Call me adventurous … call me thrill-seeking … or call me a fool! Two morning ago, I decided to go kayaking at a nearby conservation area … even though the temperature was only 24F! Since the afternoon before had been pretty nice (upper 40’s) I was sure that the water would be totally open … WRONG!
As I carried the kayak to the launch area, I noticed that the entire water in front of me had a thin sheet of ice on it. But having gotten up an hour before sunrise and dressed like a stuffed scarecrow, I wasn’t about to turn around and go back home without at least trying it. As I eased the kayak into the water/ice, the only thing I could hear was the crunch of the kayak breaking through the ice. And as I “paddled” through the ice field, I think I must have awoken every living thing nearby! In fact, I only saw a few small birds the entire morning! But I still had an enjoyable time with nature, enjoying the peace and quiet (when not crunching through the ice!).
Below are a few images I captured with my smaller, Canon SX50HS camera (I always carry this camera with me for capturing landscapes, leaving my good camera body with my wildlife lens in place). No really “good” images, but since I endured the ice and the cold, I decided to at least get a bit of satisfaction out of posting the landscape before me!
In the background, behind the far trees, the sun was beginning to make it’s appearance:
Once the sun was over the trees, the nice, soft light of early morning fell upon the landscape:
The weather for the next few days will be in the 50’s, with overnight temps staying above freezing. Maybe I’ll try kayaking one more time before winter hits … sans ice!
Photographic Equipment Used:
- Canon SX50HS camera
- Handheld from the kayak
- ISO 500
- Aperture f/6.3
- Shutter 1/200 sec. to 1/1250 sec.