I can't walk away without aswering your last question @jibspark. I am by no means a pro, just a plain amateur. While in general i might agree that winter is not the best time for photo shooters (who wants to walk in cold wind or extreme freezing if you can stay in warm and comfort?), this white season yet offers a lot of oportunities for a creative souls. To proove this i sugest to visit my blog, where i recently have posted a series of winter photos from variuos authors (it would be a lifetime task to make all these photos by myself). Once (and IF) you see em, you may tell me if you agree or not. :)