This is one of those images that I was never meant to get. We had traveled to Fox with the express intention of taking a helicopter trip up onto the glacier. Unfortunately, on arrival we were met with the news that high winds at the top of the mountains made flying unsafe so we had to find some other things to do for the day.

A trip to the local tourist information office presented us with a list of things to do in the day. The one we were advised not to miss was Lake Matheson, so that was our first stop for the day.

A well-maintained and signposted boardwalk around the lake made for a leisurely and informative stroll, with the highlight for me being the small lookout at the head of the lake, which looked back over the water to the snow-topped mountains behind. I realized that the midday sun and the stiff breeze whipping up the surface of the lake was not going to provide optimal conditions for the best shot and that I was going to have to make another visit later in the day.

Later that afternoon, shortly before sunset, I left my traveling companions ensconced in front of the fireplace at a local hotel and set off to see if I could find the image that I hoped for.

After a much more brisk walk than earlier, I arrived again at the position that I had deemed to provide the best image. Unfortunately, my efforts to stay warm meant that I arrived with plenty of time to spare at what was probably the coldest spot on the lake, but it also meant that I had plenty of time to find the best composition.

I chose to use the 24-70mm and crop later in post rather than my 15mm, which I find gets too soft at the edges. I took several test shots at different f stops and eventually settled on f/4, which keeps the noise to a minimum in low light rather than using a higher ISO.

All in all, I was more than happy to endure a little discomfort when I saw the results.