A Backpackers Photography Guide

 I stood motionless for a moment to rest my troublesome hip. My 25 year old Jansport pack felt somewhat heavier now several miles into my hike across the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park. The air was crisp and clean with a bright sun and blue sky accenting the magnificent fall colors that were just now beginning to explode across the landscape. Over my shoulder I carried a small tripod with my Nikon camera attached which I use almost exclusively for video. Attached to the camera was a sensitive microphone that improved the audio quality of the video clips I made with it. My Sony along with a couple of lenses were packed away inside my pack. 

With somewhat of a relieved grunt, I unbuckled the pack waist belt, and slid the 40 plus pounds off my shoulders. For a few moments I simply listened to my surroundings. Silence was most of what I detected, at first, then deep in the woods a few birds gave away their position. A fall breeze caressed the upper reaches of the tall, ancient trees adding its song to the birds. Somewhere deeper in the woods, a squirrel chattered his disapproval of something he saw. There was a quietness combined with soft melodies of a deep woods speaking to me as I sat propped against a nearby tree trunk. It was time to breakout my Sony for a few still shots of this magical place.

Backpacking and photography can be an ideal combination for a photographer, but it can also become a cumbersome burden if not approached with the right mindset. The way I approach this combination is based on a good number of years of backpack and canoe camping experience, for in many ways, they use very similar in approaches.

Backpacking of course requires you carry your gear on your back. It is physically demanding at times, which demands a certain level of fitness to be able to at least somewhat comfortably and safely to pull it off. The idea about gathering your gear for backpacking follows the same axiom as canoe camping: Keep it Simple, Keep it Light, Keep it Low, and Keep it Tight. The basic gear requirements are Pack, shelter/sleeping, food/cooking, water. 

Backpack. A backpack needs to be of sufficient size to accommodate your gear, including camera gear. Five thousand to six thousand cubic inches is not too large. The pack needs to have strong, padded, adjustable shoulder straps and a wide padded waist belt. A competent gear specialist at any good sporting goods store can help you with finding a pack that not only has the capacity to carry your gear, but also fits well, is flexible, and moves with you. 

One professional wildlife photographer I follow often carries a pack with all his camera and camping gear that weighs in around 35 kilos. That's over 75 lbs. He's also about six foot five and weighs about 215 pounds. Most people will not be comfortable carrying that much on their back. On average, 35 to 40 lbs is okay for most average sized men with 40 lbs being somewhat on the heavy side, while most women will be comfortable with 25 to 35 lbs. On the day I described above, my pack and camera gear came to a little over 45lbs with the camera gear contributing about 15lbs of that amount.

Shelters can be a simple tarp strung between two trees, or a small packers tent. Depending on time of year and location, protection from mosquitos and other creepy crawlies usually demands some kind of a tent with a mosquito netting enclosure. Finding the right tent for your comfort can often be a confusing endeavor, but the idea here is weight. 

A one person tent is more than adequate and is usually smaller and lighter in weight. Tarps of course are very light and offer a rustic example of outdoorsmanship. During the fall after the bug season is over, tarps can be a good idea. Weather is a concern when using one as a hard blow may cause your gear to get wet. Hammocks have become quite popular in recent years and offer a comfortable alternative to the tarp/tent options. Rigged with a light weight tarp over the top and they provide a very nice cozy home.

Sleeping most often requires a sleeping bag. There are numerous example of bags with down filled, or high quality synthetic filler being the most popular. Down is great as it is light and compresses into a small volume. It is somewhat expensive, and must be kept dry as if it ever gets wet it will loose its heat retaining qualities until it dries out. Synthetic fillers are less expensive, provide good quality warmth even when wet, and dry out quickly. They do not compress as well and require somewhat more filler to obtain a given temperature rating. 

A sleeping pad of some kind is a real plus. These can range from self inflating full length pads, to smaller and lighter air mattresses. Both do a good job, with the self inflating full length pads providing more durability, but tend to be bulkier while the air mattress approach works well but can be somewhat less durable. Sleeping bags are rated to a temperature range. The one I use is over 25 years old, filled with synthetic Quallofil and when new was rated to 0 degrees F. It is still a good bag and remains quite comfortable if not a bit bulky. Some bags are multi-season bags, meaning they are good for 2 to 3-seasons or 4-seasons. I'd pick a good 4-season bag.

Food is very important and should be nutritious and filling, and taste good. There are so many freeze dried packer food options today it is all but impossible to discuss them, but this is the way to go for extended trips. They are a bit pricey, but so much lighter and they really are quite good. Just add boiling water and wait a few minutes and you have a quick nutritious meal. For a simple overnighter, a quick visit to the grocery store and you can discover all kinds of food options that do not require refrigeration. Weight again is the concern, so keep it as light as possible without sacrificing quality. Instant oatmeal, trail snacks, granola bars, jerky, energy bars, quick rice, are all good options for backpacking.

Cooking can become an issue depending on the weather. Even the most experienced backpacker can have trouble building a fire during a downpour. There are numerous packer stoves available. The type of fuel they use verses the energy they produce varies considerably. I use a 40 year old Coleman Peak One packer stove. It uses standard Coleman fuel, works like a charm, and will boil a pot of water in no time. It has been all but flawless for these 40 years of operation. The only drawback is it is a bit heavy and can leak out of the filler cap if the internal pressure is not released after use. An extra aluminum bottle of fuel can be useful for extended outings. The use of a small metal cup, or small pot will work for almost any cooking that requires hot water. A small light weight skillet is handy for frying options.

Water is always a problem. It is heavy, and sometimes not readily available. I usually carry a small Nalgene bottle for on the trail drinking. I also use a water filtering system from PUR to replenish my supply as needed. There are numerous styles of water purification systems. Mine is a pump type. Other simply use gravity by hanging a source in one bag and allowing it to filter through into another container. Do not compromise with this. Get a good quality water filter system and you will never have any issues with potential tainted water sources. No filter? Simply boil the water for several minutes and allow it to cool. That will kill anything that might cause a problem.

