Picture of the week

Against the elements

A majestic valley oak tree (quercus lobata) during a recent winter storm.  With an unusually cold storm front that swept through the sierra foothills east of Sacramento this last week, it was a good opportunity to get up early and capture some of my favorite subjects under snowy conditions.

These images were captured in relatively low lying areas at only about 1000' in elevation.  Given the precipitation was on the edge between snow and sleet, it was a challenge to keep the camera dry and front lens element clear, as the snow tended to melt as soon as it hit the camera.  A use of a hood and frequent wiping with a soft cloth was necessary at times when the wind was blowing harder.  But even then, getting into the warm car between shoots would cause condensation on the camera.  To deal with this, holding the camera and lens up to the car heater vent at full blast with the AC on for about 5 minutes does the trick.  Ideally I should have had a rain sleeve on in these conditions, but forgot to bring it.