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Last month before I went to New York I had the pleasure of taking a trip with the family, to the mountains. The difference with this trip and another trip I shared with you last year, was that this time the mountains were covered in snow.
Join my today as we take a look at the snowy mountains of Greece. These are actually a fifteen minute drive from my tow
n.
We set out with nice weather but once we got to a certain altitude we saw these icicles which indicated that it was indeed cold up here.
It was at this point that I had edited most of the photos but some of them looked flat. Lots of blue, white, and grey. And so I did something different. I decided to channel my inner Ansel Adams and switched some of them over to black and white. I’ve never tried this before but there was a huge difference.
I first discovered Ansel Adams in college and was always astonished by his photography of nature and in particular Western America. He was a true environmentalist.
Without that great big blue sky everything looks starker, there is more contrast. And let’s face it I’ve shown you that sky a billion times by now! It was time to change things up.
Below is a field with raisin bushes all lined up with the village right behind. Or as normal people call them “vineyards”! The altitude here is 831 meters (2,726 feet) and there are only 15 residents. This is actually very common for many villages. Many of the home owners visit in the summer months and have these as their second homes.
Finally we reach our destination which is another village, this time at a height of 1,105 meters (3625 ft). This one has only 4 residents. But it has a cafe and a church.
There is plenty of snow and ice here.
And a spectacular view!
I’ve always found the mountain ridges fascinating, as if something is hiding between the folds.
The rocky formations are very common in Greece. You’ll find rocks everywhere even in the farming lands.
In the last few years we have had quite a few fires in the area. The forests have thinned out.
A bit of greenery peeking through.
There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.
- Ansel Adams
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A moss covered tree full of health despite the cold and snow.
And the church. Wherever you go in Greece you will find churches, big or small, no matter the size of the village.
This view is from the village we visited looking down to the Corinthian Bay.
The same photo in color. And a whole different mood. You may also be able to discern the mountains on the other side of the bay.
It was a cold, brisk day but we had a lot of fun. In fact my daughter the one who has the You Tube channel made a video. You can check it out here to see her antics.
I really enjoyed sharing this trip to the snowy mountains of Greece and paying homage to Ansel Adams. And I hope you liked my unusual take on them in the form of these black and white photos. Are you a fan of black and white photos? Which one was your favorite?
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Michelle
Monday 20th of February 2017
Whoa Mary, the photos are stunning, especially the black and white ones. Isn't it amazing when you remove the color how the stark beauty of the landscape just hits you. Beautiful
Mary
Monday 20th of February 2017
Exactly Michelle. That blue sky is beautiful but sometimes you want the dramatic lines of the mountains to shine through.
Jas @All that's Jas
Monday 20th of February 2017
Nice scenery, Mary. You always make me homesick. I've never heard of raising bushes. Aren't raisins dried grapes? LOL
Mary
Monday 20th of February 2017
You know I should have said vineyards. It just looks so weird with all that snow.
Jackie Smith
Monday 20th of February 2017
Oh I love this post, Mary. As a journalism student in college ('back then') we had to take photography, both the taking and developing of film -- which of course ('back then') was done in a dark room. We studied Ansel Adams as the master of the photo and I still kick myself for not going when he appeared in a town a few hundred miles away to talk about photography. My photo instructor used to tell us that anyone can take a good color photo, but a great photographer takes a good black and white photo. You've done just that!
Mary
Monday 20th of February 2017
Jackie you have just given me the highest compliment. Thank you so much. I have loved his work since my early college days. There is such atmospheric beauty in his compositions. You may not have seen him live but at least we have his amazing photos to admire.
Debbie Roberts
Monday 20th of February 2017
Hi Mary, the scenery around you is simply stunning and put ours to shame. I can only imagine the eyeball rolling that goes on when the part time residence head back to their holiday homes, putting more than one car on the road at a time! Your photos are lovely and I do like black and white, my favourite is the black and white 'there is plenty pf snow and ice here' one. xx
Mary
Thursday 23rd of February 2017
Debbie youknow how it is the locals resent the part timers but also look forward to a little life in the villages. I think after this I will be doing black and white more often.