February Photo Challenge – Winter

So it is already striding into March 2015 and the winter months are falling away – but this is February had the perfect theme of ‘Winter’.

Personally I love winter as it means rain, hot chocolate, snow and hot water bottles – all things that are amazing! It is also the only time I actually enjoy wearing socks – the rest of the year it always is too warm. Winter also often utterly changes the countryside and parks giving them a sinister, creepy or cold appearance. Then there are those days filled of sun and the shadows dance around, while the colours seem more vivid against the sombre background.

Part of the ‘Lil Hoohaa photo challenge, the task was to take 5 photos and blog about them at the end of the month. For me this month was so difficult as there were so many amazing sights from the snow and frost that dusted Brighton one morning in early February.

Winter seems to transform the world somehow – coating the world in a shimmering layer of snow or freezing the tracks of wild animals in mud.

Early on the 6th February, Brighton glittered with snow and frost. The playgrounds were empty and other than tracked by the swings, the rest of the park seemed untouched. I loved the textures that the snow created on the roundabout as the rough rubber-like substance created such a contrast to the white soft snow.

The world around me seemed to have transformed but it was this day that I decided to final explore Preston Park and its Rock Garden. The walled gardens seemed like something out of the 80’s classic Labyrinth with the leafless branches and long grasses stopped by stone paths. When the sun shone bright, sharp shadows dances across the floor. If it wasn’t for the dramatic dash of greens it would have been almost depressing or scary but instead it just made all the different greens vivid.

My favourite place though during the cold snapped morning was the rock garden – whether it was hopping across the large stepping stones or trekking up through the muddy paths while the birds sang all around.

The large pond was completely frozen over and the ice was over 1cm thick in most places. Shattered ice graced this pond as fellow explorers ahead were experimenting and photographing the effect.

Where others before them had done the same, twigs and lumps of ice scattered across the pond showing the exploitative nature of the human race. Winter seems to capture this exploration unlike the other season of the year as this photo shows – someone’s experiments using a stick and ice was frozen back into the pond.

Around the stones though the ice was thinner with beautiful crystallised patterns. I love these patterns and shapes created – another reason I love Winter as it is the only time of the year you will get to see this effect grace lakes, ponds, puddles and rivers.

While many people just think or see the dank and dark views of winter – whether it is because they are caught inside with work/school or because of thick snow throughout the winter months where they live – there is still so much greenery even in February. High up in Preston Park’s Rock Garden is an explosion of life, even as the snow is sprinkled along its paths. The mud, in the cold weather, had frozen solid including the prints of the local wild life. It was wonderful to see this, while surrounded with green grass and leafs, and showed the vivid life around all times of the year.

For me, while I love Winter, I can’t wait for what lies ahead photographically in the fast coming spring and summer months!

What do you think about winter? What has been your favourite winter themed photos? What are you hoping to photograph in March?

Want to see more winter themed photos – check out this month’s photo challenge link up page!