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.