Friday, April 1, 2016

City Daily Photo Theme Day: The Beauty Of Simplicity

The first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for the first day of April, the theme is The Beauty of Simplicity. This theme was chosen by Karl, who posts from the beautiful mountainous area of Bolzano. You can see how other photographers are interpreting the theme here.

My take on this theme? The best season of the year: winter. (I can just imagine some of my readers wanting my head on a pike). Winter and snow are beautiful things, and these shots, taken in late February and early March here certainly feel that way. These first shots are in Dundonald Park during and after one of our snowfalls.


And perhaps beauty can be found in snow, freshly glazed with freezing rain.


Or in snowdrifts on the Rideau Canal, where just a week or two earlier, skaters were skating. It looks very different now, as much of the ice is gone here.


I finish with this shot, taken a few minutes walk from the above shot on another day, over the Rideau River itself, with late afternoon sun. Open water was working its way through the ice on the river.

50 comments:

  1. That second shot, especially, is a winner for me. Nice perspective and contrast with the trees and lamp posts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. All shots are fine, but ... The last two shots are very beautiful.

    Tomás.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is that a thaw I see in the last photo. Nice and sunny here

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful winter shots again, William.
    As you know I really like winter, snow and ice, but now that spring is coming with its higher temperatures, coloring the world green again, I don't mind winter is over.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There's lots of beauty in Ottawa. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Kay: thank you!

    @Tomas: thanks!

    @Bill: yes. At the time I took that, the breakup of river ice was just beginning. I have a post in a few days showing the river in a very different state.

    @Jan: our weather forecast suggests we might stll get snow.

    @Marianne: I was pleased to get the shot.

    @Halcyon: you're welcome.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great photos! Love your interpretation of the theme. I think snow makes real beauty of simplicity! I especially love the last photo - stunning!
    Happy April!

    ReplyDelete
  8. i like your choice. and it's beauty. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. the last shot is spot on. gorgeous!! i have 3 posts today, all these new books need to be promoted, thank you for the stop-by's ... you rock!! at 1st i thought it was an April Fools joke, nope ... it's totally real. ( :

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's a tough theme. I wouldn't know what to do with it. So nicely done with snow. It's also another chance for you to beat your drum for winter.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I do love the beauty of snow and the simplicity.
    MB

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Tamago: thank you!

    @Tex: thanks!

    @Beth: I was surprised looking at this last shot earlier and seeing what appears to be a sun dog!

    @Red: I know, I'm really stringing out winter, even though things here at present look more spring like!

    @MB: so do I.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I alway enjoy your snow photos. That last one is gorgeous. I love the sunlight on the water but all your photos are lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  14. One thing I know about snow (besides that it's cold) is how it make things so quiet. It's always so quiet after a snowfall.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A nice collection of Winter images. Snow is just fine ... to look at.

    ReplyDelete
  16. They are all beautiful but the last one took my breath!

    ReplyDelete
  17. They are definitely beautiful vistas William.

    ReplyDelete
  18. @Denise: thank you!

    @Sharon: that is true.

    @William: ah, I love it!

    @Virginia: I was pleased by how it turned out.

    @Grace: thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  19. They are all beautiful, William !
    Fine interpretation of the theme !

    ReplyDelete
  20. Beautiful interpretations of this theme!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I give you 11 out of 10, William. Perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  22. The second and last are my favourites and I for one wouldn't want your head on a pike. As far as I'm concerned, you could post snow pics year round and I'd be happy!

    ReplyDelete
  23. These are all beautiful photos. The last one of the sunset is really lovely. April is such a 'dirty' month until it starts to green up.

    ReplyDelete
  24. More snow???

    That last shot is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Beautiful photos, William, and your last photo makes a glorious ending to this series!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Winter does give us beautiful simple scenes!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your pictures are convincing -- I'd love to be out walking in that snow.
    The last photo is especially beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Winter? William, William, William. What are we going to do about you?

    ReplyDelete
  29. @Birgitta: thanks!

    @Karl: thank you!

    @VP: I'm glad to do so.

    @Lauren: that's a good rating.

    @Ciel: ah, if only, but in a month I'll be hip deep in tulip photos!

    @Pamela: yes, it can seem dirty while we're waiting for greenery.

    @Norma: but snow is a good thing!

    @Linda: thank you!

    @RedPat: it does, yes.

    @Dina: it's a wonderful time of year.

    @Jack: I know, I'm hopeless in my love of winter.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Last photo: The silent simplicity of a quiet winter scene. Well-done.

    ReplyDelete
  31. It is beautiful! I love snow too, but probably because it's more of a novelty to me since I live in Florida.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Don't be silly. I do not want your head on a platter. Your photographs are striking. I do wonder if your thinking needs to be examined though. It was a lovely 78 degrees here.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I'm still chuckling over Lois' comment. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  34. We never see such snow here on California's Central Coast, so we only see such beauty in photos or when traveling. I like your last three pictures best, as they are closest to the theme. The last shot is my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  35. @Kate: thanks!

    @Lois: I can't imagine living in a place with no snow.

    @Mari: and here the temperatures are taking another drop.

    @Revrunner: so am I!

    @Barbara: here winter is a way of life. Ottawa is the second coldest capital on the planet.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Not only simplicity, but also tranquility!

    Janis
    GDP

    ReplyDelete
  37. Great images. My preference is for the footsteps.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Lovely photos, William, very serene and I'm sure it would be very cold. (We don't have snow here). The first and fifth photos are almost B/W with a colour tinge. Was that intentional or did it just happen that way? Either way, the effect is excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Great pix! That first shot looks like you've taken all the color out except for a few places you want to emphasize. Nice.

    ReplyDelete
  40. There is no best season for me! By the time we are midseason, I'm ready for change!

    ReplyDelete
  41. @Janis: indeed!

    @Linda: but snow is wonderful!

    @Mo: thank you!

    @BFG: they just happened that way. On occasion I might shoot with sepia, but in both cases, that was natural light.

    @Cheryl: no, just the light conditions as they were.

    @Jennifer: I can see that!

    ReplyDelete
  42. I like the second and the sixth. I like the perspective on both.

    ReplyDelete
  43. I like the footprints in the snow, they always make me wonder where are they off to..

    ReplyDelete
  44. When I lived up north, I loved shooting outside after a fresh snowfall. Nice interpretation for theme day.

    ReplyDelete
  45. It does not snow where I live and I love to visit places where it does. Nice interpretation of the theme (as always).

    ReplyDelete
  46. @MDP: thank you!

    @Geoff: me too.

    @SRQ: thanks!

    @Genie: we get plenty of snow.

    @Whisk: it is!

    ReplyDelete