As a quick overview of the basic backpacking gear, I'm sure it falls short on many aspects. I'm pretty old school when it comes to backpacking and my gear reflects much of that. Gear available today is far more efficient, way lighter, and pricier. My old gear has served me well, and I see no real need to upgrade...mostly anyway. The newest piece of gear I have is still a good 15 years old. Oh well. It works for me.

As far as the photography aspect goes, it's an open book as to what works best. For the most part, what works best for you may be entirely different than for me, as your needs may differ from mine. Cell phone cameras today do an amazing job and they are light weight too. However, they still have some limitations. I for one prefer to use my standard digital camera equipment because I believe it provides a wider range of capabilities. Weight here is again a factor. Just your basic survival gear can accumulate in weight very quickly. Toss in a camera body or two, a couple of extra lenses and batteries, then a tripod, and you can easily add another 10 to 15 lbs to your pack.

Here is what I usually take. One solid, but light weight tripod. It's rather small, but provides good support, and you really do not need much. Two cameras, one primarily for video using a basic kit lens, and one I use mostly for still photos, but I also will use it for video as well. An external microphone that attaches to the hot shoe on the camera. This really does help as it allows me to stand off a ways but have my voice amplified. For my still picture camera I bring two lens. An 18 - 50mm and a 75 - 300mm zoom. Both are relatively small and compact and most importantly, light weight. Their combination gives me all the focal range I need. Toss in some extra batteries, a remote cable release/intervelometer, and an extra card and I'm good to go. This combination is actually a bit too much. I can get by with one camera and lens and a small tripod. It just depends on what you want to accomplish. As I also shoot video footage, both A and B roll, I most often require two cameras, but I've also been known to curse the extra weight as I am hiking in or out, so...pack wisely.

What makes the combination of backpacking and photography so appealing it the fact that you are there. Being there is half the logistics. The idea of placing yourself where the most potential exists opens up all kinds of photography potential. You will begin to see things you might otherwise overlook. As opposed to rushing through a shoot, it becomes easier to simply slow down and allow what nature has to offer to present herself to you. I tend to limit the mileage of the hike so I can base camp when I am concentrating on photography. I'll hike into a location, set up camp, then spent the rest of the day(s) simply exploring the surrounding area. I may look for specific setups, or most often, a photo op simply jumps out at me. I'll see something during the morning light that may well present a completely different look by that evening. Sometimes I'll just sit and allow what is there to reveal itself.

Concentrating on photography during a backpacking trip keeps you occupied and focused on an objective. Many times I've left the camera at home to just get away for a while. There are many benefits from doing such a thing, but the days can get long just sitting around relaxing. With a camera in hand, I  begin to see my surroundings with a different eye. The atmosphere of the location becomes much more alive and vivid when I can visualize the light as it streams into view. The sights, sounds, and vibrations of being in nature for an extended period of time become engrained into the moment. I love it. I seek it out. I am absorbed by the experience. 

There is nothing better for a photographer when a truly unique moment of light presents itself. Having placed yourself in a location to allow such moments to happen, well, makes all the physical effort of getting there all the more worthwhile.

Recognize The Potential - Its All About Visual Context

 Adventure Photography does not necessarily suggest as a photographer you must travel across the country to find suitable subject matter. Doing so is certainly a plus, however by employing the element of evaluation to your local home range, you can discover and capture amazing photographs without ever having to travel outside your budget range. The trick is to recognize the potential of what you have available close to home and then deliver a finished photograph that captures the context of the moment.

I still have a number of bucket list items I hope to someday fulfill. I would love to spend a week during the fall at the Boundary Water Canoe Area, or hike into the Grand Canyon, or visit some of the amazing national parks I've not been able to get to yet. All are noble quests for anyone much less a photographer, but with travel costs what they are now days, well desiring to do those things and being able to afford doing them don't always coincide. Instead, I've started looking closer to home for opportunities. 

What I've discovered is just how easy it is to overlook the photographic potential of nearby locations. I've also started to understand how important it is to first recognize the potential of a given location by evaluating what it has to offer. The hard part is  conveying the visual context of the moment. Visual Context? Well, let me explain it this way. If I were to tell you I found an object and left it at that, you might think, 'Okay...so.' But, if I were to tell you I found it while walking on a volcanic sands beach and stepped on it barefoot, or while hiking in the mountains during a snow storm, well, now you have some visual context around the item that portrays it in a deeper meaning. In order to increase the impact of a photograph, it must have some visual context applied to it.

So how do you accomplish this? Much of the process is simply instinctive reactions combined with an element of common sense and observation. For example. Snap shots of a local lake are fine if all you desire is to make a simple record of an outing. They are the kind of photos you see all the time, nothing new or unusual about them. Capturing aesthetically pleasing photographs requires you to take your photographic efforts a good deal further down the road. For example, the photo on the left above is actually a pretty nice photo and it does have some context applied to it. You can deduce it was taken early at a lake and there was some driftwood along the edge. But, how did the photographer get there?

The photo on the right provides a good deal more context in that you can determine the moment was attained while paddling in a canoe across a calm lake on a foggy morning...Context. The first photo leaves the viewer with some mystery to contemplate from simple context, which is a good thing, while the other one generates a mysterious, and adventurous story line using more complete context.

Recognizing the potential of local photo ops takes some intuitive thinking to create context. Consider time of year and weather. What are the prevailing conditions during any given season? What is the potential for stormy weather, fog, wind, beautiful sunsets or sunrises, clear skies, clear and clean night skies, do you place the horizon high or low or across the middle in the composition, or maybe something entirely unexpected like a random encounter with wildlife. The idea then is to do some research and / or rely on past experience to set up a potential opportunity to discover what just might transpire photographically at a given location and then to apply an element of context to the moment by including subtle visual clues that show the viewer why this moment was important. Doing so interjects some of yourself into the photo.

Another part of the process, and the whole purpose of the exercise, is to be willing to be on location when the best light is available. Most of the time early or late in the day offers the best light potential, but it does not always require that. During the fall or winter, often overcast skies will create soft light that will cause the fall colors or the stark blend of winter contrasts, to resonate against the background. Middle of the day harsh lighting can be used to your advantage provided you find the best location to take advantage of it. Photograph the shadows, shoot the details of translucent light, isolate a single object against a dark background. The photo of the gull above shows the graceful flight of these amazing birds. The lines across the bottom half helps to provide some context as they are waves created by a passing boat.

