Jessica Crabtree

I consider myself fortunate to live in a region where I get a little taste of winter splendor each year. It’s not quite the Arctic here, but not quite the tropics – so I’ll gladly put up with a bit of chill and slush to get the best of both worlds in a humid-subtropical mountain climate.

Ice sculptures in Banff National Park, Alberta – Photo by Stacy Conaway

Of course there are some REAL winter junkies out there – and though you’re probably outnumbered by sun-loving snowbirds who migrate (at least in their dreams) to more southerly latitudes as the days get shorter, you know there’s little that can compare to the awesome sparkling splendor of a snowy landscape, urban or rural. Whether it’s the glitz and nostalgia of the holiday season, or the pristine cleanness of the crisp air and a soft blanket of snow, there’s a certain subtle magic that no other time of year can offer.

So here’s to lovers of winter; feast to your hearts’ content on snowy snapshots and festive photography from places in the world where folks know how to do winter up just right.

National Geographic: In Praise of Winter

Prestvannet Lake, Norway – Photo by Einar Nilsen
You’ve got to take winter seriously when it brings darkness much of the year, as it does in Norway. Be sure to see the gallery of Scandinavia photos.

Yes, another swan. Thanks to Alex Saberi on NatGeo’s Visions of Earth.

A lovely shot of swans in a lake in Annecy, France (National Geographic)

I wonder if this photo would look quite as amazing if it didn’t blend in so well with my blog template?

Here’s a photo to throw the midsummer heat into stark relief.

This one comes from a 1987 edition of National Geographic courtesy of Jim Brandenburg.

“The freezer may look bare but an arctic wolf knows a tasty fish might be within reach in the shallows off Canada’s Ellesmere Island. Barren and severe, the region is nearly devoid of human activity, so the animals show little fear of people.”

National Geographic photos are always good. When they’re contest winners, they’re bound to be that much better. So here’s another – the results are split up into four categories with eleven weeks’ worth of editor’s picks.

2011 Traveler Photo Contest

Below: Reflections in the water.

From National Geographic’s Weekly Wrapper.

National Geographic.