Snowflakes, Snokeh* & a Snowed-in Photographer
Remember when you were a kid and you could look at snowflakes and the world around you seemed to disappear? Completely hypnotized by the endless flakes, as if some giant tissue machine had gone berserk in the sky.
It wasn’t just my childhood imagination. Snow really does make the world vanish.
All the “ugliness” like cranes, mailboxes, cars, roads, and eventually even houses, factories and bicycles, gets wrapped in a spotless white blanket until only a perfectly pristine world remains. Even sound gets swallowed by the Great White.
Memory Relived
In recent years, real winters have become rare here, and that magical snow feeling slowly faded into a distant memory.
Until recently. One winter morning, snow was forecast and of course I had to be out there.
And oh my… that promise was delivered. Big time.
I found myself right in the epicenter of the mother of all snowstorms. Through the flakes, I could just about capture my favorite tree before it disappeared completely. What began as gentle, swirling flakes rapidly grew into such dense snowfall that my entire view dissolved into a white haze. And so did I.
While lying in the snow to photograph the scene, I slowly became buried under a growing layer of white. Transforming, bit by bit, into a living snow(wo)man. Several passers-by stopped to ask if I was actually okay.
More Than Okay
Absolutely. I was way beyond okay! What cold? What discomfort? I was enjoying my personal snow show to the max, and it was almost exactly like it used to be. With one tiny difference: this time, I didn’t build my snow fantasy with my hands, but with my camera!
Snowflakes as Bokeh: The Magic of Snokeh
*Snokeh is the playful name for the beautiful round bokeh circles created by falling snowflakes.
A little winter magic, captured in light.
BC Canada here and Dutch by heritage. I read The Netherlands got quite a dump of snow. Love your photos, especially the red foxes.
Hi Maria,
Yes, we were surprised with a – for us – unusual amount of snow which made half the country stop functioning 😉 I bet you must be used to snow there?
And yes, red foxes are wonderful!
Nice name BTW! 😉
Magical SnoWinter Wonderland! Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos, as usual
Magical indeed and thanks for your kind compliments!