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Ice Stacks on Lake Superior



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Courtesy of the recent polar vortex Lake Superior started really generating ice. Here I was walking out on the ice to the stacks of it piled up due to recent w...
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Courtesy of the recent polar vortex Lake Superior started really generating ice. Here I was walking out on the ice to the stacks of it piled up due to recent wind shifts.
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3 Comments | Report
marykovich Ultimate
 
marykovich April 13, 2019
Beautiful. You must have. Even put the sane day as me! I got some beautiful pictures. Love yours! Do you live on the shore?
marykovich Ultimate
 
marykovich April 13, 2019
Must have been
annacidd
 
annacidd January 10, 2020
impresionante
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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken on standing on a frozen portion of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota about 50 yards out from the shore line.

Time

This was taken on Feb 3rd, 2019 at 8:54 am. I didn't head out until after "sunrise" as it was a cloudy morning with the air temperature around -20F/-29C with relatively light winds.

Lighting

It was an overcast cloudy day, as it often is in February in Minnesota, which lead to the cool tones everywhere I looked.

Equipment

This was shot with a Nikon D850, 16-35mm/F4 lens, Gitzo tripod with a ball head from Really Right Stuff.

Inspiration

I'm one of the "Frozen Photographers" who relish getting out in the cold, photographing ice. After a a few warmer winters I'm constantly looking for Lake Superior to freeze over. When it does you get cool affects like ice fog on the lake (aka sea smoke) and then winds will break up the ice leading to these stacks. These stacks lead to some many interesting compositions from wide landscapes to small macro photos. For this photo I liked the close ice pieces and lines pointed to the larger stacks further into the photo.

Editing

The post-processing is pretty light when I work mostly in Lightroom. Increased the shadows, lowered the highlights, adjusted white balance, then adjusted clarity and contrast.

In my camera bag

For wandering around the like besides my D850 and plenty of cards/batteries, I typically have a 16-35/F4, 70-200/F2.8, 50mm/F1.4, flashlight, and SB-900 flash. On some occasions I'll also add in my 105/F2.8 macro lens.

Feedback

First of all is layers! You need layers of clothing to stay warm in the temperatures. Thin gloves with heavier mittens over them help. Finally, if you are going to go out on the ice and stacks then you need a really good set of ice cleats to keep you stable. Understand the weather and make sure the ice you are on is stable for your weight and gear.

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