F22

It was cold out on Devil’s Track Lake while we waited. We rose early to catch sunrise and the sled dog teams competing in the 2011 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. Four photographers gathered around a steaming pot of boiling water making coffee and sharing our love of photography. Between the constant ribbing, my friend Chris, a very creative guy, started playing around with his aperture set at F22. The sun was bright against the blue sky; the far shore was studded with pine trees just waiting for a team to pass by.

So why F22 you ask? Using F22 produces magnificent “starred” sun shots. (see photos below) This simple creative technique adds something special to your landscape photography.  The sun “pops” making a distinctive image. For the shot below I used my Tokina 10-17mm, F3.5-4.5 Fisheye lens at F22. I laid down on the snowmobile trail as the team raced past. The sun was in the perfect position, the shadows long and the sky bright blue. A special memory created for my 2011 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.

My heartfelt thanks go out to Okontoe Fellowship. We were blessed to have stayed overnight with our friends Andrea and Jake who made our early morning on Devils Track possible. Okontoe is Christian Ministry located twenty-six miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Mararis, Minnesota. During the winter months they host Sleigh rides. (www.okontoe.com)

The trail winds through 120 acres. It is an amazing ride into the night behind two huge Belgian horses with the shining above!

Everyday presents a new photo opportunity… so keep looking and shoot!