It is those kinds of opportunities we too often overlook. Personally, I will shoot any time of day regardless of the lighting conditions. I just simply adjust my approach and look for the subjects that fit the conditions. Context is not always easy to apply, but there can be subtle visual clues. The star shaped flowers on the image to the right is surrounded by the context of dense foliage and soft shadowy light which generates the feeling of walking into a heavily wooded area. Context.

Recently, using my canoe to get there, I spent a few days camping on an isolated gravel beach at one of the local lakes. During the middle of the day, what surrounded me was rather ordinary snapshot type of opportunities. But, I began to look past what I was seeing in the middle part of the day, to recognize the potential of what might occur around dusk and then again before daylight. I call that approach "Visualizing beyond the ordinary". Things like fog, or subtle movement across the calm surface of a body of water, reflections, blurred movement, among many other elements help to provide context to the potential of a successful photo.

Camping on location gave me the advantage of being there when the light was at its best and as I suspected, this ordinary looking place offered up some rather nice photo ops when the light shifted into its best dressed moments. I simply allowed the moment to reveal itself contextually.

Recognizing the potential of a given location requires you to stop and think, then visualize beyond the ordinary, to see what could be, as opposed to what is, at a given moment. Context is difficult to convey. Sometimes you get it right, and sometimes you don't, but that is part of the learning process. When you get it right, the rewards often far out weigh the amount of effort it took to place yourself there.

Wind Blown - Three Days on Barren River Lake - Kentucky

 Canoe camping always presents a series of challenges and opportunities and over the course of three days near the end of September 2022, I faced challenges from nature that pushed my canoeing limits, yet discovered opportunities to capture some wonderful photographs.

The forecast was for winds 5 to 10 miles per hour for almost everyday that week. What I faced, especially on day one, were headwinds that kicked up white caps across the lake and made it nearly impossible to make forward progress in my canoe. Camper...my Old Town Canoe...is a venerable craft and I love it. It is especially good on flat water and quite adequate on flowing water, but the winds on the first day of my three day outing pushed old Camper to its limits and challenged my canoeing skills to near the breaking point. It's a discerning canoer who knows when to pull off the water because of the winds, and I very nearly did. 

Canoes are wonderful vessels, but limited in their ability to weather choppy waters. I stayed as close to the bank as I could as the winds tended to moderate some along the edges, but at times the very closeness to the ridge that rose from the waters edge tended to compress the winds causing them to intensify. There were times I literally was standing still as I flailed away with the paddle. The last quarter mile from my destination I almost turned back because I could not make any progress, but was able to slide over into a somewhat protected cove where the intensity of the wind dropped to about half. With one final effort I made landfall at the gravel beach I was to call home for the next couple of nights.

The winds were typical of the season, where each day early on it was quite still, almost calm, but by mid morning they started to kick in and by midday the blow was on and the blow lasted all afternoon almost until dusk when they moderated once again and stayed gentle through the evening. Fishing was pretty much out of the question as the wind made it impossible to fish from a canoe, but that was a secondary objective for this outing. My primary purpose was simply to get away and enjoy a few days out afield and to seek out photographically what Barren River Lake offered on this early Fall outing. I've always believed in order to capture the best possible light, you must place yourself in a position to do so. This particular time, I had to really work at it to get there, but the rewards were soon to reveal themselves as the fall colors were further along that expected this early in the season.

In spite of the wind, the weather was simply glorious. Bright blue sky, daytime highs in the low 70's and the night time lows fell all the way to as low as the upper 30's on the first night and the mid 40's on the second night. Using some paracord and a few whittled down sticks for supporting poles I pitched a makeshift tarp shelter a few yards from the waters edge. I had to do some excavating to create a flatten area upon which I could lay flat without feeling like I was going to roll down hill. Plenty of firewood lay scattered across the beach and inside the wooded area behind my campsite. 

By the time I had made camp, gathered firewood, and secured my gear, the time was closing in on dusk I managed to take some sundown photo's to close out the day. I'm always amazed at the myriad of colors the evening sky produces. Deep blues and violets, yellows, oranges, and reds dominate the atmosphere. Add a simple foreground object and the composition sets itself. Sometimes the evening sky is what is most important, but sometimes just a sliver of the sky is what is needed and reflections off the water become the most important

I spent that first evening relaxing around the campfire, but the day's struggle against the wind had taken its toll and by the time it was getting pretty dark, I called it a day and crawled into my sleeping bag to do some reading.  I've been re-reading an old classic true adventure book called A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. It's somewhat of a dated book, but the adventure rings as true today as it did back in the early 1970's when it was written

Peter was a disillusioned young man from upper middle class Connecticut who became disgruntled with America and he felt like he truly did not understand or know what his country was all about. So he decided he'd find out by walking across it with his faithful dog Cooper. During his adventures he encounters all kinds of people, good and bad, weathers numerous storms and even almost dies from the flu, but in the end he rediscovers his country. In this first book, he travels down the Appalachia Trail starting in New York and works his way south to cross Georgia, Alabama, then arches into Tennessee, then eventually makes his way to New Orleans.  It's a great adventure. His second book titled The Walk West is where he heads west to eventually end up on the Pacific coast. I'll be reading that one again too...after I re-read another true adventure book titled "Dove". Dove is about a 16 year old boy who sails around the world solo back in the early to mid-60's. It is truly a grand adventure and I'm looking forward to re-reading it again.

That night I was able to do some night sky photography and captured several good images using an old stately but dead tree as a foreground object. It simply appeared to stretch toward the heavens.

The first morning came early enough and I was hoping there would be some fog on the lake. At first light, I crawled out of my sleeping bag, shivered in the morning chill, and was greeted by a wonderful ghostly fog that danced across the surface of the water. I quickly setup up the video camera and paddled into this apparition of the morning and managed to capture several photos, and video sequences. It could not have been much better. Along with this post, I will be posting a 15 minute Beyond the Campfire Adventure video which captures much of this unique morning...(Video).

