Friday, January 16, 2015

January 16, 2015: “Frozen Starlight”


It was a clear day out today, I wanted to capture a landscape today.  I have an idealized spot where I want to capture an epic landscape.  I drove by it again today, like I did the other day. Sadly I looked, pondered and I was not inspired.  I continued to drive home, lost in my thoughts I looked up at the clear sky, it triggered me to think about stars and how I enjoy sitting outside during the summer and watch the world go by.
 

Tonight was the night I captured the stars.  Where do I do it?  What else do I want in my photo?  I decided to head to the place I know that is completely open for 30 miles, where I can look across a vast body of water and see another country.  Right on Lake Ontario in Olcott, NY.  I arrived just after sunset, a glow was ablaze on the horizon.  Lights from the Toronto coastline were visible, I stepped out of my car and was shocked by the wind whipping off of the lake.  It felt like -10 degrees with the wind whipping, I grabbed my facemask cover my face.

The journey began, I stayed out for some 20 minutes somehow.  My big toe froze going numb while my hands somehow survived.  The wind and cold cause me to struggle setting everything up.  I was unable to gain focus, really see what I was shooting and get the epic photo.  I placed my camera saw a few stars and went for between a 20 to 30 second shutter just hoping the wind would let my camera be still enough to capture a crisp shot.  Luckily as my camera strap fluttered in the wind and I ran in place the camera stayed unmoved. 


I finished and got home upon loading the photos in my pc for processing I saw something incredible.  The big dipper perfectly placed into my photo, along with a shooting star on the right side of the photo.  In the summer it is extremely easy to layout under the stars and find constellations, no wind, no extreme cold just great weather.  I fought the weather today and came out on top with this image.  I hope you enjoy, reach for the stars.

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