Shooting adventures on a snowy day

[Andy Perrin]

The building is St. John's Seminary, and the lake is Chandler Pond. I went down to the lakeside and (although you can’t tell due to the long exposure) it was sleeting and snowing out. So I had my umbrella in one arm and my backpack with the camera equipment over the other shoulder. And I sank on one side. Into the mud. Not just a little. One foot was on solid ground, and the other was ankle deep. I leaned on the other foot and pushed up. It sorta worked…my foot came up just fine, leaving my shoe behind in the mud! I decided there was no going back so I put my sock-only foot on solid but icy-wet ground (COLD!) and yanked my shoe out of the mud. Then I peeled off my muddy sock, and, shaking on one leg, pushed my clean bare foot into the shoe (which thankfully had no mud inside). Then I walked a little further down to find another spot to take the photo below.

 

 

The whole image is presented here (not something I make a habit of due to the file size) but dammit, I worked HARD for this picture!

 

Shooting details:

BG38 2mm + Zeiss T* filters, EL-Nikkor 80mm lens (yes, it is SHARP, click through to the 100% and take a look), Sony A7S converted camera, tripod

HDR image made from 16 exposures at F/8 ISO100. Edited in Photo Ninja and Photoshop. White balance by eye, until I got a palette I liked.

[colinbm]

A week before Christmas, like I'll never see it....

 

[GaryR]

I've also had outings like that on hikes through bogs. Once the damage is done, there's no turning back. You have good detail for a long exposure.

[Andy Perrin]

One reason I went out was the total lack of wind. I was hoping for a mirror reflection on the lake but I had forgotten that the sleet would mess up the surface. So I settled for what was there. It’s still a nice photo. 

[Andrea B.]

Yes, the detail is impressive. My goodness, I can see books on the shelf in one of the Seminary windows!

 

So the falling snow/sleet "disappears" because of stacking? Interesting.

 

I've also had outings into the mud. I stepped off a wooden plank walkway into almost knee high mud a few years ago in Acadia National Park. Luckily I could sit down on the wooden planks while I worked my legs out of the mud. And it was mid-summer, so no cold mud.

[Andy Perrin]

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So the falling snow/sleet "disappears" because of stacking? Interesting.

With most of the exposures between 0.5 and 15 seconds, the long exposure time probably also had a lot to do with it.

 

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And it was mid-summer, so no cold mud.

The cold was definitely the worst of it - it was more than cold enough for frostbite on toes without some protection, so I knew I had to get something on them before things got dangerous.

[Doug A]

Excellent capture and behind the scenes story. Glad you kept all your digits. Gotta be careful in extreme cold. I would have been crazy enough to go, but might have quit after losing the shoe.

 

Worse I ever got stuck in the mud was when a bull chased the motorcycle into the pond. Of course the girlfriend was on the back. Water up to the gas tank, truck had to pull it out.

Thanks for sharing,

Doug A

[Andy Perrin]

hah, now THAT sounds like quite a story.

[nfoto]

Treacherous lakeside muds have treated me unkindly over the years -- I have lost many Crocs or Crocs-replicas over the years. Or Wellington boots. First time when I was an adolescent, so it has been a life-long experience. Still to be preferred compared to going through ice in pursuit of the optimal photographic vantage point.

 

Glad you managed through and got your picture.

[Andy Perrin]

Yes, ice would certainly be worse. For you, this must be a common on-the-job hazard. 

[Nate]

Great sharp shot Andy, I haven't been out taking shots because of this, Weather has been crappy here, but soon to have some snow pics hopefully