Abstract by Winter & Wind

The previous post and this one are so different and yet so the same. What do I mean by that?  In Frozen Desolation on Lake Erie I showed an expansive wide angle view of frozen Lake Erie at sunset. The cloudy sunset provided plenty of color for the scene. I presented those conditions in a contrasty low light photograph.

Today, we remain on the frozen Lake Erie but are visiting in mid-day. The lens is zoomed in to a telephoto setting and aimed down in search of patterns and textures There is plenty of light and shadows are very subtle resulting in a low contrast high-key scene.

An amazing abstract art by nature, a great collaboration of winter and wind. I could spend hours on just a small patch of lakeshore like this, walking slowly and moving my lens over the surface an inch at a time. I could fill many cards with patterns like this one. However, my time on the lake was very limited and I had to call it quits after just a few shots.

When heading to the lake, I did not know what I would bring back. I thought of snow volcanoes, I thought of the arctic like never-ending field of ice, I remembered some details of snow drifts I photographed a few years back (and have not shared with the world yet!). In the end, the details were what won me over on this particular beautiful winter day in Western New York, on Hamburg Beach a few miles south of Buffalo, NY.

Painted by WindAbstract patterns of snow, ice, and sand

Abstract Winter Patterns of Snow, Ice, and Sand

While it may be counterintuitive I definitely recommend a tripod for scenes like this. Despite the abundance of light and a bright subject matter it comes handy. You will be able to use a smaller aperture like f/16 or smaller to increase your depth of field. And once you stop down like that your exposure times will extend beyond the handholding safety zone. Don't have a tripod with you? Don't be afraid to go up with your ISO a bit to get both enough depth of field and a shutter speed fast enough. The newer cameras allow for a high ISO without noise showing up and with scenes like this, the little bit that may show up will get lost in the texture.

Have fun picking your favorite elements!

Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack,  Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), Jackery Bar 5600mAh (usually o hand to keep the smart phone going, especially in winter), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2

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