The Quiet Picture

The squirrels seem to be increasing, there were three of them at the same time at my feeder today. Two of them are males but I haven’t been able to sex the third one. Looks like only one of them has learned how to get at the bird food, the big male. The two other ones are a bit smaller and settle for the sunflower seeds scattered on the snow.

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The Compeed plasters finally came off today and I got my first look at the blisters that nearly ruined my mountain break. The biggest one of them is the size of a 1 crown coin… I’m so glad I got it after I had applied the plaster because it would probably have hurt twice as much if I had seen it then!

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We got a bit more snow today. Not enough to increase the shrinking snow cover, but at least it hid the wind-blown debris. I should probably have gone out while it still was snowing, but I didn’t so now it’s just one more winter event I can regret not making the most of. I did go out for the sunset though and this time there was some cloud with gaps, but as usual, both the clouds and the gaps were in all the wrong places so I waited in vain.

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Notice how I’m avoiding the subject of ice hockey? What a perfectly miserable end to perfectly miserable Olympics. If you’re a Finn, that is. The only thing the Finns excelled in was under-achieving when it mattered the most.Glad they’re over. Now I can get back to my life. Or looking for one anyway. Typically Finnish I guess… under-achieving when it matters the most.

You might wonder why I’m always going on about sunsets. Well, I think that sunsets are quite simply amazing. But those really spectacular sunsets are rare because they require very special circumstances to happen. The most colourful sunsets take place when there is scattered cloud with a gap right where the sun goes down so that the sun can light up the clouds from below. Another way to get colour in your sunset image is to do the opposite - photograph a cloudless sunset to get a gradient of colour. But whatever the sky looks like, you shouldn’t forget the foreground. A fantastic sky is one thing, but you can rarely pull off an image with nothing but the sky in it. Allow me to illustrate.
In image #1, it was a cloudless sky. This is an opportunity to go for the sunburst effect by using a small aperture. You still get nice colour in the sky after the sun has gone down, and you can saturate the colours by underexposing the image. Compare #1 & #2, where #2 is taken a few minutes after #1 so realistically, it should be darker as the light starts to fade. But I increased the shutter speed to make the image lighter so that #2 is close to reality. It is a matter of taste which you prefer - sometimes you just have to choose between artistic and realistic.

Image #3 is an example of “close but no cigar”. This would have worked just fine otherwise, but right at the horizon there is a bank of clouds which shut out the sun so that couldn’t light up the scattered clouds above.

Image #4 is what I’m really looking for. Spectacular orange hues in the fluffy clouds lit by a sun that was already below the horizon. The image is from 2002 which seemed to be a good winter for sunsets. It is still the best sunset image I have, but I haven’t given up on seeing this colour behind the three pines in the image series above…

I mentioned the foreground earlier and it is important enough to be mentioned again. Compare #4 to #5 - it’s the same sunset. Yes the colour is fabulous, but don’t you think that something is missing?

When great things happen at sunset, they are not going to last for long so you have to be ready. When you move about, keep an eye out for potential foreground you can use in conjunction with sunrises, sunsets, full moon etc. The right light fades so quickly that often your best bet is to stake out your selected spot, set up your gear, wait and hope for the best. If you look out your window and see great light, it will be gone by the time you are ready to photograph it. I don’t even want to think about the times I have failed to follow my own advice…

After a few warm days it got a bit colder today. It means that it’s very icy everywhere - even my normally reliable winter boots were slipping and I wasn’t sure if the afternoon walk was such a good idea after all.Maybe it’s the weather or maybe it’s just simply that time of the year again, but the squirrels seem frisky. They chased around each other for a while, then my old pal settled down to munch on the sunflower seeds.

To finish off, I checked out the sunset. It was clear skies… very clear. Not a cloud in sight to add some interest to my image. There’s just no pleasing me!

Here’s a question: Is it possible to go through the whole tournament without losing a single match? Especially when Finland will be playing Sweden for the gold? It’s a dream final and it’s a nightmare final. But whatever happens, Finland will be the moral winners. Sweden has lost some matches (including 0-5 to Russia who we just beat 4-0 in the semi). Finland has played five (5!) matches without allowing a single goal against. All of that will be for nothing if Sweden scores a single goal more than we do on Sunday… It doesn’t get any more bitter than losing that match.Oh, and I just have to add, even if Sweden beats Finland 20-0 they will still not have deserved the gold. It was cowardly to lose the last preliminary on purpose in order to get an easy quarter-final. Real men are not afraid of any opposition.

