Cold. Snow. Ice. Grey skies.
All the things that make you want to stay indoors where it is nice and warm at the end of January after a snow storm. So I decided to venture out to one of my favorite photography spots,
Burke Lake
park. Tree limbs cracking under the weight of the snow and ice, Canadian geese honking as they fly overhead and the sound of snow melting in the forest. There were not many people out so there was time for some humor as I walked.
 |
| No skating indeed! |
Most of the lake was frozen but the deepest center section was still clear. Geese and gulls were flying and swimming but there were few other signs of life. The fishing pier which has given me some beautiful spring moments over the water was now a frozen ramp floating over ice.
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| Frozen fishing pier |
I have fished this lake, biked around it, walked through its trails and this was the first time I have seen it like this. Frozen, barren and quiet. I was left feeling chilled and lonely, like I was in a foreign land. I almost felt like I could walk across the surface.
 |
| Burke Lake |
Although my
Tamrac 5575 backpack
was full of gear, I only used a two lenses for this trip on my
Nikon D90
. This shot was taken with my
Tokina 11-16
wide angle lens to create the spacious desolate feel in the image. The low light meant a tripod as well, my
Manfrotto 190 CXPRO3
.
The rest of the shots were taken with my favorite all purpose lens, my
Nikkor 24-70
which excels in almost every situation. The images are fast and sharp while the range is excellent across the entire length at f2.8.
I continued to walk, slowly, as the ice was bad in places. Looking for picture opportunities I happened to spy this rock, which on a summer day would probably not even be noticed. Trapped in the ice however, the colors pop out and the cracks create some of weird chasms on the surface.
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| Frozen rock |
After an hour I am cold and tired of walking, my backpack is heavy and my shoes are wet. Kneeling in the snow can create some interesting photographic angles but it reminds me to wear more layers as my jeans are now wet as well.
 |
| Iced broken trees |
Many trees were down and damaged, the snow and ice covering them in a sort of cake frosting look. I found the curves of the twisted tree to be almost like a natural roller coaster. Finally, everyones favorite, big icicles. They hang down like giant fangs, I would not want to be under them when they fall.
 |
| Icicles |
A great adventure today, I was happy to get out and find some interesting things to shoot. Hope you enjoy the images and the story and until next time, keep shooting.
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