Gauthier II - Behind the Scene

Imagine exploring a 10,000 acre lake by boat on two nights, two years apart--once in winter, once in summer. How likely is it that you will unintentionally photograph the same trees both times? On Lake Martin, outside of Breaux Bridge, there are thousands of cypress trees and perspectives to choose from. What drew me to this exact spot, two years apart?

I photographed Gauthier I in March 2017 and Gauthier II in July 2019. I do not typically photograph the same location at different times. But, here, I’m compelled to share the seasonal differences between these images, as well as the serendipity surrounding my repeated attraction to the shape of this scene.  

The boat launch on Lake Martin is near the center of this relatively narrow lake with a clear north-south orientation, so I departed to the south without checking my map. I knew I could find the dock again, and while photographing at night, I aim to know enough to find my way home but not so much that I can’t lose myself in the surrounds. Returning to work in the same waterways, I try to feel lost in the familiar, to see the place with the excitement of original awareness while maintaining insight into subtle changes. Here, the changes I perceived only revealed themselves after the photograph was complete.