Let it Snow ! Let it Snow ! Let it Snow !

 

No, its not monochrome

Gear : Nikon D7200 with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR

Focal Length : 18 mm (~27mm (35mm equivalent))
Exif : f/6.3, 1/250 sec, ISO 800 (Manual Mode)
Location: Srinagar, Kashmir, India

   See the pic in full screen and let me know what all can you spot in the pic ?

   Did you know that the winters in Kashmir are locally classified into three phases, the Chillai Kalan, Chillai Khurd and Chillai Bachha. Chillai Kalan is the most intense phase of forty days of cold, starting from 21 December to January 29 every year. The snow which falls during this phase lasts longer.

   I ventured out during one such snowfall of Chillai Kalan, well, to specifically click snowfall. Took some trial and error, playing around with the shutter speed and exposure compensation to get the effect I wanted (thanks to digital cameras nowadays wherein one can immediately see how the pic has come out compared to the film cameras on which I started). Too slow a shutter speed, the snow flakes would appear as streaks, too fast and they would appear as flecks. Exposure compensation was required as the auto exposure / exposure meter of cameras go wonky in conditions of snow, sand, sea etc. But even then, had to keep doing minor adjustments depending on size of snowflakes and their rate of fall.

   By the time, I clicked this particular pic, I had been out walking in the snowfall for about 45 mins, the fingers were freezing, gloves wet, had lost a glove from the pair, had lost my lens cap in the snow, the touchscreen of mobile had stopped responding (probably due to the cold) but the good part was that had got some wonderful pics which were worth the effort!