Thought I’d just throw this one up real quick for tonight to let everyone know I am still alive and breathing. The past weeks have been extremely stressful due to certain projects and other university-related commitments, I haven’t got the chance to get out a lot. To speak the truth, I haven’t been out more than two or three times and these short hikes were not fruitful photographically speaking but they are nice little hideaways from the daily habits.

The shot that accompanies today’s post was taken way back in the middle of October when I experienced the first snowfall of the season and there was hope we could be looking forward to a great winter. A week later, all snow was gone and the warmest November I remember made its way into the history books. Now, in December, I am still waiting for a decent snow cover to veil the landscape. I am really not sure what to think about the weather situation. Could it be the global warming kicking in? Anyhow, I am really hoping for a white Christmas and looking forward to some photographic tours which have yet to be planned in detail but rest assured, you’ll be the first to know.

While snow-shoeing through the freshly fallen snow, the sky seemed to clear a little from the layer of fog that was surrounding the 4000ft. peak of the Fichtelberg in Germany’s Ore Mountains and I set up for a shot into the deep forest covering all flanks of the mountain when a beautiful deer rambled into the scene. This is certainly not the composition I usually would have chosen but it was impossible not to shoot the deer. I got lucky with this one for sure. The deer posed for a few seconds, I snapped a frame and with the sound of the shutter it went off, deeper into the forest.

Canon Rebel XSi with Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 11mm, 1/20sec, f/14.

There’s still hope for a little snow before the year will come to an end though. How did you fare so far? Happy with the weather – or not? Feel free to leave a comment with your experiences.

Best wishes,
David