Beyond Whiteness

When I moved from Germany to northern Minnesota in 2007, I knew that winters would be long and cold. They are. I now know what cabin fever is. But I also found beauty and mystery in the monochrome, wind-blown, shape-shifting snowscapes around me. Muted colors become vibrant while the world grows quieter beneath a thick white blanket. The snow hides the dead remnants of last summer as well as the new beginnings of the coming spring. Though places look empty, they are not. Ice fishers hunker down in their cozy shelters, kids play outside, firefighters practice for ice rescues. People call this region their home, living with winters’ joys and challenges. Being out on a frozen lake in thick snowfall with my camera, when everything dissolves into the stillness of a whiteout and all senses sharpen, this is when I find my peace with the Midwest winter. All photos in this selection were taken at or on Lake Bemidji.