Francis Short Pond & Cabin

Happy New Year, from everybody here at Agassiz Imaging! Flagstaff is known for it's extreme swings in weather. While the rest of the country is having an Indian fall, we here have already had four feet of snow. The ski resort, Snowbowl has been open for a month. Although now we are experiencing some 60 degree days, the resort is bound and determined to stay open. I love the snow and find it peaceful and beautiful. It covers and quiets the land. It slows life down to a natural pace. It allows us to take a deep breath and breathe in nature's stress-free elixir. It opens a whole new possibility of experiencing nature. The myriad of outdoor choices include sledding, snowshoeing, down hill and cross country skiing, skating ...et al. It also allows us to look at our mundane and typical surroundings with a new eye. Francis Short pond is one of those places located deep within city limits, that remind us that to find beauty and nature, one only has to look around the corner. The pond is located adjacent to the old Flagstaff Junior High. A cabin sits close by. It was an outdoor classroom and remains unused, hopefully not a target for vandals. The school was recently closed down due to age, and re-appropriation of students around the Flagstaff area. I just got two lenses for my Pentax a 31mm LTD, and a 15mm wide angle. These photos were taken (respectively) as a sort of test for the lenses and as an exercise in looking at an urban area with a landscape eye.

The photos were taken at different outings, trying to capture some good light, as well as clouds that didn't interfere with the mountain top. It was fortuitous that there was a Blue Heron sitting on the ice. Herons are common around our area, but I can't recollect seeing them in the winter. While shooting the cabin, the moon caught my eye, just as the sun began to hang low in the sky. Photography isn't just the art of taking snapshots. It's the art of capturing of moments in time. It's those moments that we look at nostalgically, and allow to resonate in our mind. Are there any moments that you have captured just outside your back door that resonate with you?