Moonlight at Cave Point

Clear skies and the timing of the moonrise this past weekend presented a number of opportunities to get some moonlight photos. The only problem was that near-zero temperatures and brisk winds created conditions where it was dangerous to be out for much longer than just a few minutes. Since moonlit shots require exposures of 3-5 minutes, that doesn’t allow for too many shots to be taken at one time.

I prepared myself as best as I could for the cold – lined jeans, heavy boots, several layers of clothing topped by a heavy parka, a ski mask to make sure as much skin as could be covered was covered – I even had a couple of packets of chemical heat in my pockets to warm my hands from time to time (I highly recommend them). Still, after a half hour, my body told me to get inside and stay there. Extreme cold drains a lot of energy from the human body.

This is one of only a half dozen shots taken at Cave Point in Door County, Wisconsin. Despite the extreme chill, the snowy moonlit cliffs presented a fairy-tale quality view of icy Lake Michigan below. The lake itself was rather choppy – an exposure time of 200 seconds smoothed out the seething waters filled with chunks of ice. The flowing ice created shifting patterns in the reflected moonlight on the water.

Update: This photo is currently receiving some attention at Flickr. See what people are saying.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2007 James Jordan.

Just a note that this is my 601st post to Points of Light. I had no idea when I started posting with the goal of one photo per day how long I could keep it up. It's been rewarding for me. Thanks for coming along for the ride.