Before the winds kicked up, I managed to paddle further up the lake about a mile or so just to see what was there, hoping to do some fishing, and maybe find another campsite. About the time I got there, the winds started in again and I was forced to turn around and head back to my original location.

 By the time I arrived the wind had cranked up into another blow creating a few whitecaps on the open water so I pulled out and spent some time exploring the woods behind that gravel beach.

The afternoon was warm, but windy, and as I inclined against a makeshift backrest, I heard some noise behind me. One of the fattest squirrels I've ever seen ran down the tree trunk and stopped about 8 feet or so from where I was. His coloring was unusual in that his back was graying, while his sides were red, and he had a white muzzle. He simply stared at me seemingly not knowing who or what I was.

 He never did appear spooked. I did not have my camera nearby, so I just watched him. When I stood to retrieve my camera, he scampered up the tree to hide on an elevated limb.

Most of the afternoon I simply relaxed and took several photos of the wooded area behind my site, and contemplated what I was going to do that evening and the next morning. I did manage to do some fishing off the bank and on one corner of this point that was my campsite where several large rocks extended into the water, I managed to catch three bass. Nothing of real consequence, but fun none-the-less. At least I did not get skunked.

I read well into the evening absorbed by the adventure that Peter experienced all those years ago. My heart tells me just how grand and amazing an adventure such as that would be, but that was a young man's adventure and what I was doing over these three days was more inclined to what my older self was capable of accomplishing. 

The next morning dawned bright and clear and even though there was a gentle breeze already kicking up, a light wispy fog hugged the surface of the lake and when the sun peaked over the top of the ridge, it set alight, stirred, and caused the thin layer of fog to dance across the surface. Once again I setup the video camera, and paddled into this most delightful of mornings. By the time I broke camp and stowed my gear in the bow of Camper, the morning was well on its way. It would take a couple of hours of steady paddling to return to the ramp where my ride was to catch up with me later on. At least I had a tail wind most of the way back and by the time I made it to the ramp, the wind was already driving other boaters off the lake.

Along the way I managed some fishing, but mostly I just contemplated just how amazingly beautiful this portion of the lake is. The fall colors were well on their way, even this early in the season, and the contrast of the yellows, greens, reds, and oranges against the brilliant blue sky became a fitting end to a very good and relaxing three days on the lake. 

Spider Webs: Nature's Perfection

 Not many things are more distracting than to received a face full of spider web while you are strolling through the woods. Almost invisible at times, it's easy to walk square into a thick coating of one that seems to cover your entire face. What's worse is when it gets in your mouth. More often than not, I will pick up a short stick and wave it in a circular motion in front of me as I take a woodland stroll as this will effectively eliminate those unseen creations of nature. I must look ridiculous doing that, but hey, it works.  Oddly enough, on those days when I have my camera in hand and nothing is happening photographically, spider webs often provide an amazing photographic resource.

Stronger than a steel strand of the same diameter, spider webs are produced from a liquid inside the spider that is made up of proteins that somehow generate a silky substance that is either fed from the spiders abdomen via gravity as the spider swings across an opening or is simply pulled from the spider by its legs. Regardless of how it is extracted, spider webs are some of the most perfectly and intricately formed creations of nature thus providing the photographer with an amazing opportunity to capture something that is truly unique in the world.

In order to photograph a spider web effectively, the light needs to be just right, usually coming from a low angle that back lights the strands. A dark background is also necessary so the strands have something to stand out against. I don't always try to photograph the entire web. Sometimes I concentrate on just a portion of one when the design elements stand out. The background lighting will also make for an interesting composition so always keep that in mind as you frame the image. Also remember it is best to focus on the web as straight on as possible because the depth of field issue will sometimes make part of the composition out of focus. Don't be afraid to crop the image either. Just a single area can be the most interesting part of the web.

The best time is early of morning when the light is angled low and more often than not the morning dew has settled on the web. This really creates a wonderful contrast and the dew often looks like a string of suspended diamonds. If dew is not heavy enough, you can simulate its effects by using a small spray bottle and simply giving it a couple of squirts, or in a pinch if you have a water bottle, take a small mouth full and with pressed lips, blow it out in a fine spray.

Spider webs offer a unique and fun subject matter. They are truly one of natures most perfectly designed creations. I'm always fascinated by their delicate yet strong engineering design.

Writing and Photography - repost

 Taking a little time off so to fill in the gap...here's a repost of an old one from 2011....

There is a quiet nature that fills the air just before dawn...during those moments as the sky grows brighter little by little.  The softness speaks to those who take time to listen...what is said during those times often lingers long after the darkness has faded.  As with most days we soon are caught up in activities that rush about and distract us...but those silent moments...those times when it is most quiet...we always seem to remember with fond reserve.  Words found to describe such times are rare...yet the memories capture the heart of one who has discovered the rarity of those encounters.

I rediscovered such rarity one morning as I drifted across silent waters enjoying a brief and long anticipated escape canoeing the haunts of Shanty Hollow Lake.  It's an odd sensation floating on calm waters in the dark...no real sense of movement.  A hundred or so yards out I coasted to a stop and allowed my gaze to lift upward towards a sky filled with the light of countless stars.  The silence of that moment filled my soul.  For timeless minutes I simply drifted...no wind...no sounds...just the first light of morning to break the darkness.

As I moved on toward that morning rendezvous the stars slowly, one by one, twinkled one last time and faded away.  There was no way to capture the first part of that morning except in words...and in searching for those words I am reminded of the similarities between writing and photography.  Where in writing one seeks to stir the imagination by painting word pictures in the mind of the reader...in photography...one uses light to build an image that expresses emotional visual stories the viewer interprets in their mind.  The thought processes are often the same...to find the right combination of words...or light...to define the subject in such a way that the reader or viewer understands the importance of what you were trying to express.  Writing helps one to become a better photographer because it serves to develop that creative side of the mind...and that in time will lend itself well served.

Keith

Almost, But Not Quite

 If I were to condense my life into one phrase it would be; "Almost, but not quite". I was almost good at a lot of things, but I never quite reached the point of being great at anything. Even though it seems like most of my everyday life fell short, I suppose I hit one homerun which I will talk about in a moment. 

