Photographing the " 'Tween Seasons:"
People are always referring to the "four seasons." From my point of view, there really are six seasons. The two extra seasons are the 'tween seasons:
The drab season 'tween autumn's riot of colors and winter's cleansing snows.
The mud season 'tween winter and spring.
The 'tween seasons are, in my opinion, the most challenging times to create great nature photographs since nature is usually at its least appealing. The trick is to find something appealing to focus on (easier said than done). This can be done either on a macro or micro scale: focus on a specific element and make that the dominant feature of your photo. Alternatively, focus on the big picture: great light, clouds, etc.
For the photo above, I used a combination of elements. The jumble of trees in the foreground, a stream leading off into the distance, a spot of snow, and a clear sky, punctuated by Mount Colden, and made more dramatic through the use of a polarizer. More snow would have made the photo that much more exciting, but that's one of the drawbacks of the 'tween season. In this particular photo, it's the sum of the elements and the compositon that really make it work.
