Wildlife Photography at the Lake
This time of year, we are always wishing we had the time to head to the lake again. Actually, I have time... it is energy that I lack! Regardless, it would be nice to spend some time at the lake house again before the snow flies.
I like paddling around with my photography gear when nobody else is out on the lake... early morning is the most pleasurable for me. It is quiet and there are far fewer bugs than an evening trek at dusk!
When I'm in the mood for wildlife photography, I know I need to set aside a lot of time because most of wildlife photography involves being still and quiet while patiently waiting for a photo op to present itself. You just sit quietly and observe... you need to be aware of your surroundings to ensure the best backgrounds in your photos... you need to find the best location to take advantage of the angle of the light... you need to constantly and carefully jockey the boat around to stay pointed in the correct direction... and you wait... you carefully listen... you watch with an eagle eye... and wait...
This photo below was one such time. I was out paddling on my kayak before 6am. The lake was mostly silent and still. The only sounds were distant dogs, coydogs some loons calling in the distance... sometimes you would hear a distant small outboard engine of an early morning fisherman. The only ripples on the lake were made by my own kayak.
At this time of the morning, the lake is still shrouded in morning fog. The air is still cold from the cool nighttime mountain air but the water is warm... the fog slowly lifts as if in invisible chimneys rising from the surface of the warm lake water... when the sun finally breaks through the fog, the instant warmth is in stark contrast to the cold, moist fog.
This stark contrast is in both temperature and light. The fog is bluish gray and everything lacks color. The moment the sun appears, everything is enveloped in golden light and instantly reveals color and warmth... warm color as well as warmth you can feel all the way to the deepest recesses of your soul.
The gray morning light was evolving into a beautiful golden light and I knew I wanted a silhouette of some sort of wildlife framed in this warmth. Since where I was located provided open water situated between me and the rising sun, a silhouette was my only option... eventually, a pair of ducks approached and then made a slight detour to quickly and quietly skirt around me. This was my opportunity...
The resulting image is quite nice... fog still on the calm lake... the warm sun just breaking through the lifting fog... the image conveys warmth and tranquility...
I wouldn't mind being out on a kayak at the lake this evening... some photography gear stowed underneath the front deck between my legs... just slowly drifting and calmly paddling... hoping to capture another unique wildlife shot...
I like paddling around with my photography gear when nobody else is out on the lake... early morning is the most pleasurable for me. It is quiet and there are far fewer bugs than an evening trek at dusk!
When I'm in the mood for wildlife photography, I know I need to set aside a lot of time because most of wildlife photography involves being still and quiet while patiently waiting for a photo op to present itself. You just sit quietly and observe... you need to be aware of your surroundings to ensure the best backgrounds in your photos... you need to find the best location to take advantage of the angle of the light... you need to constantly and carefully jockey the boat around to stay pointed in the correct direction... and you wait... you carefully listen... you watch with an eagle eye... and wait...
This photo below was one such time. I was out paddling on my kayak before 6am. The lake was mostly silent and still. The only sounds were distant dogs, coydogs some loons calling in the distance... sometimes you would hear a distant small outboard engine of an early morning fisherman. The only ripples on the lake were made by my own kayak.
At this time of the morning, the lake is still shrouded in morning fog. The air is still cold from the cool nighttime mountain air but the water is warm... the fog slowly lifts as if in invisible chimneys rising from the surface of the warm lake water... when the sun finally breaks through the fog, the instant warmth is in stark contrast to the cold, moist fog.
This stark contrast is in both temperature and light. The fog is bluish gray and everything lacks color. The moment the sun appears, everything is enveloped in golden light and instantly reveals color and warmth... warm color as well as warmth you can feel all the way to the deepest recesses of your soul.
The gray morning light was evolving into a beautiful golden light and I knew I wanted a silhouette of some sort of wildlife framed in this warmth. Since where I was located provided open water situated between me and the rising sun, a silhouette was my only option... eventually, a pair of ducks approached and then made a slight detour to quickly and quietly skirt around me. This was my opportunity...
The resulting image is quite nice... fog still on the calm lake... the warm sun just breaking through the lifting fog... the image conveys warmth and tranquility...
I wouldn't mind being out on a kayak at the lake this evening... some photography gear stowed underneath the front deck between my legs... just slowly drifting and calmly paddling... hoping to capture another unique wildlife shot...
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