Driftwood Sunset

This photograph was created at Chapel Beach in Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore during a two day backpacking trip.

This was my second evening on the trail and WOW – what a wild bunch of weather! The hike from Mosquito Beach to Chapel is less than 5 miles, but I saw rain, drizzle, sleet, hail, and bone-chilling-blow-you-sideways gale force winds – along with a sun that would occasionally poke out and light up a rainbow or two. Easily one of the most weather-intensive trips I’d ever experienced! It may sound nasty to most people, but to a photographer, it’s heaven!

I arrived by lunchtime and did some scouting around the beach area. The wind and waves were as savage as I’d personally ever seen on Lake Superior. While the area where I set up camp enjoyed a relatively light wind, the sheer ferocity of the gale smacked you in the face the moment you set foot on the beach.

Personally, I think a little discomfort was a worthwhile trade to experience the intensity of the lake that afternoon. The waves were just attacking the shoreline, tearing up sand and racing high up ragged stone. I spent a good part of that blustery afternoon scouting the beach and trying to decide where to shoot if the light decided to play along that evening.

By the time dinner rolled around, yeah I was beat. However, with powerful winds still roaring off the lake and the slight chance of a sunset sky still a possibility, I decided leave the relatively wind-free area around camp and to head down to the beach. I planned to photograph the area where I found this really cool-looking hunk of driftwood earlier in the day – it seemed like it was begging to be a foreground!

I shoved my tripod DEEP into the shifting sand as cold water bit at my legs and feet. I had to kneel low to create the shot I had in mind, and the thought of having a large wave jumping up and REALLY soaking me was always at the forefront of my thoughts. After all, I still had to spend the night and didn’t want to get TOO wet (fortunately I had an extra pair of dry pants back at the tent  - I needed ‘em after this shot too).

I watched and waited, hoping to get SOME kind of photo. Just a half an hour before this was captured, it really looked like a no-go. I remember thinking how nice and warm my sleeping bag was going to be as I stood there, mostly numb from the knees on down – the temptation to head back to the tent was growing with every passing minute.

However, I also knew that if I didn’t stick it out and something amazing happened in the sky, I’d never forgive myself. After all, I was here to take photos!

Well, about 30 minutes later the sky rewarded me with some pretty sweet color. As the amazing reddish sunset hues materialized before my eyes, I knelt down in the chilly sand and completely forgot about the cold, the wind, and thundering water. All I was after was the prefect wave and the perfect light in the sky. Somewhere around frame 23 this photo was born.

I hope you like it too.