Holiday Greeting Card

The president's office at the University of Manitoba sent out an email notifying all campus members that he/they were looking for a photograph of any of the University's campuses that display a winter scene that can be used for the University's holiday card.  Well, as you can tell from my blog, I really enjoy taking photographs and sharing them with others.  I took the challenge and lucky for me over the past week, 42 centimetres of snow fell, which made for better snowy scenes.

On Tuesday of last week I went out at the golden hour of which there are two, sunrise and sunset.  My night owl status definitely encourages me to lean towards the sunset side of the golden hour.  Having scoped out the campus and noticing the sun set on the opposite side of the campus from where all the historic building are found, I ran about taking about 100 shots, only one set that I really liked.  It is kind of spooky and holiday-ish as the same time.

I cropped it a little, I altered the colour as the sun had set by then and the shot was a glowing blue, but I decided to leave the balls of snow in the bottom right hand corner so that the observer who sees the details would notice that the background of the photograph is snow.  A hint as to what I shot.

The second shot I was not really happy with and would have rather have sent in a picture I took last year at Assiniboine Park, but the request for photos was specific about campus shots.  It is of a piece of artwork near the music building.  The piece include holiday red and I do like the snow resting on the top of the graded coloured pillars but not stunning in any way in my opinion.

The last pictures is why the golden hour is so important to exploit, or use, or take advantage of.  The University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus is nestled in a curve of the Red River, at which this picture was taken.

  
While I was taking this shot and several dozen others, I noticed that I am far more physically adventurous with a camera in my hand.  I was meeting a friend of dinner on campus after I finished taking the shots so I was in jeans and healed winter boots.  The shots were down a green, snowy stretch of land, then down a slope covered with forest floor dead branches, stumps and other debris.  No matter.  I had to get down there to see what kind of picture I could get from that perspective.  Having taken many shots, I liked this one and enjoyed altering it a little, enhancing the colour, lightening some shadows, and cropping the tree stump out a bit.  I am hoping this one, although a classic shot rather than a push the envelope shot, is definitely studied by the panel as they make the final selection.

I am not holding my breath.  There is little on this campus that I have ever won, money, awards, or recognition even though I have poured my time, intelligence, heart and soul into my graduate work, but I shan't give up.  Especially when photography is involved.

Good luck to all entrants and especially to me!