movement, etc.) and study it.
- Think about different compositions.
- Look for the right light (natural light or fill flash, reflectors)
- Look for a nice background color and/or elements.
- Walk around your subject and try out different angles.
NatureScapes.net: Image of the week selection
Posted on May 14, 2012
Image of the week in category Flora and Macro
by Kristel Schneider
Congratulations – Kristel Schneider IOW 11th May, 2012! by Greg Downing
– NatureScapes.net
I just found out that my image: Wood Sorrel, has been selected as ‘Image Of the Week’ at Naturescapes.Net (a photography forum) in the category, Flora and Macro.
Some feedback:
– Very painterly, looks a bit like a fantasy forest.
– Very cool. Excellent use of blurring in both foreground and background in a way that enhances the subject rather than distracting from it.
– I enjoy this very much. A dream-like work of art.
– Delicate, ethereal and just beautiful! This is gorgeous Kristel!– Very much out of a fairy tale, Kristel. Lovely in all respects.Click here to see more images from my Wood Sorrel series.
Color Transformation
Posted on May 7, 2012
Color Transformation
by Kristel Schneider
This weekend I met, for the first time the members of Massifs Centraux (a collective from four local Photographers). Together we explored an area nearby the Mont-Dore (Auvergne -France), Col de Guéry. Although the calender tells us we are in Spring, the weather is reacting differently with colder temperatures. Between rain showers and thunderstorms I was able to take some images.
The Col de Guéry , is located in a regional nature park, Volcans d’Auvergne.
Due to the altitude (1268) and the colder Spring temperatures you can see that the tree tops in the Col de Guéry show a different color pallet then in lower parts of the Auvergne, where you already can see the different tints of green.
The leaf buds in the valley are still closed and the colors are gradually transforming from a nice red pastel color glow to different tints of green. But before we can see the green leafs we still have to wait a couple more weeks.
Images are taken with Canon 5DMII, 24-105 MM and Canon 300 L mm.
Spring Flower Photography
Posted on March 25, 2012
Dog’s tooth violet
by Kristel Schneider
Thanks to a tip from Emmanuel Boitier I was lucky to find a rare spring flower called Dog’s Tooth violet ( Erythronium dens-canis). 
After my last flower session on Spring Snowflakes I wanted to take soft focus images and try different things. But the problem with this little flower is that they do not grow close together.
To get a nice color glow in my frame I used a 300mm lens, looked for a flower very close to the lens and focused on another flower far away. Sometimes the wind can help to give the image ‘ an out-of-focus’ effect.
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