Pine Forest, Falling Snow Black and White

After a long dry winter here in Lake Tahoe, I was settling nicely into the idea of a beautiful, warm spring. On this particular day, in May, Mother Nature chose to give us a dose of the winter weather she had held back months before. Well, instead of wallowing in frustration, I ran out the door in search of unseasonable beauty.
With snow falling heavily, my vision turned to black and white. I wandered into the forest with my 4x5 inch film camera and a few sheets of black and white film. This particular pine tree, being much smaller than those surrounding it, stood out strongly to me. I chose an angle that accentuated the lines of the taller trees and the background disappearing into the fog of falling snow, enabling the main subject to stand out. I love seeing detail and subtlety in the chaos of the forest.
This images shows the progression of life in the natural world. The layer of accumulating snow adds a softness, and my choice of black and white film adds a bit of mood and complexity. In the end, this image called to me, and I listened.
Keep it simple and compose images that speak to you.
Enjoy!