Finland won over Canada 2-0. What a disappointment. Yes you read it right. For the first time in my life, I was wishing that Finland would lose. The reason is simple - the Finnish ice hockey team just simply isn’t good enough to keep the high standard up through the whole tournament. They are notorious for folding out unexpectedly - like losing a match they led 5-1 at one point. So it’s better to take that statistical loss in the preliminaries when it doesn’t matter, rather than be knocked out in the play-offs or finals. We have seen this happen too many times already!

Repetition is the mother of all learning. I love winter. Geddit?I did my usual Eagle Mountain loop today, took it very slowly and absorbed in the winter forest and wishing that I would be able to photograph it so I would have these memories even when my brain has given up on them. Yes I did have the camera with me, but the tight forest scenes are a bit beyond my capabilities so I only took a couple of closeups and nothing more.

It’s beautiful. Really, I felt quite emotional. Until a snowmobile went by me and I had to smell its fumes for a good while as there was no wind to disperse the exhaust. And then when the air had almost cleared, it came back. Not my idea of fresh air!

My throat is still sore but otherwise I’m starting be restored from last weekend. I was going to drive to Järvsö today, first to photograph dogs and then their wilder cousins at Järvzoo. But… winter is making a comeback and snow is falling thick so there wasn’t much point to drive that far when there’s plenty of snowy scenery to shoot locally anyway. So I finally had a chance to photograph a couple of subjects I’ve been eyeing for weeks but the conditions just hadn’t been right until now. Thus, never mind a sore throat, just get out there for a good walk in the snow!On this particular walk, the way there is mostly downwards. Which means, the way back is mostly uphill. Now I started to feel that I wasn’t quite 100% and the last km took some time… but I’m still considering of skiing the lake trail tomorrow. Despite everything. But you have to understand, the snow has been falling all day and everything looks gorgeous!

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When I crossed the powerlines, I heard them make a lot of noise again. So the noise is because of the snowfall.And another thing. It was very quiet today, other than the powerlines. I only heard two snowmobiles, or maybe it was the same one. Everyone else is at home watching the Olympics!

I woke up several times tonight, with a sore throat and feeling a bit under the weather. I’m guessing that it’s how my body is responding to the punishment it has been taking in the previous days. Over 10km of skiing or snowshoeing every day, I’m just simply not conditioned to that. I had been a bit bummed out about practically missing my last day of holiday because of all the blisters and aches, but with what the impending flu, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything anyway. So, I just had a leisurely drive home instead. Mind is willing but the body is weak.

Here’s a dilemma: It’s a beautiful winter day with sunshine. The full moon will rise in the afternoon. You have big blisters on your feet and can’t wear ski boots. Options: Snowshoe hike up to Funäsdalsberget for 360 degree views of the mountains. Problem: The moonrise isn’t until the afternoon so it will be a long wait on the mountain. And then you’d be hiking down when it’s getting dark, anyway. The second option: Snowshoe hike to Mittåkläppen, then drive to Ånnfjället and with a little luck, get the moon above the mountain for a nice photo. Problem: How long is the hike going to take, and are you sure that the moon will really appear behind the mountain (as opposed to next to it)?What are you going to do?

Drive to Ramundberget. To be honest, I’m not quite sure why I decided on this. I could’ve picked some other hikes, such that I hadn’t already done. But the lure of Skarsfjället and Mittåkläppen in the sunshine was too strong… so I opted for this one. Even if it meant hiking uphill for 2-3 km with blisters on my feet. But the winter boots are big enough to allow space for my feet, so the heels actually weren’t chafing. Only problem is that the extra space meant that my feet were moving inside the boots and I was developing blisters in my toes instead. Unbelievable. Once again, I was determined not to let this stop me, so I hiked on. And I got my mountains and snow and blue skies pictures but to be honest, I think the ones with a little bit of cloud and mist are more exciting. Nevermind.

When I came back to the slope leading to Ramund, I decided to try without the snowshoes. The extra weight was bogging me down and my legs were feeling the strain. But then I discovered to my surprise that it didn’t actually hurt as much walking without the snowshoes than it did with them, even if I’m still wearing the same boots. Go figure. Anyway, that was a pleasant surprise and I was able to rush down the hill in order to make it to Ånnfjället in time - the moon wasn’t going to wait for me.

