Lake Erie and all its fury, from a professional photographer's view

Ristorapper

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thanks to Walleye Central and Professional photographer Dave Sanford for these beautiful pictures....

http://www.boredpanda.com/the-freak-liquid-mountains-of-lake-erie/

Liquid Mountains: I Captured Lake Erie On The Day It Came Alive And Showed Its True Power

by Dave Sandford



My name is Dave Sandford. I have been a professional photographer for 18 years. Shooting professional sports have paid the bills, but I’ve been the most passionate about anything to do with water. Oceans and lakes beckon me. Since I was a kid, I’ve loved to be on, in or around water. I’m fascinated by the sheer raw power and force of it, captivated by the graceful movement of a wave and mesmerized by light dancing across it.
Recently, I have felt drawn to the lakes that are virtually in the backyard of my hometown of London, Ont., Canada. Specifically, the awe-inspiring Great Lakes. Lake Erie, the 4th largest of the Great Lakes caught my attention for this photographic essay. I chose to focus on Erie at a time of year (mid-October through December) when the Great Lakes can act more like oceans than lakes. With warm sunny beach days behind us, it is some of Autumn’s dark, cold and windy days that transform the Great Lakes into wickedly wild and treacherous bodies of water.
Lake Erie is 388km in length and approximately 92km across. It is also the shallowest of the Great Lakes, with an average depth of 62’ and the maximum depth of 210’. Lake Erie’s name originates from a native tribe who called the lake “Erige” (“cat”) due to the unpredictable and at times dangerously violent nature. Because of the shallowness of the lake, conditions can change dramatically in just a matter of minutes, with fierce waves springing up unexpectedly. Lake Erie’s unpredictable and violent nature has laid claim to some 1800-8000 shipwrecks dating back to the 17th century, most of which have never been found.
Over the last 4 weeks for 2-3 days a week, sometimes 6 hours a day, I did the 45 min drive to Lake Erie. The images here were made using my Canon gear, 1Dx body, 400mm & 70-200mm lenses, protected from the elements by my Aquatech sport’s housing and sport’s shield gear. Shot during the month of November on the North shore of Lake Erie, about 500’-600’ off-shore from a small lakeside community called Port Stanley, Ontario. Daily temperatures ranging from -2 up to 14 degrees celsius, sustained wind speeds of 45-50km/ph, gusting 70-100+ km/ph, the average water temperature of 11 celsius, and wave heights reaching 25’. It is days like these that most people stay away from the lake… It’s days like these, when Erie comes alive, showing it’s true power. These are the days I can’t wait to get to the lake and create images!
Bane of the Great Lakes

Lake of the Cat

The Witch of November

Two Face

Liquid Mountain Top

Eerie Erie

Lake Erie Monster

The Phonograph-Songs of the Deep

November Witch

Freshwater Fury

Black Friday

Creeping Death

The Gales of November

Red Peak

The Sandstorm



 
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labhunter66

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Cool pictures. I wonder if he was in a boat to capture these. Wouldn't have caught me out there!
 

SDMF

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Those are magnificent! I don't think I'd even stand on shore with that going on and I sure as hell wouldn't be out in a boat during that stuff. I wouldn't get in a 10,000' boat and go out in that.
 


KDM

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And some people wonder how the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. THAT'S HOW!!!!! HOLY WET YOUR PANTS!!!!!!!!!!!
 


Ristorapper

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Cool pictures. I wonder if he was in a boat to capture these. Wouldn't have caught me out there!

Think he stated he was out on an island with his telephoto equipment. Spectacular pics though

- - - Updated - - -

anyone else see the skull in the one pic?


yes! was looking for the cross bones flag too!!


Shallowest of the Great Lakes averaging 63'. Lays claim to 1800 to 8000 vessels since the 17th Century. Why such a variance in downed vessels; they never find them!!
 
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ORCUS DEMENS

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Yep I fished and raced sailboats on this body of water for 25 years. It does get wild fast. Picture a 37 foot boat 100 feet away. Now imagine that boat appearing and disappearing with each wave. Google Cleveland Lighthouse Ice. That was another two day blow that completely encrusted the lighthouse in ice. If you drew a map of Lake Erie on an 8.5" X 11" piece of paper you could put the profile on the edge of the sheet. Monster walleye live there, if you want to fish for them, one eye on the sonar the other on the sky. They just pumped oil off a sunken barge that lay at the bottom for decades. Erie is definitely a fickle lady.
 


NodakBuckeye

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I always felt a little bit nervous everytime out on Erie. If you ever want to see sheer chaos at a ramp, go out to a ramp on a summer saturday when storms are rolling in and 300 boats are in line trying to get off the lake before it hits. Awesome pics, maybe he was on Pt. Pelee, it has a history.
 

Tim Sandstrom

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I cannot believe someone from Devils Lake hasn't commented these photos are just child's play. ;-)
 


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