Well, I am sure you can see where this is going. I decided to go to Harvard Pond this morning expecting to see a fair amount of ice as the temperature during the ride had dropped to 16°. But expectations were dashed as there really wasn’t very much at all. It’s understandable since we had a warmish week and the temperature hadn’t stayed below freezing until Friday afternoon when it never got warm. But there was a small puddle that looked promising. The only problem was the ice was fairly thin and as I stepped on it there was a hollow sound…not a good sign. But there was a branch and I tried to keep most of my weight on that which worked although there were periodic cracking sounds. I looked at this composition and knew I could not get parallel without totally destroying the ice, so shot at the best angle I could accomplish.
So I said you would know where this was going. I managed three frames and then as I shifted my weight the ice collapsed below me. Now I knew it was possible and the water was only a puddle about 6″ so my life and limbs were not in jeopardy. I figured that worst case my jeans cuffs got soaked as my boots were 10″. But I didn’t figure on falling. Right on my butt while holding the tripod and camera over my head. I know what’s important. My pants were soaked and it was a little chilly. But after about three weeks of not shooting I wasn’t about to go home. There will be a couple more images to come where the ice was a bit thicker. The pant legs thawed out on the way home and by the time I did the shopping no one would have guessed I had been soaked. OTOH, my arthritic knee wasn’t happy about being damp and cold. 🙂 Anyway, it was great to be out there and have a story to accompany the image.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Impressed by the bold abstract imagery, sorry to hear you got a freezing soaking.
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Thankfully I am fairly healthy so the chilly soaking caused no harm. Of course the best part was that there wasn’t anyone around to see me go down. 🙂
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Love the story. I have so been there, done that! 😀 The image you captured was worth the wet and cold.
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That’s what I was thinking. The image looked good on the camera back so that was encouraging.I think most of us have had an experience like that. Thanks, Melissa.
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Hahaha, yup. More than one of my sketchbooks have gotten a dunking, and my backside as well.
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It is good you weren’t hurt and that your kept the equipment dry.
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Yes. I went down like that once before, slipping on some algae covered rocks in a stream near a waterfall. Too bad someone didn’t get a shot of me lying on my back like a turtle holding the camera and tripod over my head..
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Talk about going out on a limb for your perfect shot! ;D
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Ha! I should add that to the double title. 🙂
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What lengths you go to. And the image is a real prize.
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Thanks, Mike. Sometimes those lengths come as a complete surprise but at least this time I had an idea it might happen. There are a couple more that might make the grade.
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I landed just as you did once, except I was in the middle of a maize field in Kansas. There were rocks involved, but no cold water. I’m glad you and your equipment both escaped without serious damage.
I can’t help wondering if you’ve seen what I see in the very middle of the image, inside the perfectly circular piece of ice atop the two other pieces. My first though was that it was a pin flag at a green on a golf course. Then, I saw it as a flag planted on the moon. I suppose it could be any sort of flag, but it’s certainly waving nicely.
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Ha, I should have seen that too but didn’t. I like the idea of a flag planted on the moon.
I guess you’ve fallen more than once because you recently mentioned falling and receiving a cut on your bottom, I think, or almost from a piece of glass. The maize field sounds like you got a good bruising.
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Sorry about the dousing, but glad you got your good abstraction.
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Thanks. I think it was worth the price of a soggy ride home.
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I’m very impressed that you managed to keep your camera and tripod dry AND get a great photograph! Glad you didn’t get hurt, though I bet it felt pretty uncomfortable for a while!
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It all happened in slow motion so I had time to raise the tripod above me. Eventually I didn’t notice being wet. Thankfully it was only slightly freezing out. 🙂
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Groan. It’s a beautiful image and I understand you were eager to be out again. It’s lucky – no, it’s a sign of superior skill – that your equipment was unscathed, and you are OK. 🙂
p.s.Those shapes are so fascinating!
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What we do for our craft, Steve! Nice abstract, well worth the risk 🙂
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Thanks, Pete.
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Nice ice image Steve! Glad you did not get injured!
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Thanks, Reed. Me too.
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Since you were certain it was 6″ it seems like a reasonable risk but sounds like you were lucky to avoid injury, since you were worrying about your gear, the lengths, and depths, photographers go to! But definitely a neat shot!
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Didn’t have to go very deep this time. It was a slow motion fall. I went down but was trying to not so it took a second or two. Soft landing. Thanks, Robert.
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I love this image Steve and have enjoyed creating these ‘ice abstracts’ in the past. Sometimes you have to suffer for your art! 🙂
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Thank you, Denise.
Yup. Thanks goodness it was personal and there were no witnesses with video capabilities. 🙂
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That’s what I call dedication, Steve. I hope you have recovered! 🙂
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Thanks, Tanja. Yes, I am fine. 🙂 We are warming up and ice will soon be a scarce commodity in the wild so I had to stick it out. 🙂
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Good that you knew it was only 6″, and like a good skier managed a controlled fall. The picture looks like you shot it from a satellite.
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The fall happened almost in slow motion. Time enough for a few lives to pass before my eyes. As a kid I fell through some lake ice and was lucky. Since then I’ve always made sure about the depth of the water and the thickness of the ice. But even knowing what was there I still was fooled by it.
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Well, that all makes it a memorable day, and not one that passes unnoticed.
Last time I had a fall was tripping on a footpath in full view of the main thoroughfare. Glad I didn’t have a camera to worry about😀
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I’ve had my share of unexcused stumbles like that. Nothing just jumps up and gives you a good trip. Crack in the side walk, wayward bit of plant life. Sometimes it doesn’t take much. 🙂
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