This winter has been holding on strong and there have been a few lovely snow storms that happened during the day. When driving up to Pennsylvania last Friday I drove through expansive farmlands and while I yearned to stop along the road, the conditions weren’t safe to do so.

Fortunately at one point I was able to stop and capture the farm above with my Canon 5D Mark IV with 100-400mm lens attached. The focal range of this lens is so versatile and helps to reach distant subjects while sitting in my car. I was driving through Amish country and didn’t make a second thought to the lack of power lines to the farm that I had stopped to photograph until a friend mentioned it to me.

Using Topaz Studio I added some cloud textures for more sky definition and added a soft painterly effect with Impressions. It made me yearn to have a farm such as this, but then I quickly thought of how much work such a farm would be.

At Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, the main viewing point for the Snow geese is at Willow Point. They have cut down the brush along the water’s edge and left this beautiful tree along the landscape. With the geese floating on the water I envisioned the scene as a painter would.

This little Florida girl has finally learned how to dress in layers, so the cold days don’t bother me any longer. I embrace the stillness as the fallen snow hushes the landscape. It’s serene to me, the world seemingly asleep awaiting for the arrival of spring. Old Man Winter paints the landscape with dots and brushes that can inspire the inspiring artist.

As a photographer it’s a challenge to define oneself as an artist. There are purists that believe that the photograph straight out of camera should be the final product and everything should be done upon capture to ensure the image is captured correctly. Little is done in post-processing, although these purists can sometimes forget the creativity that was applied in the darkroom with a variety of printing processes, chemical techniques and dodging and burning the canvas.

As a modern digital artist the camera is our paint brush to what we envision as photographers for the potential of what can be created within an image. The software options available to us now really bring out the creative spirit for photographers in a way that wasn’t available even just a few years ago. True, it may take you a while to find your inner artist but the journey to discovery is a wonderful adventure.

Art is all around us if all we do is look with an inspiring eye.