I was always physically a year behind everyone else growing up; never quite big enough to play football, never quite fast enough to be a good sprinter, never had enough endurance to be a good distance guy, a solid swimmer but never competitive, never quite smart enough to make the honor roll, almost a good artist but not quite, always wanted to learn how to fly, but never did, still looking to capture that one great photograph, was a decent marksman but never an expert...you get the idea. Oh, I was somewhat competitive in most of those endeavors, but always seemed to fall short. There was always someone faster, bigger, stronger, smarter, more talented.

Even so, in spite of all that, I suppose I never gave up, but kept on trying, kept on pursuing that next level. There were times I felt discouraged because i could not get there, and times I felt like I actually made some progress. Most of the time I simply pressed on biding my time until another day when I might make that forward leap to the next level, until one day I realized time and age had finally caught up with me. The windows of opportunity gradually began to shut never to be reopened. A few new ones jarred loose from time to time, but barely cracked open enough to allow for a clear opportunity to materialize. 

Even as a photographer, there are times I feel like I've almost achieved something unique and powerful, until I see the works of other truly talented photographers and realize I am still a long ways off. I often fondly recall times from my past that were truly unique in their own right. My time in the military qualifies for such, but even so I realize how I missed a lot of opportunities back then to achieve a higher level of accomplishment. I suppose I was never destined to experience the moment(s) of excellence my heart always felt like it could achieve. 

But, you know, all that is okay, because as I ponder on all the events of my life, collectively they add up to a great deal more than their individual values. Because I have accomplished a great deal in spite of those apparent short falls. I've hiked across and deep into the high country of the Rocky Mountains. I've kept myself physically fit, I've gained an education that lead to a career that supported my family, purchased my now paid for home, and gave me a sense of purpose for many years. I've witnessed numerous sunrises as I've sat inside my canoe on gentle waters, and stood transfixed as countless prairie sunsets bid my day farewell. I've felt the cold wind on my face and the hot sun on my back, and weathered many storms both physically and internally. I've stood spellbound beneath a starry sky to witness one of the grandest displays of creation. I've witnessed the birth of my two sons and watched them grow into men. I've spent more hours just sitting on the front porch as the morning awakens and as the evening dissipates into the night. I've sailed on storm tossed seas and performed life threatening rescues and had someone gratefully shake my hand  for having done so. These are but a token of the life defining events of my life, all of them lead and contributed to that one perfectly defining moment.

I did manage to achieve the highest mark on one thing. It is what I call my homerun moment, the moment when I stood with knees shaking and thoughts of an uncertain future haunting me as my new bride walked down the isle and took my hand as my life partner. Through all the almost forty one years, she stood by me, encouraged, corrected, guided, cried, consoled, confided, and offered herself as a beacon of light in my often sometimes stormy, sometimes dull life. Everything else pales in comparison, for she was the defining moment of my life, and she has been the God given lighthouse that has always brought me through to a safe harbor. 

Moonrise Serenade: A Video

 Finished putting together a BTC video production from this outing. It was certainly a fun and productive canoe camping trip and I was able to gather enough video footage to document the adventure. I definitely plan a return trip in the near future...but next time I won't leave my fishing rod in my Jeep...:)

Please enjoy:

 Thanx for watching!

A Hint of Fall - Moonrise Serenade: A Solo Overnight Canoe Camp

Moonrise

As I relaxed beside the campfire where my campsite commanded a strong view of the lake, a hint of fall settled across the landscape. What had been a hotter than normal Kentucky summer, rebounded nicely in mid-August to tease my senses with cooler temperatures and lower humidity. This change in the air was made all the more enjoyable by a musical breeze that strummed the tops of the tree-covered ridges stimulating them into a spontaneous song, backed up by the rhythmic wind blown waves rolling against the gravel bank. As the sun slipped behind the ridge behind me the air took on an even more crisp, fresh feel to it and dipped toward a chilly evening. I needed a moment like this one, where my desire to get away for a while and explore the perimeter of Barren River Lake, found a somewhat isolated place where I could pull my canoe out of the water and spend an evening alone. What was to greet me that evening proved itself a special Beyond the Campfire moment afield.

After somewhat of a late start, I paddled a few miles up the lake that afternoon to check out a location I believed might prove a good camping spot. It was better than I hoped for, being a wide gravel and sandy beach looping across and around a small point of land ending with a gentle slope at the waters edge. A stiff headwind worked against me for most of the paddle which provided a good workout and a couple of blisters on both thumbs and a few fingers. 

After setting up camp where I stretched a tarp across my canoe turn onto its edge, I made an inventory of all the gear I had packed, which was way more than I needed. I made some time to relax and wait for the light to shift toward that golden hour just before and after sunset. I did make a few short video clips for future use in a follow up BTC production, but mostly I just relaxed, ate a quick meal, and made ready my camera gear. Two camera bodies, 4 lenses, two tripods, a microphone, plus some essential extras added up to extra weight, but I used almost all of it.

 Sunset snuck up on me and I almost missed the opportunity, so I scrambled around to take a few quick photos. As I walked back toward my camp, I heard a loud screech sort of like a hawk would make, but higher pitched. At the second screech, I looked skyward and discovered perched in the top of an old dead tree about 30 feet up, just behind my camping area, was a magnificent Osprey. In one talon he held a fish, still alive and struggling to shake free. He seemed oblivious to my presence as he worked on eating his catch. The light was very low by this time, but I did manage to shoot a few video clips and take some photos of this striking bird. With such low light the focus was a bit soft, but the reward came not in capturing a photo, but in being able to share a natural moment with a beautiful bird of prey.

As the light faded beyond good photography, I built a fire and waited for the expected moonrise. The previous night a full moon had cast shadows across the landscape and I was hoping for a similar sight just one day out. Gradually, a faint glow appeared behind the ridge across the lake. A few stars were out, but the sky was still somewhat bright precluding any good night sky photos...I did take a few anyway. 

Moonrise

I've always been amazed just how long it takes the moon, or sun, to finally rise above the horizon once it begins its climb, but when it does, it seems to race across the sky. 

