When people think about being a photographer, I imagine they think about exotic locations and warm sunny beaches. It’s true that you can find yourself there from time to time, but that’s not always the case. Whenever I look at this picture, I’m transported back in time to the night that I took this photo. As you can see from the flag, the wind was gusting. I remember I had my tripod set up and my hoodie pulled over my head to try to block some of the wind.

The cold was bitter and biting! We may not get as cold here in Louisiana as other areas of the country and we usually don’t get snow. We do however have a different kind of cold. It’s a cold that goes right through you and chills you to the bone. As I age, the effect seems to be even greater – just one of the downfalls of getting old!

The lake was very choppy, but the long exposure helped to smooth out the waves. Even the clouds are just streaks across the sky. Surprisingly, one of the most interesting thing (to me) about this photograph is the reflection of the light through the hand rail of the walkway to the right of the image. I saw it there when I was setting up to capture this image, but you never know, for sure, how reflected light will look in the final image.

The light on the water just to the lower left of the image is from the South shore harbor just behind my position.

This lighthouse is one of my favorite subjects. The shape is so unique and it has a place of prominence in this area. It’s a symbol of the restoration that has been taking place over the years to the lake, which has been quite amazing to tell the truth.