I Photographed These Waves During The Gale-Force Winds Until My Fingers Went Numb

On 6th November 2018, a classic fall wind storm ripped through the province of Ontario, Canada. With winds forecast to be sustained at 65 km/hr, I knew that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture some new wave images!

As I made the 45-minute trek to the small town of Port Stanley, I could barely contain my excitement! It isn't every day that we get sustained winds of this magnitude. My mind was working overtime envisioning what the waves would look like when I arrived.

As I reached the town, I could see those all to familiar "liquid mountains" blasting up out of the murky depths. I knew this was going to be one of those memorable days.

The air temperature was fairly mild for this time of year, but the winds made it feel much, much cooler! I put on my warmest winter gear and headed to the waters edge. The winds were so powerful that lake water was surging quite far inland. I found a spot, sat down and began to capture these giants. With wind gusts reaching 100 km/hr, it took all that I had to keep myself and my camera anchored in place.

I snapped over 1000 frames in less than three hours and captured some truly unique Great Lakes Waves. I ended up calling it quits just before dark as my hands were completely numb.

In the past two years, I have gotten frostbite twice while photographing waves and it caused permanent nerve damage. It's not a pleasing environment in which to work in, but if you have the drive, passion and dedication to your craft, you learn to work through the pain!

More info: trevorpottelberg.com