The thin layer of clouds hovering over the ridge across the lake caught the silver light of the yet unseen moon turning them into a glowing aberration. 

A bright spot appeared through the top edge of the ridge outlined by trees across the top. Inch by inch the moon climbed into view until it broke free of the ridge top. The layer of clouds were set ablaze by the near fullness of our lunar neighbor. I sat my camera with a wide angle lens on a tripod and positioned it behind me about 10 yards or so.  Using a 10 second timer, I pressed the shutter release and swiftly moved forward to the edge of the water. I heard the click, and when I examined the result, I knew I had captured a unique photo. It is near impossible to capture a bright moon on a dark night without either blowing out the moon, or blacking out the terrain and sky around it. I had set the exposure for the latter and allowed the moon exposure to fall where it may. The result created an image that looked more like a sunrise than a moonrise. I was pleased with the result.

Moonrise Serenade

I slept very little that evening., but I did not mind for I was serenaded by the forlorn night songs of distant coyotes. My campsite offered a perfect view of the near full moon well into the evening, perfect setting for the coyotes to raise their voices. I simply lay on top of my sleeping bag absorbing the ghostly view of the calm lake as it was also serenaded by the soft moon light. Eventually, the night chill persuaded me to crawl inside the bag. The night was so bright, I could see details in the trees across the way and ghostly shadows dancing in the moonlight.

 I've witnessed countless full moons, photographed them dozens of times, almost always the same cliched way. This moonrise serenade image is by far the most unique and possibly best photo I've ever made of the moon. As I thought about it later, I realized just how much taking this image fit in with the Beyond the Campfire theme. I've spent a great deal of time taking photographs of a great many subjects and the ones that stand apart from the others are the ones where a different approach was applied to their capture, one where I made an effort to be in the right place at the right time to discover what the light of the moment offered. Kind of like thinking outside the box, beyond the campfire, where looking at nature with a different set of perspectives can provide memorable if not outright one of a kind personal moments of affirmation.

Beyond The Campfire: The Story Behind The BTC Name

 I've known a great many campfires over the years and no two of them were ever the same. Each had their own personality and impact on my outdoor experiences. I suppose they are my favorite part of the camping experience. Building one from scratch requires a learning curve stretched across dozens of attempts in all kinds of weather. Even so, there is a warmth to a campfire that goes far beyond the physical heat generated by them. 

Back in 2010 when I started the Beyond the Campfire site, I struggled to come up with a theme that would be fitting for and to express the depth of the stories that would be created through time. My thought process on the selection of the BTC name followed a simple axiom; A campfire is comfortable, it is warm, it feels safe, it provides illumination when it is dark, and it captures the imagination. I wanted to take the readers beyond all of that, beyond what is comfortable, and expose them to experiences that would challenge them to step away from their comfort areas, and explore new possibilities both photographically, and emotionally as it related to the outdoor experience. So the words, Beyond the Campfire became the descriptive title of the then new blog page dedicated to capturing and experiencing the outdoors.

I also wanted a title page image that captured the feeling of the beyond the campfire theme. The main title page image sort of happened by accident actually. It was made on Oklahoma's Tallgrass Prairie, one of my favorite locations to photograph and to spend time outdoors. 

In all honesty, I was surprised at how the image turned out, and in all honesty, it is not a single photograph, but a composite of two images. One image was of a prairie sundown which of itself was an okay image but still needed something to bring out the qualities it did have, and to restore the defects within it. The other one was a pretty bad photo of me standing amongst a field of coneflowers. That photo really was not very well made with the sky all washed out and nothing compositionally worked well with it. 

Sometime later I learned a technique of how to blend two completely different photos into a single photo and thought these two might be good ones to experiment with. Never really thought the technique would amount to much. When I executed the last option to blend the images into one, what appeared on the screen was a single photo with a far greater impact than the sum of both images by themselves. I literally spoke out loud and said "WOW"! when it appeared. In a single stroke of insight, I realized this particular photo just might become one of the most impactful images I've ever created. Even though it is a blend of two photos, the defects found in both images became the strength of the visual story their combined qualities portrayed. It mattered little that the image was made from two photos. What matter most was that the finished product stood apart from most everything I've ever created and it visually told the powerful story of what photography and Beyond the Campfire was all about; Trying new things to capture the world from the perspective of what you feel as opposed to what you see it. This image portrays a profound impact of what spending time in nature can have on a persons life. 

It's been a long haul and an up and down ride since then. To date over 500 articles have been posted and I've learned a great deal about how to express and share my thoughts on the various subjects. The blog has undergone numerous levels of change from in the beginning where the articles were mostly about photographic technique, then the stories shifted toward capturing outdoor experiences photographically. Over time, the stories shifted again with a greater emphasis placed on nostalgic memories from my earliest days afield using vintage type photos to help tell the story. More recently the story emphasis has shifted again toward the deeper meaning and impact of spending time outdoors, with more video programs being made to create a more personal view of my experiences. These videos are called Beyond The Campfire Adventure Photography and attempt to take photography into a newer and different realm.

Photography has from the beginning been an important combining element for the stories. The evolution of Beyond the Campfire I suppose represents how I have changed as well since beginning this journey. Being fully retired now offers a greater opportunity to explore new worlds and adventures with my backpack, my canoe, and my Jeep, and as always...with my camera in hand.

Canoe Camping and Nature Photography - Keep it Simple, Keep it Light, Keep it Low, and Keep it Tight

 Some years back, my Nephew's Boy Scout troupe wanted to take a 50+ mile, multi day float trip down Arkansas' beautiful Buffalo River. I lived in the area at the time so I managed to take a few days off and join them on what proved to be an eventful canoe camping trip. 

Internet Photo

My brother and I had just returned from spotting my old pickup truck at the takeout located just below the rustic little community of Gilbert, Arkansas. The round trip took a little over an hour and by the time we had returned to the put in back up river the troupe were loaded up and ready to start their float trip full of anticipation. When I stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to the group, what I saw caused me to gasp internally. Two of the five adults who were making the trip with us, were sitting inside a fifteen foot canoe. That fact alone was not cause for alarm, but how they loaded the canoe was for they were grossly overloaded.

