Snow Covered Park – Austin, Texas

I generally have a good idea of what I’m photographing — why I’m making the picture, what the main subject is, and often its intended purpose. But sometimes, I have no idea. I see a scene that attracts my attention, like this one, and I take the shot.

Upon download, this picture was nothing special. I liked the diagonal, which was a hill that kids used for sledding. Changing it to a black and white made all the difference. There’s always a level of abstraction by losing the color, and the diagonal formed a graphic element. I did further post-processing to clean the ground, taking out the distracting bits and leaving just the tufts of grass.

What started as a vague notion — sometimes works out. Capturing the image is only the first step in image creativity.

I doubt any families in Austin have sleds. When we get a light dusting of snow every several years, sledding is not a usual activity. The kids improvised — using round pool inflatables, laundry baskets, and even a kayak. I missed much of the snow mayhem on this hill, but I did end up with a cool abstract.

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