Last spring my mom asked me to take some pictures of these uprooted trees she spotted in Enumclaw. I dutifully drove up there only to discover they were covered in vegetation, and there was no where to safely park. So, when we had a bright sunny day a couple weeks ago, I decided to head out there again.
The roots are probably a 12’ diameter, and they stood like small mountains in amongst the underbrush. I had a project to complete that used 90 degree side-lighting to bring out an objects detail, and we were about an hour from sunset. Since the roots were facing a southwest direction, the sun worked great, and the frost tangled in the roots sparkled like diamonds. I pulled over at a large shoulder and walked the 100 or so yards to get to my subject. The embankment was about two feet down, and there was a crust of half melted snow pressing down the reeds that grew in the ditch. Cautiously I worked my way down, worried about slipping on some hidden ice. I finally got to ground level, took a step forward, and crashed through the ice covered reeds into the foot and a half of ice cold water below.
Only wearing jeans, bootie socks, and a pair of suede Adidas, the water instantly soaked through my meager layers, and ruined my favorite shoes. It would have been worth it though, if I really got the shot I wanted, but because of the water, I couldn’t get the angle I needed to create a photo I would be proud of. So, I hauled myself out of the icy ditch and drove to my brother’s house, where my sister-in-law loaned me some flip-flops. Thank goodness for a warm car with foot-level heating
So lesson learned:
- Wear shoes you don’t mind destroying
- Wear good socks
- Bring extra clothes
- Don’t trust snow covered reeds!
I think one of the essentials in any photographer's bag (or at least their vehicle!) should be Wellington boots! This story reminds me of a friend of mine, walking through knee-deep snow in high-heeled city boots, to get a photo of an old barn! LOL!
ReplyDeleteHaha that's a great story. And some good suggestions too. I'm glad you were able to get some flip-flops. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteOh, my! high heeled boots in snow, that's dedication. I could barely handle sloshing around in the water to get the few snaps I did. It seems like such a sensible and basic thing, I could have kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner.
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