Desolation

Pin Oak Road
Photograph by Tom Atwood

I wish I had taken more pictures on this particular winter morning, but there's a good reason why I didn't. My wife Sally asked me recently what photo equipment I might want for Christmas? The first thing that popped into my mind was gloves. The kind with the fingers cut out. Or maybe longjohns. I'm always impressed when I see snowy photos like this, because I know someone had to go out and stand in the wind, tears running down his cheeks until freezing, and fiddle with the camera settings, cursing. And then the lens fogs up when you get back in the car to warm up. But I'm not complaining. So, I'll take either an 80 mm f/2.8 lens for Christmas, or a ski mask. Shutter: 1/500; Aperture: f/5.6; ISO: 100; Focal length: 135 mm.