Two champions of winter

A tranquil scene alongside the Ottauquechee River Trail in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

On winter days when the sun doesn’t appear, and there’s no falling snow, you might say there’s reason for an eager photographer to despair. But with shades of blue and purple pervading the winter landscape, there’s still plenty of room for even minimal light to put on a show for the lens. 

Blue and purple — I call them the foundational colors of winter. You could also call them champions, because sometimes, champions have to shine when their possibilities seem a bit obscure, or even non-existent.

Venturing out to ski the Ottauquechee River Trail in Woodstock on Saturday, I wasn’t sure what I’d find for pictures on a cloudy winter’s day, but where there’s a river and land, you have something good to work with. The purple and blue waiting up there in the sky didn’t disappoint. In several photos, even the precious little daylight nature had left illuminated the elements in stunning fashion. The sky with its blues, grays and whites, the mountains and their purple hues, the stoic fields below, the calm river, the trees and their reflections — all were united in one, grand natural composition. It was there, just being, in perfect harmony. 

More was happening in that quiet place than met the eye. It was life, in all its bounty and richness, absorbing light and creating its own radiance on a cloudy day. At the center of it all, were blue and purple, abundantly sharing their beauty throughout the landscape. All of this holds something special for us to know — and remember. Light doesn’t always appear the way we think it will, but the elements to create the beautiful picture we need already exist. And if we get out into our surroundings and stay open to what life can reveal, we can find the inspiration and encouragement that leads us on to progress. We can find champions, illuminating the greatness that was always there. 

— Gareth Henderson