This is an older photo, but I wanted to do a quick post for a couple of reasons. First, just to say I may not post anything for a few days because we will be traveling. But more importantly, I just did a long over due update to my blog software. Last time I updated the software, I had a lot of problems, so I wanted to so a quick test before leaving the office. All seems well!
Sunset Magazine cover, October, 2008.
This just arrived in the mail a few minutes ago, and I gotta admit, it is a really cool to have the cover of a magazine like Sunset!
We had two Zion images being considered as finalist for this cover, the other one was this image of Temple of Sinawava in Zion. That photo ended up being used as a full page in this months issue of Via Magazine - so now both photos are happy!
Here are more Zion National Park photos.
Another Grizzly Bear from last week in Denali National Park, Alaska.
We have taken a few short, 3 to 4 day trips over the last 5 months, but by in large, we have been home working in the office. After two years with a pretty heavy travel schedule in which we spent at least 200 nights away from home, this office time was very needed! We have been able to get caught up, and work on a number of proactive marketing opportunities that we never seem to have time to pursue.
Now I’m looking forward to taking a trip and completely engrossing myself into photography. October is a perfect time to travel - it is wet and dark here in Alaska, fall colors will be gone, but snow has yet to arrive. On the other hand, it is a perfect time in the Southwest - warm days and cool nights, fall colors and few people. The best thing going for Alaska in October is the aurora borealis, but we are still at the bottom of the activity cycle, so like last year, good lights are not nearly as likely.
So where are we going? Good question - we aren’t even sure! We will fly to Palm Springs and go from there. We have some things scheduled in Las Vegas near the end of the month, but before then, I think we will head to Southern Utah - you can’t go wrong there. It is really tempting to return to Zion, as we had such a fun time there last year, but we need new coverage. We are leaning towards Moab - I have spent a couple of days there in the past, but really haven’t scratched the surface of that red rock area. Two weeks there could be really fun and productive. Wherever we go - I should have plenty of new blog material!
Fall tundra colors reflecting in a pond, Denali National Park, Alaska.
I don’t know if this really “works”, but I kinda like it. At first, I focused on the surface of the lake, but I didn’t care for the results. I then tried focusing on the reflected image and not the surface - this created more of a colorful, abstract image.
Hiking in Denali National Park, Alaska.
Fall has to be the best time for hiking in Denali - not only is it beautiful, but there aren’t any mosquitoes!
Red Fox, Denali National Park, Alaska.
Janine says fox are “my animal” because I always seem to see them. I do have unusually good success with spotting these cool guys. If you are going to play favorites, fox seem like as good of an animal as any because they really are beautiful animals that are fun to watch.
This guy was working the road, I assume, looking for road kill hares. Just as he began to pass me, he stoppped ever so briefly and looked my way, just long enough to capture this image.
A couple of Grizzly Bears feeding on the tundra, Denali National Park, Alaska.
The tundra is sure beautiful in autumn! The fall colors were past in most of Denali - this was by far the most colorful area left in the Park, and it had a couple of Grizzlies! Actually, one of them is the same Grizzly Bear in yesterday’s post. This was about 10 minutes later, and a few hundred meters further away - they couldn’t have wandered into a better spot.
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska.
Even though I was “safely” by my vehicle, I must admit, as I watched through the view finder and saw this guy turn and head down the hill towards us, my heart started racing. My camera tells me he was 35 meters away, but when he filled the viewfinder, it seemed closer! I do kind of like the perspective of looking up at him from below
We just made it home after a short but wonderful trip to Denali. This has been a good summer for me and bear photography. It wasn’t by plan, but it has sure been fun. Here are more Grizzly Bear photos.
Wild Lynx, Denali National Park, Alaska.
Wow, what a trip this has been! But the highlight was this lynx - I have been trying unsuccessfully for many, many years to capture an image of a lynx, but a couple of hours ago that all changed.
It is late and I’m tired, so I will write more when I get back to Seward - but I had to share my excitement!
Steller Sea Lions.
Yesterday we hit the road to spend a few days in Denali. It may be a few days until I can post again. Hopefully my next post will be of a wolverine! I think it is much more likely the next post will be a moose or hare!
Yesterday (Thursday) at Aialik Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.
There are a lot of great things about living in Seward, but number one has to be how close we are to Aialik Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. The Travel Channel included this area when it did a two hour special on the 10 greatest wonders of the world. Not the U.S., the world! And I’m just a short boat ride away for one of them. (more…)
Clouds in the mountains of the Chugach National Forest surrounding Seward, Alaska. This was last (Wednesday) night.
This is the first time I have seen the tops of the mountains in more than a week. I figure, if we are going to have stormy weather, it might as well be really stormy! And it has - we have been getting almost an inch of rain a day, with almost 2 inches falling on Saturday. I noticed yesterday that the airport was flooded.
This weather isn’t that unusual for this time of year, September is our wettest month. On average we receive 10.36 inches for the month of September.
It has made it easy to be in the office!
Pictured is a quick release clamp on the top of a BH-55 Ballhead.
Trying to attach your camera onto the threaded post you find on top of many tripods, is a slow, awkward process that will have you leaving your tripod in the car. By using a quick release clamp on your ballhead (pictured above), makes attaching your camera, or lens a quick and easy process. All you need is the corresponding metal camera plate mounted to the bottom of your camera, or any lenses that may have a tripod mount. (more…)
Bridge to Nowhere photo, Ketchikan, Alaska.
Last summer while I was in Ketchikan, I hiked up the hill above town to get a better perspective of the destination for the “Bridge to Nowhere”. I never did anything with this photo, once the funding was lost and the project fell out of the news, the image had little value. Now, thanks to recent news events, this image just may have a life after all. (more…)
Alaska State Fair, Palmer, Alaska.
Earlier this summer I started doing a series of lessons sharing what I know about outdoor and nature photography. Well, summer in Alaska kind of kept me distracted from working on more posts. With rain in the forecast for as far as I can see - this weekend may be a good time to work on some more of this series!
This was from last Saturday in the Chugach National Forest, about 12 miles from Seward, Alaska. I used two graduated neutral density filters - one on the mountain, the other for the reflection.
Sensor dust can really show in images like this where you have a uniform color as you do with the sky, and when you are stopped down, because the increased depth of field helps to show your dust spots. (more…)
Alaska State Fair, Palmer Alaska.
I would like to say I was the first to come up with the idea for really long exposures and streaking lights, but I’m far from it. It is still a fun technique to play around with at a place like this!
Richard Wong with The Non-Clamorous Side of Photography recently interviewed me with some interesting questions - you can read my responses here: Non-Glamorous Side of Photography.
Finger Lake, Wasilla, Alaska.
This was from Friday in Wasilla. We went up there for some photography, and to visit my parents and sister’s family. Ironically, Wasilla became famous on this same day when John McCain selected Sarah Palin for his running mate. I probably should have stuck around for some more photography of the area because it will probably be in demand, but it was sunny, and I was anxious to photograph landscapes back in Seward. Those should show up here in a couple of days.
I gotta say, it was almost surreal to see Sarah’s husband, Todd Palin standing up there on national TV smiling and waving to the crowd. You see I have known Todd for some 30 years - since we were kids growing up in Glennallen. Guys I hung out with drinking beer and doing other crazy things just don’t seem to grow up and appear on national TV! Well at least until now. To see him standing there with his little daughter, a girl that plays with my little niece, suddenly made the world seem very small.
I sure don’t envy what they are about to go through, but I do look forward to one day, probably many years from now, sitting down and hearing his stories!
