When you go and photograph nature subjects, it usually pays to be ready for anything.  Such was the case when kayaking on a woodland lake one morning last summer.  Chris and I planned a weekend long camping trip in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, primarily to photograph loons that live on the mountain lakes.  While the loons often allow a close approach, a longer lens is usually best suited for photographing them, so that morning I packed my dry bag with my 1D Mark II N and 300mm f/2.8L IS lens, plus my converters, and my 17-40mm f/4L.  In order to protect my camera equipment when getting in and out of the kayak and whenever conditions get rough, I seal my gear in a large waterproof dry bag.  Unfortunately, putting all my gear in the bag can get cumbersome, so I opted to pack a little lighter and leave my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS on shore that morning.  I had thought to leave my 17-40 out of the bag too, but luckily decided to pack it due to its relatively small size.

That morning, the lake was covered in a thick opaque layer of white fog.  The fog was so thick that Chris and I had to paddle close to one another to keep within eyesight and it was very difficult to find the loons.  So instead of searching in vain, I started to look at my surroundings and noticed how the fog transformed the lake, allowing the simple shapes of the land to show through.  Fortunately, I had my 17-40mm lens with me and was able to capture many images showing the mystical atmosphere of the morning.  Had I left the lens on shore, I would have missed out on many beautiful images due to the limitations of only having a telephoto lens with me.

This photo was taken as the sun rose higher in the sky and began to penetrate the fog.  I noticed that the soft glow of the sun shining through was visible as a reflection in the water so I used the trees along the shoreline, still shrouded in fog, to anchor my image and allowed the sun and reflections on the still water of the lake to balance out the composition.  The resulting photograph, I feel, captures the mystical feel of the atmosphere that morning and perfectly translates the character of woodland lakes of the Adirondack region.

Techs: Canon 1D Mark II N, 17-40mm f/4L USM at 40mm, 1/640s, f/7.1, ISO 400.  Handheld from kayak.  To order this print, purchase stock rights, or view other photos I have for sale, please visit my website at www.karipost.com.