I took this photo late in the cruise, when autumn storms were battering us almost daily. The Coast Guard crew had been at sea since June, and this was their last cruise on this deployment. My sincerest respect and thanks go out to all of them for all of their hard work and dedication. In this shot Marine Science Technician Chad Klinesteker is weathering yet another storm waiting for the CTD to return. I used the A-frame and some lines to frame the shot, made Chad as small as possible in the frame while still keeping the background as simple as possible. I wanted to get a "man vs. nature" feel to the shot, and used a tripod and slow shutter speed to blur the falling snow. That blurring gives the viewer a sense of how strong the wind is whipping that snow around. The darkness and Chad's posture add to the sense of isolation. Autumn in the Arctic is a harsh, stormy place, and this shot puts you there.