When I got to the car, it felt like walking on needles. I can’t believe my feet have been hurting for three days now and I’ve been out and about regardless. Persistence or stupidity - or sisu? Pick one. Hmm… I think I just had an epiphany. I think sisu is persistence and stupidity.

I got to Ånnfjället well in time and I had to wait in the freezing cold for a good half an hour, and when I finally saw the moon, it was the worst case scenario - it was rising too far left from the mountain to make any image. I consoled myself by thinking that maybe my Plan A wouldn’t have been much better. Even if I had had a great view from Funäsdalsberget, the moonrise was an hour before sunset so it would’ve been a pale moon, lacking the oomph we normally associate with it. Even now at Ånnfjället, even if it was half an hour after moonrise until the moon was visible, the sky was still very bright.

I made a last effort and drove to the next viewpoint. I got a few shots of the moon, but nowhere near the images I had envisioned when I deliberately booked my holiday to coincide with the full moon. Once again, I had gambled and I had lost. Story of my life…

When I got past Ånnfjället again, I noticed that the mountains were not lit anymore. It has been a cloudless day but would you believe it, at sunset there was a small bank of clouds… in the west.

After a solid breakfast, it was time for skiing again. I felt the blisters straight away, but the pain wasn’t intolerable so I proceeded regardless. I took the trail from the hotel and I was aiming for the Andersborg cabin. At first it was easy - just follow the trail. But then at the highest point of the trail, you have to make a right turn to go up above the tree line. There are numerous snowmobile trails crossing the ski tracks so it’s just a matter of following one of them. But as it happens, I overshot my planned junction by about 200 metres so I took another trail up, less used but judging by the old ski tracks, not abandoned. But now it was deep snow and going up was a serious job because the snow ties your skis down and you slide half a meter down for every meter you gain. When I finally got above the tree line, I found out that the tracks were completely covered. I was looking at the next trail marking and the red X stuck only half a meter above the snow - at summertime, the markings can be 2 metres high! At this point, I gave up. I was not going to risk sinking so deep that I can’t get up again, so I swallowed my pride, got back down and folded back to the point where I originally should’ve taken the swing up.Once I was on the well used snowmobile trail, going got a lot easier. I took the trail towards Andersborg but the weather kept cloudy and the scenery wasn’t all that breathtaking, but as an experience to be skiing up there, it was quite a fantastic feeling!

I had a cup of hot chocolate at Andersborg and tried to figure out what to do next. I was determined not to let the blisters stop me, so I wanted to ski around the next bend to take a look at Stor-Skarven. But, again, the trail was completely snowed over and the snow was deeper here, so I turned back. The weather was starting to clear up also which didn’t hurt.

I was also starting to get very hungry. I had lunch with me, but there were no covered places to sit down and eat, and at Andersborg it is forbidden to take your own food in the cabin. So I thought that I would try with Malmbäckstugan instead, maybe they have a wind cover where I can sit down without having to go in the cabin itself. But, no such luck. So I turned back again and now I started to feel that I was getting a bit tired. It’s strange, you want to stay out there all day and just ski and ski and ski… but you just don’t have the energy to do it, so it was with mixed feelings I headed back. Regret that the tour was now coming to the end, but relief that I would soon be able to get some food in me, and most of all, throw away the chafing ski boots!

When I got back to the hotel, I had been out for 5 hours. Not bad! I was finally able to finish my lunch and then I got into the car and drove to Ånnfjället to check out the sunset. My feet were still hurting even when I was wearing my hiking boots which have never chafed me at all. This is not good… I have two days left of the holiday, and I can’t use any footwear! Anyway, the sunset was nice and I figured that I could use the same spot for the moonrise tomorrow. I was originally going to go up Funäsdalsberget for the moonrise, but if my feet hurt so much, I can’t do the hike. Or maybe I should just endure the pain… The view up there should be worth it!

Oh, and I have to mention lenses. Yesterday I had the 17-85mm lens with me and was shooting a lot at max focal length. Today I had the 70-200mm lens with me and was missing a wider focal length at times. The 24-105mm zoom is sounding better and better all the time!