Picture Postcard Winter
Winters with plenty of snow and cold temperatures have become a rarity. So when the conditions are just right, it’s important to seize the opportunity—and not just with a camera.
A cold Winter
The winter of 2025/26 was the first in a long time to truly live up to its name. As early as November, we had the first cold days with temperatures well below freezing, which were perfect for some winter photography. More on that in a moment. After what one might call a traditionally warm Christmas, January then revealed itself in all its glory.
A prolonged spell of cold weather brought about ten inches of snow. In the morning, the thermometer read 10°F or lower, and temperatures remained below freezing throughout the day. The snow lingered for several weeks. Fortunately, both the winter maintenance crews and drivers in the Odenwald region were able to handle the weather well enough that no major problems arose.
On the contrary, the wintry landscape invited us to enjoy it in every way possible. And so—for the first time in many years—a sled was a must-have on our snowy walk, and it was put to good use. There was plenty to feast your eyes on as well—the snow-covered landscape, especially with the light morning mist, offered simply enchanting, postcard-perfect scenes.
Then, when the very first flowers began to peek out in February, it snowed again right away—and so the snowdrops finally lived up to their name again this year. Looking back, it was a bit like what used to be called a “normal winter.”
An all-time Classic: Freezing Soap Bubbles
Anyone who knows me knows that, try as I might, I simply can’t resist the temptation to photograph freezing soap bubbles on cold winter mornings—as you can read here and here. The resulting works of art are simply different every time. In fact, the process itself—watching the ice crystals slowly grow through the soap bubble—is even more fascinating than the result in the form of a single photo.
So, this time I decided to take both cameras with me on the morning excursion: the R7 with the 24–105 mm zoom lens and a tripod for filming, and the R6 with the 100 mm macro lens for photography. That didn’t exactly make things easier, since I now had to position the soap bubbles just right in the frame of the video camera—without bumping into the tripod, if possible—and then also find a spot from which I could take photos without the video camera getting in the way.
But I think it was worth the effort—see for yourself:
The Results
Over the past few months, I’ve taken quite a few photos that would make excellent candidates for the next calendar. But nothing has been decided yet…
