Larry Lefever Photography

Furnace Hills

I’ve photographed this area dozens of times and just when I think I’m exhausted all possibilities … a little bit of snow opens up a whole new world. And a few new challenges. I normally carry a light-weight tripod and anchor it by pushing a tent stake into the ground beneath the center column and then attaching an adjustable bungie cord between the stake and the bottom of the column. This provides the solid platform necessary to tolerate my constant touching of the camera to review images and make adjustments. If I’m set up on a rock I have a small nylon pouch that I fill with rocks from the surrounding area and hang that from the center column. Fifteen or twenty pounds of rocks will keep things stable. Enter frozen ground (forget trying to get a stake in the ground) and some snow (forget trying to find rocks), and for good measure … I’m setting up in the dark. I hung what few stones I could find along with my pack from the column and with a gentle touch on the camera, all was well.