New Snow and Video Vignettes

One thing I have been experimenting with in the last year or two is what I call video vignettes. I have a desire to express something more about the environment than merely a still image. Still images can be quite powerful in how they capture and frame a place and moment but they miss out on motion that may be present.

They also do not convey sounds. So I at times augment the video with better quality sound when it is available. It is frustrating how often the modern world can impinge on a soundscape.

Here are three examples I recorded today in Pine Street Woods, my daily outdoors fix. We had some lovely light fresh snow filter down all day so Mollie and I went out to enjoy and try and bring some of it home.

My first subject is the seed heads of a weed as the snow falls and the wind buffets. The sound isn’t too bad but it reflects some snow plowing on a nearby road. Intrusion or just another sound of winter. Below is a still image followed by a short video segment.

Next is a tree and rock with the snow falling. The extra green of the douglas fir and warm brown of a remaining leaf add some more color to an otherwise drab scene.

Finally a simpler snippet of evergreen and a rock.

I find the first one most satisfactory. Despite the simplicity (or because of it) it seems to have more going on. So much depends on the wind and snowfall at any given time.

It was in any case a lovely day out in the woods with the dog.