In Ireland, we don't normally get snowy winters - if there is a fall, it usually melts within the day. These last two years (2009 and 2010) have seen an unusually high snowfall coupled with unusually low temperatures which allow it to stick around for a while.
While many around the country curse after a few days of snow, I love it. Despite the inconvenience, what it does to the landscape is truly wonderful. On this morning, just about two weeks after the birth of my son, I was able to sneak away for a dawn shoot after the second major snowfall of the year (the first being around the time Liam was born - so no photography for me then!).
This was a fine morning - almost too fine for photography. The cloud on the left of this image vanished entirely shortly afterwards leaving clear blue skies and rather flat light. Here I've used the shadow of the mountain behind me to create some interesting geometric divisions in the image, and the wonderful dawn light turns the snow a vibrant orange-yellow.
Below is a short time lapse showing the processing of this image for those with an interest.