Out Of My Comfort Zone

Aperture Priority Mode, f/22, 1/4 sec. with a tripod of course, ISO 100.


I have stated before that I am a fair weather photographer. I made that same statement in a class I was teaching and was strongly encouraged by a student (Lea) to get out and shoot. She loves the winter time. She has taken some great pictures of her family playing in the snow.
I am not a big fan of the cold or snow. Really, its a coat issue. I have not yet found a warm coat that fits well. I am a BIG guy, that is code for fat, and I may need a tent! I would rather spend the money on a lens than a coat. Can you blame me!
To make a long story short, I went out and shot this picture. It had recently snowed and was very cold. This is a beaver pond I have photographed before. The water has a frozen layer of ice on top of it and about one to two inches of snow around it. The picture I really wanted could only be captured if I was willing to walk across the tall grass and snow. This area usually has water flowing through it and I would not have risked it. Once I reached the spot I had picked I realized it would be best taken from a low angle, meaning I have to lay in the snow to get the shot. After getting myself up and back to the truck, I turned the heater on full blast to warm up.
The next week when I saw this student again, I told her what I had done. With a big smile, she congratulated me for getting out of my comfort zone and gave me a high five! I still call myself a fair weather photographer but I am willing to go out and try it again, if I can jump into the truck and turn on the heater full blast!