Brent's Photography Adventures: December 2011

Well, we are due again for another adventure and we're back at it again on Blue Cypress Lake.

We rented out some cabins again on the lake with our friends Mike and Rosa and their kids.

Last time we went to Blue Cypress I got a lot of great shots of the Cypress trees but due to some technical difficulties I wasn't able to make it on the lake for sunrise or sunset, so that was my priority for this trip.

And this time we successfully got our boat to the lake!

DAY 1:
After a late arrival on Friday night I was the only one that was up for sunrise Saturday morning, so I decided to let everyone sleep in and I would take a solo trip on the lake.

It was looking to be a great sunrise, so I had to find a place to set up. I found this little cove on the west shoreline which works well for the sunrise, but I have a hard time staying in one place...

So off I go across the lake to the east shoreline where I haven't yet explored

There are some sweet cypress trees on this part of the lake too.

Nice! Better get back to the cabin and check on the others

Lyla's up, and she knows the rules...no binky outside the crib!

Nice, eggs and bacon on the grill!

Nothin like hot grilled breakfast by the water!

Jesse couldn't wait for breakfast though so he hit the cereal

Well, the wind was ripping out of the east making whitecaps...so it looks like it is not going to be a good day for boating.

So we decided to take a relaxing day at the cabin where Jesse taught Lyla how to fish

we'll get it figured out

There we go!

Jesse took the prize for the biggest fish.

Even though we don't get the rest of the group on the water , it was still nice to chill on the boat in front of the cabin.

Looks like it is nap time though

It was still pretty choppy to take everyone on the boat, so during nap time Mike and I ventured out.

We decided to head across the lake to the east shoreline which will be sheltered from the wind.

After an hour or so of unsuccessful fishing I decided that it was time to bring out the camera. Looks like just the right amount of cloud cover to make for an interesting sunset.

Recent rains in the local area have raised the water level to depths too deep to touch bottom so I couldn't get out of the boat with my tripod to get the shots. I was pretty bummed that I would not be able to take any long exposure shots.

Getting tired of shooting out of the boat and pretty bummed I can't shoot from the water...time to explore other options

For me, I need to be fully embedded in the landscape to really get an appreciation for it as I am shooting...so get on out of here Mike, but don't forget to pick me up later.

Sweet! I am lovin' this sky!

So cool to how these trees grew up in the deep water like this

Check out this cl cormorant that Mike flushed out of the tree as he was taking off.

And the sky keeps getting better and better

Gonna wait it out in the tree here for a few to let the sun drop a little more

Alright I think my feet are going to fall off, hope Mike gets back soon!

It's my third trip to the lake now and each time I am hoping for glassy flat conditions to work with the reflections, but it is always windy. This protected little area is the closest I was able to get to glassy waters.

Time to find a new location

Nice, after another set of unsuccessful casts I gave up on the fishing. Catching some fish would have been nice, but these shots are just as rewarding for me!

The sky and the clouds kept changing so much throughout the sunset that I couldn't set the camera down

Sometimes the afterglow of the sunset is even better than the sunset. I love the subtle colors here

Oh man, its 5:30 and its already dark...I cant get used to this, we forgot to hike. We will just have to do a nighttime hike

And she still fits in the backpack!

...and doesn't want to get out of it either!

Day 2 One last sunrise

Well, one more chance for a few more sunrise shots and Mike was determined to catch a 12 pound bass. Lyla and Nicky were sleeping so soundly that I decided to let them sleep in.