Aurora's
contributors are a rare breed, always willing to go the extra mile to capture an amazing image. They
thrive in the winter, a season during which many give up on the outdoors and stay inside, sipping hot cocoa and catching up on TV. We wanted to get to the heart of why Aurora photographers connect so profoundly with the harsh conditions and stark beauty of the coldest of seasons. So we asked our photographers to choose their favorite winter image and tell us why -- here's what they said:
"I've skied Mt. Adams in Washington 50+ times, and there's always a risk, either from chance or the failure to recognize dangers. And on this day, I almost got wiped off the North Face by an avalanche. I had climbed the North face North West ridge and halfway up decided to turn around because it was getting too warm. Suddenly, a wet slide was triggered a few thousand feet above me (on a route we had just skied the day before) and came down, missing me by inches. It was only about 20 feet wide, but it was heavy snow and was going very, very fast on a very steep slope. It was a scary moment." - Jason Hummel
"Mont Blanc is the most famous peak to ascend in the Alps. For me, this image shows how the mountaineers put their lives in the service of the mountain." - David Santiago Garcia
"I've spent years photographing glaciers and ice on six continents, but this is one of my favorite images. It's shot from a small zodiac inflatable boat in Antarctica, and captures so much of the graceful lines and cold beauty of the massive icebergs there." - Paul Souders
"This unique frozen waterfall, in a remote area of Utah , rarely forms ice solid enough to climb. You have to hike in a ways to find the frozen falls, which keeps the crowds away. " - Whit Richardson
"The combination of people enjoying adventure sport in a spectacular landscape is what photography is all about for me." - Andrew Peacock
"I've been snowboarding most of my life and this image always reminds me of the freedom you feel when you launch into the air on a perfect powder day in the backcountry." - Rachid Dahnoun
"
It had snowed all day at Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park, a beautiful park in the Canadian Rockies. After the sun set, it cleared and I went outside. A full moon had risen, and because of the icy particles in the air, a moondog or paraselene was visible. I had often seen a sundog, but I had never seen the moon variety before. It lasted for several minutes before more clouds appeared." - Peter Essick
"I went into Cradle Mountain National Park, in Tasmania, with this specific idea: to shoot a pandani plant lit with warm light against the blue cold snowy scene." - Heath Holden
"I love the vertical symmetry of lights and darks. I love the shadows on the left that mimic mountains, pointing towards the skier. I love the fly-on-wall perspective, along with the speed evoked by the flying snow left by the skier's wake. And the skier… that’s Seth Morrison, far and away one of skiing’s bigger-than-life legends for the past 2 decades. It was shot in Haines, AK, via helicopter access. It just feels as thought the stars aligned on this one." - Gabe Rogel
"This picture taken in Mammoth Lakes, California, is of my brother from Texas, snowshoeing for the first time. It’s my favorite because it captures the wonder and majesty of being out in a snowstorm, when the snow muffles all sound except the crunch of your steps and the quiet patter of snowflakes on your jacket. ." - Dana Felthauser
"This image of the Tetons was a look at an old friend in a new way, a position a bit more north than I had seen before. The breaking storm gave the black and white image an even more commanding sense of the balance of the mountain." - Joel Addams
See more of our photographer's favorite winter images here: http://www.auroraphotos.com/index.php?module=result&webseries_id=17499
Through El Fotógrafo ante el Paisaje, Garcia shares his years of expertise as an outdoor photographer including technical tips on composition, lighting, equipment and more. The book is divided into five main chapters covering: basic photography skills for everyone, landscape composition, the diversity of ecosystems, natural obstacles photographers may face along the way and the challenges of nighttime photography.
El Fotógrafo ante el Paisaje also features a range of stunning images from Garcia’s career, along with useful illustrations to help shed light on the topics being discussed. The text is extensive, but the chapters are broken down into small, concise sections that facilitate learning and comprehension. In addition to inspirational imagery, the book features tables, graphs, and charts filled with crucial information to help the reader learn every aspect of the process. Without a doubt, this book is a valuable resource for both new and experienced landscape photographers alike.
El Fotógrafo ante el Paisaje is now available for purchase in SPANISH ONLY here.
About David Santiago Garcia
David is a world-renowned landscape photographer. He began shooting at the age of 16 and has since traveled to more than 60 countries with the purpose of capturing fascinating images of the natural world. David has published more than 500 photo essays in magazines like Traveler, GEO, National Geographic, Travel and Lonely Planet among others. He has exhibited at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid and has completed a number of photographic and video commissions for the European Union. David Santiago Garcia is the author of a number of books providing useful information for landscape and nature photographers. See more of his work here. 
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