The winter season is hard to beat for photogenic opportunities, and it is undoubtedly one of my favorite times to photograph. I live in the upper midwest in the United States, and I always try to schedule at least one photo trip in Wisconsin, Michigan or Minnesota each winter. Weather forecasts determine the exact timing of my trip and destination, as I want the winter conditions to be as optimal for photography as possible. I have discovered these optimal conditions can be tricky to predict more than a day or so in advance.

The Upper Peninsula in Michigan is a favorite; it is reasonably close to where I live and typically has long, snowy winters. There are many photogenic places in the Upper Peninsula, but Bond Falls is usually a place that I always check out as it has always been dependable for me to find images there. This series of rapids and waterfalls is one of the most popular and visited spots in the entire region and is very crowded almost any time of the year, with the exception of winter when the deep snow, ice-covered paths and bitterly cold temperatures keep most folks away.

I was there early on a very cold morning, just after a nice snowfall, and had the place all to myself. I slowly worked my way down alongside the series of rapids, making a few images, but this particular small waterfall was the star of the morning for me, and I spent quite a long time here. This composition best captures what I wanted from this experience.