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.

January 9, 2015: “Windblown”

Watching the wind fiercely blow the snow

12 degrees, 20 mile per hour wind gusts, snow shooting everywhere. I begin to chase beauty, using the wind to my advantage, watching nature exert amazing strength on a wintry day.  Watching I slowly succumb to nature while trying to get an amazing shot.  Holed up trying to make it till sunset.  The wind keeps blowing, stopping with no rhyme or reason.  I am wearing 2 layers of pants, 3 layers of shirts, a facemask, wool socks, boots and gloves with fingertip holes.  I have to have complete control of my camera, the ability to change functions and capture the perfect shot.   After about 5 minutes the feeling is gone in my fingers. I look down the blowing snow is on my fingertips and sharp pain pierces though. 

An occasional break in the wind as the sun goes down

I had gotten a few shots but was unable to make it till sunset another 15 minutes.  I covered my fingers walked to my car.  The pain pierced like needles, I sat there the heat on waiting for the pain to go away.   At some point it did, I felt amazingly alive just the one fool to be outside trying to get something done create something for myself. 

Beautiful snow being blown

Capturing a snowfilled image means more to me than just the picture.  It is about this project and creating something new everyday, moving forward and following through.  I was windblown, cold an to some extent frozen yet it was the happiest I was all day.  Being outside is where I need to be whether cold or warm I need to be me.