First of all, both men were quite large each pushing upwards toward 220lbs or more.  A fifteen foot canoe can handle a lot of weight if properly distributed to avoid it becoming top heavy, however, between them they had stacked at least two ice chests filled to capacity, and other assorted food containers and camping gear. That pile of stuff extended at least eighteen inches to two feet higher than the center gunwales, and stretched almost from bow to stern with barely enough leg room for the two large men to sit. It was so high, the guy in the stern could barely see over the top.  Worse yet when they shoved off, that small canoe showed no more than three at most four inches of freeboard and was a disaster waiting to happen.

We were not long in waiting for something to happen. A few yards down stream...and over they went, with nary an obstacle in their way. They were just too grossly overloaded and top heavy. For the next half day, it was one spill after another every few dozen yards. Through most of it I avoided upsetting certain sensitivities and ego's, but the situation was not good. That is when it was suggested (by me) they transfer some of their gear into my canoe, which I was paddling solo and had lots of room to spare, and for them to swap out to a seventeen foot canoe two of the smaller boys were using and let them use the shorter one. After that, we mostly made it down the river with only a few more relatively minor spills. Oddly enough, that four day float trip turned out to be a really good trip...once we got the gear loading situation ironed out. 

Canoe camping is an art and there are best practices that should be followed and more importantly, bad practices that should not be followed. I'll concentrate on one of the worst. First of all, my number one canoeing pet peeve is the ice chest. I have seen this bulky contraption toted more times than I want to remember. For some reason, many canoers think they have to take an ice chest stuffed with all kinds of goodies to be comfortable. They are not designed for canoeing. They are cumbersome and heavy. They are actually not watertight, they can cause the canoe to shift out of balance and if you take a spill, it is almost impossible to recover the chest and its contents intact. And, lets not forget should there be any kind of portaging required, carrying an ice chest simply becomes a burdensome bother. Ice chests, therefore, in my book of don't is a big don't. There are much better alternatives.

Canoe camping is not all that much different than backpacking and should be approached as such. Keep it simple, keep it light, keep it low, and keep it tight is a good axiom to follow. 

Keep it Simple...less is better, take only the basics required for the conditions you expect to encounter, and this includes camera gear, plus a little extra to carry you through an extended outing should weather interfere. 

Keep it Light...it just makes it easier and involves less physical work. That extra edition of War and Peace is probably not needed, nor is that 16" cast iron skillet, and for you photographer types, probably not that 600mm f4 monster of a lens, unless you are a professional wildlife photographer and have good reason to carry it. It's always a good idea to have good insurance on your camera gear.

Keep it Low...Lower the center of gravity by packing your heaviest gear low in the canoe and avoid having the gear extend above the gunwales. This keeps the canoe more stable. If paddling solo, pack your gear toward the front as this adds a measure of weight to the bow allowing for better tracking and handling through the water.

Keep it Tight...water tight that is. There are numerous dry bags available at most sporting goods stores or from places like Amazon or Cabela's and they come in a variety of sizes and configurations. Investing in several of these is well worth the minimal expense. I use three; a smallish one for things like my phone, wallet, keys, things like that.  Clipped to a cross thwart it provides a safe and dry container for my small gear. I also use a medium sized one mostly for a change of clothes and other soft things like a towel or rain gear and so on. I also use a large bag mostly for things like my sleeping bag, tent and/or tarp, ground cloth, just for camping gear mostly and I might also keep my food and cooking gear inside as well.

One piece of gear that is becoming more popular are what are known as Canoe Barrels. They are in fact just that. They are shaped like a small barrel and made of tough plastic and are sealed with a watertight lid. They are available in various sizes and prices, and some come with, or have available, a shoulder harness to make portaging easier. 

They are large capacity containers and unlike the ice chest, they are specifically designed for canoeing. Most use them to carry their food and cooking gear inside. If on a tight budget, you can make one as a DIY project. I made one out of a heavy duty five gallon plastic bucket sealed using what is known as a Gamma lid, or a Lock-tite lid, a lid with a tight fitting, O-ring sealed rim, where a twist on lid is rotated and locked into place. 

These are available at most hardware stores. I also used an old PFD attached to the barrel with a nylon strap as a padded means of carrying it on a portage. It's completely waterproof, easy to transport, and best of all only cost me about $10.00 to make.

My second pet peeve, and only by the smallest of margins, is the Boom Box. Why on earth would you want to carry along a loud, bulky music box and blare away to drown out the sounds of nature? Don't do it. It ruins the whole purpose for getting away. Not everyone in your group may like your choice of music anyway, the noise it makes carries a long ways and spills over into other areas. I have seen this far too often, mostly at public campgrounds, which I never use anymore, but also on more isolated adventures. Here you are, finally away from the grind, camped on a nice gravel bar or on a rustic campsite with a great view of the lake, birds singing, wind whispering through the trees, and water flowing over shoals, and someone brings out the boom box and blasts the sounds of silence into oblivion. Makes a grown man want to cry. I see no problem with someone bringing an acoustical guitar along as long as it can be protected from the elements. Some gentle guitar music around the campfire might be quite a nice thing to experience, but even that can become a problem if taken to an extreme. Leave the boom box at home and as far as that goes, leave the headphones and digital music at home as well. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and moments nature gives to you.

As a photographer, it is too temping to not take along my camera while canoeing. That, however presents a whole other problem. Sometimes I purposely choose to leave all that stuff at home and simply get out and make visual memories instead. Even so, camera gear and water generally do not mix well so caution needs to be taken to protect your gear. The best thing to use is a waterproof container like the ones made by Pelican. They can be a budget buster, but they are really good for camera gear. There are other less expensive brands that serve the same purpose, or you can go the shoe string route. I use a ammo can.

 Available at most sporting goods stores, they are inexpensive, O-ring sealed, and close snuggly. For added insurance I will place camera gear inside large zip lock bags and seal them inside the can. I also will place some shipping bubble wrap inside to cushion the camera and lens. The ammo cans provide easy access and relatively safe watertight protection, plus they are small and light weight.

