Winter light in Almaty

The first snow on the mountains changes everything about the afternoon light. Around four o'clock the whole valley turns the colour of weak tea, and the shadows of the poplars stretch across the road like piano keys.

I went up to Kok-Tobe with two rolls of Portra 400. The cable car was half empty, which never happens on weekends, and I spent most of the ride trying not to put my elbow into a stranger's thermos.

The scans came back warmer than I expected. Part of it is the stock, part of it is that I overexposed by a stop out of habit. Winter in this city is mostly grey anyway, and the frames feel like the memory of the day rather than the day itself.

Next time: a tripod, a longer lens for the ridge line, and an extra pair of gloves.