With winter now fully upon us here in Australia that means snow, and I'm looking forward once again to the chance to getting out and photographing in the snow soon.  The last few months have been quite busy, with lots of business development activities and landscape photography for commercial clients. Plus there's been heaps of feedback on the new-look website, with lots of positive comments from people around the globe.  It seems many like the new preview in your home feature and the ease with which they can now shop.

We're keen to make these seasonal newsletters more relevant to everyone, so in this newsletter I'm contributing by kicking off a new section called 'Photography thoughts from Scott', a chance for me to explain my thoughts on all things photography.  There's also a new 'behind the scenes' section for a look at how I capture some of my images. If there's anything in particular you'd like to see in future newsletters, be sure to let us know.

Enjoy the read and the images.

Scott.

Scott Leggo’s image ‘Snow solitude’ has received another international award, this time in the 2011 Epson International Pano awards. The image was awarded a Silver award, the third Silver this image has now received, and the second on the international stage.

The Epson International Pano Awards is dedicated to the art of panoramic photography, showcasing the work of panoramic photographers worldwide and is the largest and most important competition for panoramic photography. This years competition saw 3586 entries, from 62 countries, with Scott’s image ‘Snow Solitude’ placing 38th in the Nature Category.

Scott shot this popular image in the Victorian Alps during winter last year. To view a larger version of this image or to purchase your very own limited edition print, CLICK HERE

Scott's images are often the result of much planning and preparation, and often involve braving the elements. According to Scott, shooting 'Snow Solitude' was no different. "I researched this shot well beforehand - during summer in fact. For many of my winter shots in the Victorian Alps I visit the area in Summer when there is no snow around. I look for scenes and subjects that I know will look great in Winter. Its much easier to hike around and find subjects to shoot when there's not a metre and a half of snow around! That way, come winter I know where I want to go and how to get there. In those back country areas during winter when you're away from any tracks and facilities and the inclement weather comes in you really need to know your stuff and have some good local area knowledge and familiarity."

"During summer I found this tree and given its location I knew it would be well buried in snow after a good dump. The slope of the hill and background come winter would be perfect. I just had to be sure I remembered where to come back to during winter! On my first visit after some heavy snow falls on Mt Hotham I went out and visited the tree, but while it was buried in snow the weather wasn't right. The clouds and sky on that day didn't provide me with the look I was after. So I visited Hotham a number times over the following days, and finally after a few days (unfortunately in bad weather) I decided to trek out again to this tree. I was certainly thankful for my snow shoes given the deep blanket of snow. The conditions were horrible, heavy cloud, strong winds, and freezing temps, but it made for perfect conditions for the shot I wanted - except the wind. By the time I got to the tree, the wind had died down but the thick fog remained, so it was just a matter of time. Not long before sunset, the light softened creating a creamy look to the landscape that you can see in the final photo. I had got the shot I had envisioned so many months earlier during Summer. Now I just had to trek back to the car in the dark - lucky I knew where I was going!"

"I really love 'Snow Solitude' - it's exactly how I saw it on the day and for me it really it really sums up so much about the Australian Alps in winter. Can't wait to get back out there!"

Scott has expanded his Trees for the Future partnership. We're now planting a tree for every new subscriber to this newsletter (which you can do from the bottom of any page on the website). So simply use the forward button at the bottom of this email to forward this newsletter to your friends and get them to sign up for this newsletter - we'll plant a tree for every new subscriber to our e-newsletter. Of course don't forget we're also planting a tree for every new Twitter follower, Facebook 'like' and limited edition print sold.

It's all about the light..

"Whether I'm away traveling or shooting locally, I'm often up when most people are sleeping, sometimes heading out hours before the sun is up to all kinds of different environments. I'll walk with nothing more than the light from my head lamp guiding my way, whilst searching for the spot I'm seeking for sunrise."

"I'm, often asked why I'm such an early riser and why I go to the lengths I do to shoot at sunrise and sunset. It's an easy answer - it's all about the light."

"Put simply, the light just before and after sunrise/sunset is not just the best for photography - it's the best time of the day. It's these special times that you get to see the spectacular colours that light up the sky and clouds. Everyone loves a great sunset or sunrise, so obviously they make for the best photos - no photoshop needed. I just get out there and capture the best of what mother nature presents."

"This being said, brilliant sunrises and sunsets just don't happen every day, and perfect light doesn't last for long. It's normally only those few minutes either just before and after sunrise/sunset, when the sun is barely above/below the horizon that the light is just perfect. So given this, it's really important to be up early, all set up for when that light arrives. You don't have time to be fussing around looking for the right composition, otherwise that amazing light will be gone. Of course the other advantage of being up early, especially in urban or tourist areas, is it normally means you're out before people can get in and ruin the shot."

"Of course, you still need everything to come together perfectly, the light, the killer scenery, great clouds and colour. Sometimes you can get up early all you like, but it can still take a lot of patience and a few cold mornings in a row before the light is just right. Either way, it's still a great time of day to be out and about."

"So get up early, get out of that nice warm bed, get out there and see that magic sunrise that will give you a great start start to the day - because it's all about the light."