As far as camera gear goes, I generally will go light taking only one camera body, a few extra batteries, and two lenses; a wide angle and a small telephoto. A small lightweight tripod can be useful, but again, caution is the better part of valor here. If used inside the canoe, and they can be, they must be tightly secured to prevent it from tipping over. They are better used on firm ground away from the water. Another option is to use a GoPro camera. They are great and take wonderful high definition video and still photos, plus they are waterproof. GoPro is the industry standard and consequently are somewhat expensive, but there are less expensive after market brands that provide similar features and quality.

Canoeing and photography go well together. For the most part it is easier to approach wildlife from the water with a canoe. I guess they just don't equate danger coming from the water. Slow movements, dull clothing, stealthy approach will often get you quite close. With a small telephoto lens, and you can capture the natural behavior of the wildlife. Get on the water early when there is a mist or light fog and you have the makings of very special light and compositions.

For overnight or multi-day trips, it is important to eat well. Doing so is subject to a wide variety of options and personal tastes. There is always the store bought dehydrated meals. These are very good and light, quick to prepare with little or no cleanup required. They can be a bit pricey depending on brand and the individual meal, but do offer a simple and nutritious solution to your daily meal plans. You can also dehydrate your own food and store them in zip lock bags. With a little practice, complete meals can be dehydrated, just add hot water and in a few minutes you're ready to eat. Having a meal plan worked out in advance makes your overnight outings rewarding and filling. If you are only going to be out for a single overnight trip, a few canned foods can be used for meals, but remember, if you pack it in, you pack it out. Too many times I have seen smashed cans left in a campfire. Not only does this look bad, its just a bad habit to get into. I will put my empty cans in the fire until the residue contents are burned out, then after the cans cool, I smash them and toss them into a zip lock bag to be disposed of later.

Cooking over a campfire is one of camping life's best pleasures. It takes a bit of practice, but can be mastered by almost anyone. One of my favorite and easy meals is to make Bannock quick bread served with scrambled eggs and bacon. Bacon can be frozen and wrapped in butcher paper and by the time its meal time, it will be thawed and still fresh. Free range eggs are best for as long as they have not been washed or refrigerated, they will keep a long time, several days for sure. (Washing them removes a protective layer on the shell that naturally prevents bacteria from entering the egg. Once washed, they must be kept cool.) Regular store bought eggs are good for a few days as long as the weather is not too hot.

Bannock is quick and simple. The basic recipe is one cup of flour mixed with one tablespoon of baking powder and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add enough water to knead it into a bread-like dough. Sprinkle a little extra flour on top to keep it from sticking and spoon a glob into a hot frying pan greased with olive oil or even better...bacon grease. (this makes two or three large biscuit like cakes).

Smash it down to flatten it somewhat and flip it a couple of times until cooked through, it doesn't take long. Cut or fold it to make two halves. Add a little butter, and smother it with scrambled eggs, add a few green onions and/or green peppers, and bacon, maybe a little maple syrup, squeeze together and enjoy...I'm telling you, cooked over a campfire, there ain't no better camping meal around and it will carry you far into an active day. 

Canoe camping and photography offers the best of both worlds; a chance to get away and an opportunity to experience and capture nature up close. You'll find you can sneak up on wildlife with a canoe to get those amazing close in shots plus placing yourself in nature opens up more possibilities to capture truly amazing scenic photographs. Canoes are silent and safe when operated within their capabilities. As stated in the beginning, there are more don'ts than there are do's. Just use a common sense approach, keep things simple, and enjoy yourself...and as always, be safe and smart.

Milestones

 Beyond The Campfire started back in 2010 as an offshoot of an old 1990's website I developed called Oklahoma Backcountry. OKBC was an experiment where I learned how to construct a story and how to put my outdoor experiences into words. It was mostly about hunting and fishing along with some other outdoor related adventures mostly in the Oklahoma outdoor arena. Being an applications programmer I created the site using HTML code, which took a bit of a learning curve. Over time it developed a small but consistent following and garnered somewhere around 50,000 hits or so within its lifetime. It was selected as one of the top 10 AOL Hometown websites and was one of the featured pages on that platform. But, in time, the AOL Hometown platform closed down suddenly and almost all of the stories and photos posted on the site were lost. Except for a few printed stories, everything else was lost.

Fast forward a few years and I ended up in Kentucky. Photography became a larger part of my life and I began to explore the possibility of starting a new webpage with a focus blended on outdoor activity and photography. I settled on using Blogspot as a platform. It fit my purposes almost perfectly and in October 2010 I started Beyond the Campfire (BTC) and posted my first article, Time on the Prairie,  https://beyondthecampfirebykeith.blogspot.com/2010/10/time-on-prairie.html

It was short paragraph with a single photograph, but it was a beginning, and since then I've posted and shared almost 500 articles using countless photographs, with visits from almost 90 countries, all 50 states, and hundreds of cities. As of this writing BTC is approaching 140,000 hits. In 2018, using a similar format, I created a Media Page for the local Sunny 16 Camera Club. (https://sunnysixteencameraclub.blogspot.com/)  It has grown to date with almost 20,000 hits from 40 countries, 40 States, hundreds of cities, with over 80 articles and hundreds of photographs provided by club members.

Back 2019, After hundreds of articles and photographs, I felt like BTC had grow a bit stale and repetitive having lost some of its originality and freshness, so I decided to shut it down. It remained available for anyone to visit and browse through the archive of articles, and so it remained dormant for a while. 

By 2021, those creative longings once again began to stir and BTC was reopened with a newer approach focusing less on the how-to photography and more on the outdoor experience with photography as a measure of the moment. I also started making more video productions calling them Beyond the Campfire Adventure Photography Video Productions. That endeavor has gone through a great deal of trial and error, a lot of error, but has evolved into a series of YouTube video's focusing on the outdoor experiences captured not only through photographs, with using videography as the main media tool.

Beyond the Campfire over the past 12 years or so has taken on a life and personality of its own. My writing and videography skills are improving, with lots of room yet to expand into. I am thankful for all of the support and following from every visitor and I hope Beyond the Campfire has inspired you to explore the outdoors with your camera.