Your Take Today: USA TODAY's top reader photo

Sometimes, waking up to snow can be a beautiful thing.

Paul Jarvis took this photo while visiting family in New Hampshire over Thanksgiving. There had been a huge snowstorm the night before, leaving about a foot of fresh snow around Lake Winnipesaukee.The row of houses caught Jarvis' eye when he crossed the bridge over this small inlet in Alton, N.H., on the south end of the lake.

"The fresh snow had fallen, and the houses (were) all painted different bright colors," he said. "This made the scene appear to be in black and white as well as color, dividing details quite nicely," he said.

Jarvis likes how closely the picture captured what he, himself, saw that day.

"I could bring home to Birmingham (Ala.) what New England looks like in the depths of winter, without the cold!" he said.

Jarvis used a Nikon D80 DSLR mounted with a Tamron Aspherical XR DiII SP 17-50mm lens and standard UV filter. With Photoscape, Jarvis deepened the colors and adjusted the contrast to bring out the trees, landscaping and structural differences in this photo.

Jarvis said he likes to capture pictures of scenery and "beautiful settings."

As for this peaceful shot of November-in-New Hampshire? "I loved the setting, and it was picture perfect."

See more of Jarvis' photography on his contributor profile.

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