Freezing Fog

You know those locations with real potential you pass over and over, for years? Usually the same thought pops up, "I should probably stop", yet the block of metal on wheels keeps barreling down the road. That was the case here. I realized when I took this photo it had been 21 years since the first time I passed this lake and forest. After the first time, I am not sure, but at least 20+ more times. Part of the challenge is where it's located. The speed limit is 70 mph, and there's no easy place to pull over. By the time you pass it, the process can be almost 20 min to get back around to it. 

The sad yet fascinating part to me is that every other time I passed this spot before this trip, the trees were alive and green. It literally took the trees being burned to a crisp from a wildfire with multiple days of freezing fog coating them in white, before I said this is the time I am stopping! Like prior times, I whizzed past it shortly before sunset. The light was fading. I made the loop detour back to the spot and took a small number of photos, this being one of them. I am glad I did. Even if I were to come across this area with the uncommon freezing fog again, this spot has completely changed in the less than two years since I took this photo. Many of the dead trees have fallen over. Unless you have a compelling reason to keep going, find time to eventually stop. 

Camera and Processing:
- Canon R5, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM at 182mm, f/14, 1 second, ISO 400
- Processing including some luminosity masking for mid tones and darks, multiple layers for color adjustments both globally and localized. I wanted the cooler feel, which is how I experienced it and saw that evening. Followed by going with more of a pano look.