A morning at the frozen lake

What does one do while waiting on the first winter storm of the season with a predicted snowfall of 5 inches to 3 feet do? Go photograph a frozen lake!

I had completed all my preparation for the storm and decided to attempt to photograph a scene I had seen in the winter a few years ago. This area was the subject of one of my photos in the spring in 2020. This part of the lake is a cove that freezes early and had some interesting possibilities. However, I have never seen the scene I wanted to photograph since my first outing without a camera. This morning’s search was no different, but the road was clear of water and ice, and I found an area I wanted to photograph.

Scouting a trail

My first task was to fine a safe route to the edge of the icy lake. The water often rises several feet in the late winter and spring leaving exposed roots that love to grab a hiking boot! There were also a lot of large tree branches littering ground. My scouting found a much safer path than my last trip. The ground was just starting to thaw, but provided steady footing.

Images

This scene is very similar to a photograph made in the spring. The frozen lake and hints of red in the brush captured my eye as well as the sycamore trees in the background that are one of my favorite subjects. The temperature was rising to 60 today, so I had to work fast before the ice started to melt.

This scene caught my eye as I was looking for a second scene to photograph. As the sun cleared the ridge across the lake, the red in the brush and sycamores just popped. The red brush in front of the white sycamore tree trunks provides a nice contrast to the gloomy sky and ice on the lake.

Be happy with a good shot

I drove to two other locations, but no scene worthy of photographing. It will turn cold and deliver several inches of snow to address our snow drought in a couple of days. Hopefully, workers will clear the roads and I can do some more winter photography. My 24-70mm lens is in the shop and will not arrive for the snow. I used my 80-400mm lens for these photographs and have found that I am using it for about half of my landscape photos in Indiana.