New Boots: Photographing Duluth
I bought a new pair of paddling boots. If you don't know what those are, they are waterproof boots used for canoeing, kayaking, or any water sports. They were bought for a BWCA trip I was planning with my family for the middle of June, but after hiking in them for months, I was never able to wear them. We spent the better part of a year planning and plotting our trip; we collected camping and canoeing equipment, and trained for the physical demands of portaging. It broke our hearts to have to cancel that trip, and as a nature photographer, I was more than a little disappointed to miss the opportunity to shoot.
I missed natural spaces most after the pandemic and quarantine. In the last four months, I've tried to get out in nature as much as possible. Davis and I walk around our neighborhood and spend time in local parks. But after walking the same paths over and over, we were starting to feel trapped and my inspiration (and motivation) for photos was running really low. After our period of safety and staying home, we decided it was the right time to get out and head up to Duluth.
*Cargo ship coming in to port. Indiana Harbor lake freighter.
*Sail boats on calm Lake Superior
The sun felt hot, but being next to my favorite lake invigorated me. The water was calm. I was able to photograph several boats, paddle boards, and even a cargo ship out in the harbor. We took a stroll along part of the new Lakewalk and I finally got to put my feet in the cold, clear water of Lake Superior. New boots or not, that's pretty great, right?
*The water was perfectly cold and gave me a great vantage point to photo my loon friend below.
*Loon friend
