I woke up to a blanket of snow, 8 inches or more and the snow was still gently falling. And that's when I got the phone call from Eliza... "The bamboo in my yard are all full of snow and it looks like a winter wonderland. We need to do a photoshoot right away!" Within the hour, I'd grabbed my camera and we were out among the bamboo clicking away.

Unlike most of my work, this wasn't for pay, it was pure, simple and just for fun. The natural light and stillness in the air allowed for some simply breath-taking images.

Mother nature gave us the materials... bamboo, snow and beautiful lighting. We just took advantage of all that was there and let the mood take us in any direction. We incorporated smoke and fabrics to enhance the experience, but tried not to overwhelm the stark contrast of the scene.

The idea was to keep everything as white and light as possible and to let the beauty of the day show in every image.

Canon EOS-1 Ds Mark III with 85mm f/1.2L and 24-105mm f/1.4L.
Adobe Photoshop CC.

With exception of a few minor cosmetic edits, the photos are as they were taken. Uncropped and unfiltered.

I don't like to over-direct a shoot. I try to discuss the general idea, mood and objective and let the shoot unfold from there. Having a good relationship with the models is key to a good shoot. So one of my best tools for this shoot was trust.

I have received nothing but praise for the work. And it has brought many other models who want to do similar work, I hope to do an entire series with different models and explore all of the seasons of the year.

I encourage everyone to have your equipment ready at any given time. And when things line up, never hesitate to take advantage of all that nature can provide. And keep you connections active with the models, so they can be available on short notice as well.

Toby Maurer

I learned to use the camera at the age of ten when I bought my first 35mm camera... a Canon FTb. I fell in love with the EOS line in 1987 with the EOS 650. Since then I've had a camera in hand nearly every day of the year.

I've owned my own boutique ad agency since 1992 and am constantly finding new ways to expand the use of light and lens. From product or fashion to biographic and editorial, the stories are not the same without compelling imagery.

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