When Frost Settles: Don't Wait Until It's Too Late

 I stepped outside one cold morning and inhaled the crisp air of the late fall season. Most of the leaves had already dropped and covered the yard like a multi-colored blanket. Around the perimeter and scattered across my little acre stretched tall trees; beech, hickory, a few oaks, sugar maples, and other assorted kinds, mostly bare now, but some still retained remnants of their fall colored coatings. Fallen leaves, mostly dried and brittle, crunched under foot as I trod toward the end of the yard and then into the wooded area beyond.

 I weaved my way through the woods, ducking under low hanging limbs, stopping ever so often to examine the evidence of a deer rub where the bark of a three inch thick sapling was scrapped off exposing the brighter under bark of the smallish trunk. 'Must have been a nice buck that made this one...' I thought to myself as I felt along the rough edges of the rub. At the end of the woods, the area opened into a corn field, just stubble now all dry and brown, but casting a subtle and distinct aroma of dried earth and harvested corn stalks.

 I stopped for a moment and took in another deep breath. The chill of the morning continued to hover silently across the landscape, yet I felt warmed now from the walk. It felt good to be there, able and ready to experience the natural world at its best, something my heart and soul needs from time to time, even more now that I am retired. It's when the frost settles across the land that makes all the difference...and winter is not far off where snow will cover these same fields.

For close to 30 years I worked in the high tech, hurried pace of the IT world, and before that spent far too many years following a dead end career that almost broke my spirit. That stretch of years provided a steady living for my family offering a means to an end I'm grateful for, but it was a high price I paid for it. During that time my adventures afield were limited to a few days here and there, a morning, an afternoon, then back at it working on the details of too many high pressure projects with un-realistic deadlines. Not only did I feel stressed, I was stressed, far more than I realized, to the point it began to show. Other friends and even family members noticed, asking my wife if I was okay...I looked really tired and burnt out...which I was. Somehow, I muttered through, one day at a time, often staring out the window day-dreaming about floating in my canoe, or fishing, or camping beside a sparkling set of shoals.

The time eventually came when I was able to retire, a bit early, the circumstances leading up to that moment are not important, but the effect of doing so was. Even so, it took a few years for the stress level to subside, but it eventually did and I began to realize just how much time had slipped by and how little of the adventures I so enjoyed were missed. Even though I've tried to stay in shape and I've done a respectable job of doing so, time and age does catch up. A troublesome hip, more general aches and pains, longer recovery times, well, they all generate a slowing down enough so the level or degree at which I can participate doing the things I enjoy so much has been tempered. Hasn't stopped me, and now I get out more than I ever did when I was younger. Can't push it too hard, but I do push it right up to what I know is my limit, then I back off.

As I stood next to that corn stubble field, the cool morning air hovered around my eyes generating a wind born tear that blurred my vision. Across the way a few deer worked their way along the edges looking up toward me from time to time just to make sure I was no threat. Their once tawny coats were now turning winter gray and the little ones born the previous spring were almost as large as their mothers. Overhead a Redtail hawk screeched as it sailed effortlessly across the field expanse then disappeared beyond the tree line. What had been a brilliant morning sun, suddenly closed down as a bank of darkened clouds moved in and the crisp fall morning became almost cold. 

Later that afternoon, I made my way over to the pond at the far end of that corn field. I sat partially hidden and camouflaged at one end of the pond and in a short time a family of squirrels chased each other through the woods to eventually and cautiously meander down to the pond for a cool drink. They were fun to watch and as silently as I could snapped a few long range photo's of these interesting and energetic creatures. 

As I sat there waiting for the sun to settle toward night, I was thankful to once again have the health and vigor enough to enjoy doing such things, and I was thankful for the time to do them. 

When the frost settles across the land is a special time of year where the seasons mark a dramatic shift toward winter. In previous years I had all but lost contact with such moments and had almost waited too late to enjoy them. I suppose the lesson here is to not allow life to get in the way of living. Don't wait until it is too late, for frost can quickly settle across a persons world, so much so, enjoying the simple things of life are far too often lost over time.

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.