It poured, sprinkled, and drizzled all day every day this week. Alexa and I enjoy getting outside so between the energetic rain and her tireless cold, we were both starting to feel cooped up. Luckily the clouds took a break and even parted to give the sunshine time to play on the puddles and dance on our faces. We chose a path above Obernarnbach and it was lovely, but the chilly air refused to be ignored so it was a short one. Even so, it felt wonderful to be out walking, exploring new trails, and enjoying nature again.

Winter months don't guarantee snow in Germany, but regardless of the month it is guaranteed you'll find locals walking the trails trickling the hillsides of Germany. On cold days I'm tempted to stay indoors and snuggle up with a good book or movie, but then I see how the light is touching the hillside and the photographer in me is quickly stuffing on my boots. When it comes to exploring nature Alexa is a very willing companion. Like a true German she embraces the elements and refuses to be kept from going outside. She is not deterred in the slightest by cold or frigid weather and I too find that escaping for a walk during winter in the countryside is exactly what my mind and lungs needed.

Sometimes I plan a hike, but most days Alexa and I never know where we'll go or what we'll see. We just grab our coats and drive until we see an interesting trail or landscape. This week we tried a trail above Queidersbach that we frequently pass on our way to Kaiserslautern. Most of it was paved, but a small stretch turned into dirt and gravel and I enjoyed watching Alexa daintily try, in over-sized boots, to step around every pebble in her path.
Even without snow during the holidays, I find Germany breathtaking. Coming from a very dry place like Idaho it's odd to see everything so green during winter! I don't think anything ever stops growing here and neither it seems, does my fondness for this country.

♥ Tanae

Nothing like being in the hills while wearing drindle and lederhosen! How awesome is this family! I wish there had been more time for this shoot, but we were in a race with the clock the moment we pulled up to this beautiful hillside. The sun was setting in less than an hour and the cloud cover was heavy and dismal, making the already fading light even softer. Soft light is great when you have some sunshine, but fading light under thick clouds creates very flat and (also sometimes called) boring lighting. Rescheduling wasn't possible so we planned to just go with it and make the best of it! We whipped through poses, played hard, and used every last bit of light we could. Despite the lack of light and the chilly air, I think we definitely made the best of it, and most importantly had fun!