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Snow gum in fog
During summer I found this snow gum and given its location I knew that in winter it would be well buried in snow after a good dump. I just had to be sure I remembered where to come back to during winter! On my first visit after some heavy snow falls on Mt Hotham I went out and visited the tree, but while it was buried in snow the weather wasn't right. The clouds and sky on that day didn't provide me with the look I was after. So I visited Hotham a number times over the following days, and finally after a few days of bad weather I treked out again to this tree. I was certainly thankful for my snow shoes given the deep blanket of snow. The conditions were horrible, heavy cloud, strong winds, and freezing temps, but it made for perfect conditions for the shot I wanted - except the wind. By the time I got to the tree, the wind had died down but the thick fog remained, so it was just a matter of time. Not long before sunset, the light softened creating a creamy look to the landscape that you can see in the final photo. I had got the shot I had envisioned so many months earlier during Summer.
For me 'snow solitude' really sums up so much about the Australian Alps in winter. Captured while shrouded in fog, this snow gum withstands the harsh winter conditions as one the highest snow gums in Victoria. Surviving on the heights of Mt Hotham, it has somehow escaped the ravages of bushfires in the area in recent years. With the surrounding fog, the gum stands alone as testament to its survival against the harsh alpine conditions it has to withstand during the cold winter months while covered in snow and ice.
AWARDS
2010 | Silver award - International Aperture Awards
2011 | Silver with Distinction - Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA)
2011 | Silver with Distinction - NSW/ACT Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) Awards
2011 | Silver award - Epson International Photographic Pano awards.
