Photographing Snow

“Conjoin,” Kitchener, Ontario. Feb 2015

I have always wondered about stepping out to photograph snow, but the comfort of my warm bed, chicken noodle soup (which is the only sensible thing I can conceive of making every time there’s a snowstorm), a queue of movies/episodes of a favourite tv show on my laptop, and just plain fear of being frozen into a popsicle, keeps me inside. Season after season.

Perhaps, the real truth is that snow doesn’t inspire me. I like photographing moments, people, movement. Snow is snow. Singular. Austere. Inactive.

“Austere,” Kitchener, Ontario. Feb 2015.

But after my mentor, Abhijit Nayak, pointed out that there were possibilities that resided in the unexpectedness of the blank canvas, I had been thinking seriously of branching out. Focus on the stationary. Introspect.

“Crescent,” Kitchener, Ontario. Feb 2015.

And, last November, after being gifted a Canada Goose jacket by my amazing parents, I have come to fear winter less. Go out in freezing rain? Pssht! Walk knee deep in snow? Hell, yeah! Head out in a blizzard? Why not!

“Thorns,” Kitchener, Ontario. Feb 2015.

So today, after last night’s epic snowfall and school being shut down thanks to an unexpected snow day, I ventured out.

“Smile,” Kitchener, Ontario. Feb 2015.