An overnight snowstorm blankets Bryce Canyon with layers of fresh powder.

In early January I spent a frosty night in Bryce Canyon City, one leg of a somber trip home to attend the funeral and celebrate the life of my 103 year old grandmother.  The drive into town that evening was clear, but as soon as I checked into my warm hotel room a light snowfall began which quickly transitioned into a near whiteout.  Comforted by the silence at the end of a long day, I drifted to sleep and awoke the next morning to pristine conditions within the Canyon.  As I wandered around the Rim I felt at peace.  Photography is extremely personal for me and I oftentimes seek meaning in the landscape.  In the purity of snow I saw a reflection of how my grandma lived her amazing century of life, and made a vertical composition to symbolize the ascension of one life into the next.  I rarely talk about the details of my photos in order not to cloud your own interpretation of them, but in this particular shot the solitary tree in the bottom third circularly surrounded by hoodoos represents the strength, love, and enduring nature of my grandmother, and it’s not one I will ever forget.