Snow on Conrad Road
Freshly fallen snow adorns the pasture and barn on Conrad Road in Lewisville, North Carolina — a stretch of road that is easily one of Forsyth County's most scenic spots.
Getting Around Town
A beautiful snow had fallen overnight in Lewisville, and I wondered: Just how in the world am I going to get photos along Conrad Road? I wanted so much to photograph the scenic Conrad Road area covered with fresh snow. Yet my little truck was not to be trusted whenever the roads were the slightest bit slick. With no clear answer, I left home on foot — equipped with photo gear — and I headed toward the center of town.
Somewhere along the ever-so-peaceful walk, the answer came to me. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before: Just bum a ride to get to wherever I want to go in Lewisville!
I mean, with two cameras dangling on me, I figured I’d look innocent enough to approaching motorists. And I trusted that I could accurately “size up” my prospective “taxi drivers.” (I was also convinced that kidnappers and other ne’er-do-wells aren’t prone to committing crimes on snowy days!)
“The Tank”
I’d just finished photographing around the old Spaugh House (discussed in Oh, What a Beautiful Day), and was making my way toward Shallowford Square when I saw “The Tank” coming my way. It was a Hummer — the really big version.
Unexpectedly, the driver of the Hummer, Greg Aaron, brought it to a commanding halt in the middle of the snow-covered road, lowered his window and hollered: “Have you gotten some good shots?” “Yeah, I think so,” I replied. We talked a moment or two about camera gear, and then Greg said the magic words: “I’m headed to Conrad Road to take pictures.”
Before I knew it, I had “volunteered” to go with Greg to Conrad Road! Now, I’m usually not the pushy type — but when it comes to getting good shots, my middle name is “Assertiveness.” Thankfully, Greg is a nice guy, plus he’s a bona fide photo enthusiast who photographs as much as his schedule permits.
A Popular Spot
Of course, Greg and I weren’t the only ones heading to Conrad Road that morning. Numerous vehicles were stopping here and there along the most popular stretch, and folks were stepping out to take pictures of the lovely snowscape.
The everyday beauty of the Conrad Road area is always remarkable to behold. But when covered with snow, its beauty is gloriously magnified. Thanks to Greg Aaron’s hospitality, I was able to capture some of Conrad Road’s snow-covered splendor on a fine, and most memorable, winter morning.
If you’d like to see a few more snow-scene photos of the day, please visit the Conrad Road photo gallery.
Interested in more Conrad Road coverage? CLICK to enjoy more ARTICLES and PHOTOS on Conrad Road.
Oh, What a Beautiful Day
Beautiful snow-covered trees in Lewisville, North Carolina.
Snow in Lewisville
This past Monday morning, Lewisville residents awoke to a beautiful covering of snow. It’s the most we’ve had in several years.
When it comes to photographing snow scenes, I wish I could be in more places at once. I wanted to photograph as much of Lewisville as possible, before significant melting took place. Yet I realized that it wasn’t possible for me to capture every portion of the community at the peak of its snow-covered beauty. So, alas, I did the best that I could.
Because my little truck does not like slick roads, I set out on foot around 7:30 a.m. I carried two cameras — a wide-to-long zoom lens on one camera, and a macro lens on the other. My coat pockets were full of various photo accessories. My hand and toe warmers were in place, as was my black winter Tilley hat, with the ear flaps pulled down. I was ready to venture out!
Beautiful Trees
Making my way to the heart of Lewisville would require about a mile’s walk. At the corner of Shallowford and Williams Roads, I captured the above photo. The trees, apparently anxious for spring, were filled with bright red buds. It was awesome to look upward from beneath the trees and see so many of the red buds outlined in white by the snow that covered the branches. It was an exquisite sight that reminded me of Japanese art.
These trees are located on the property of the historic Spaugh House, which I wrote about in the post titled, Evening Light. The photos in that earlier post were taken in August, in a brilliant golden light, just prior to sunset. Now, on this winter morning, the house and property had an entirely different mood.
Photo Gallery
Photos of the Spaugh House, along with more shots of the beautiful snow-covered trees, can be viewed in the Spaugh House photo gallery. I hope you enjoy them. Please feel free to leave a comment by clicking on the “Comment” link below.
COMING UP NEXT — More snow scenes from other areas of Lewisville.
All Snowfalls Welcome Here!
Decorative winter flag flying outside the Accessorize This store in Lewisville, North Carolina.
Another Snowfall
Unfortunately, I was not in Lewisville when the light snow began falling this past Tuesday afternoon, and I did not arrive home till late in the evening. I think my shot options would have been better that afternoon than they turned out to be the following morning.
Nevertheless, the snow was a pretty sight the next morning. The roads were mostly clear, and they posed no problems driving around town.
But, boy, was it cold! The wind relentlessly beat the frigid air against my exposed face till it was actually hurting. Plus, I was not completely prepared for the cold when I left the house, as I had inadvertently left behind the all-important hand and toe warmers. (They really do make a difference when you’re in freezing weather for a length of time.) It didn’t take me long to realize I’d forgotten them! After my first stop to take some pics, I headed back home to pick up the warmers.
Looking for Photos
I had already scoped out Shallowford Square and had discovered that the light covering of snow there was disappointingly inconsistent. I eventually headed toward the intersection of Shallowford and Lewisville-Vienna Roads. That’s where I noticed the decorative flag flying outside the Accessorize This store. I liked the bold red cardinal pictured in a snow scene on the flag, so I stopped to see if I could get some good shots of it. The photo shown above seems to be the best one.
Tips for Photographing Flags
If you’ve ever photographed a flag blowing in the breeze, you may know that in order to get a good shot of it, you’ll need to make sure your shutter speed is set fast enough that the flag won’t be blurred (that is, if you’re indeed wanting the flag to look sharp).
More than likely, you’ll also need to take lots of shots, in order to end up with at least one pleasing composition in which the flag is spread out nicely. Most of the shots you’ll take will probably show the flag caught in unnatural-looking and unattractive positions. The strategy of taking a lot of shots was especially necessary on this particular morning, because the wind was very strong, causing the flag to flap about wildly.
Want More Snow?
While I think the shot of the flag turned out nicely enough, I must admit that my hankering for a good snow has not yet been quenched by the little snowfalls we’ve had thus far. I’m still looking for a good one!
How about you? Would you like to see more snow? Or are you ready for spring?! Chime in by clicking on the Comment link below.
Back on Track
Footprints in the snow near a lamppost in Shallowford Square in Lewisville, North Carolina.
Exhale
Well, it’s been a little crazy over here for the past 24 hours, due to some vexing website issues. My web host, which is very good overall, experienced the rare occurrence of a room air conditioner going out, which caused some servers to overheat. All the affected servers had to be shut down in order to prevent hardware damage and data loss until the AC could be repaired and the room temps optimized.
But, finally, this post is evidence that things are once again working properly. I’m breathing more easily now and am getting “back on track.” In fact, I thought I’d backtrack in this post to review a few of the photos taken at Shallowford Square during the morning of the recent snowfall in Lewisville.
Experiment
While I made sure that I photographed the more typical and familiar scenes of Shallowford Square, I was also hoping to find some shots that were different, and that would capture some perhaps overlooked moments of beauty at the Square. I think I found a few.
The photo shown above is one of my favorites from the snowy morning. I like its simplicity and mood. (By the way, those are not my own footprints. Someone else got to the Square before I did.)
As an experiment, I’ve specially enhanced three photos for you to take a look at — well, actually six photos in total, because I decided to create both color and black-and-white versions of the shots. So, if you will, please continue to the NEXT SECTION, and see what you think. CLICK to check out the other snow photos
