KPTCM Cover

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Kenai Fjords, Photos, Shameless Self Promotion, Travel 4 Comments

Cover of the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council Travel Guide, Alaska.

Cover of the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council Travel Guide (KPTMC), Alaska.

This is actually a composite of two of our images combined by KPTMC.  You see, they really liked this photo from Harriman Fiord in Prince William Sound.  Problem was, even though it looked like it could have been captured in Kenai Fjords on the Kenai Peninsula, savvy viewers would certainly recognize this as part of Prince William Sound which is outside the Kenai Peninsula.  So they replaced the background with an image of ours from Kenai Fjords.  They did such a good job that when this arrived last week, I forgot it was a composite – it even fooled me!

Sandhill Cranes

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 12 Comments

Sanhill Cranes, Seward, Alaska.

Sandhill Cranes, Seward, Alaska.

Seward was inundated with seasonal visitors this weekend, but I’m not talking about the two legged tourist type that typically start appearing about now.  Actually, there really weren’t any tourists in town with the Seward Highway closed all weekend.  No, we received hundreds, if not thousands of birds this weekend!  We went from very few birds, to huge flocks in just a couple of days.  The transformation this time of year is a treat to watch.

The most exciting to me were the Sandhill Cranes.  You could see and hear large flocks working their way up Resurrection Bay.  Most of the large flocks stopped for a quick bite to eat before moving on.  There were also large numbers of White-fronted and Canadian Geese, and lots of ducks, especially Northern Pintails, and even a couple of swans.

A flock of sandhill cranes leaving Seward, Alaska.

A flock of Sandhill Cranes leaving Seward, Alaska.

What do I do for Power on Extended Trips in the Field?

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Ask Ron, Chugach, Miscellaneous, Travel 11 Comments

Camping in the Chuach National Forest, Alaska.

How do I handle the power needs for my digital camera and file storage on long trips away from electricity?  This was an ask Ron question brought up by two fellow blog’en photographer friends of mine Richard Wong and Gary Crabbe.  Both guys operate great blogs – blogs I read everyday, so if you have extra time, do check them out.   Read More

How Did I Capture the Ferris Wheel Photo?

Ron Niebrugge Ask Ron, California, How to, Los Angeles, Photos, Travel 7 Comments

A ferris Wheel at night, Long Beach, California.

A ferris wheel at night, Long Beach, California.

Well I hate to post the same photo twice, especially in the same week, but in response to my “ask Ron” request, this was the most asked question.  More specifically, Dennis Barton wanted to know how many tries it took to capture this image, while Sheri Lyons wondered how the photo came to look like this.Read More

First Cruise Ship of the Year

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 3 Comments

The Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ship Balmoral leaving Seward, Alaska last Thrusday.

The Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ship Balmoral leaving Seward, Alaska last Thursday.

April 16th seems early for our first ship of the summer.  The passengers aboard this ship are taking part in a 104 day around the world cruise.  This ship, and these same passengers were in the news in early March when it was reported that pirates attacked the  ship off the coast of Somalia.  I remember seeing an interview on the Today show where passengers or crew talked about having to take cover as shots were being fired.  The cruse line came out recently and said not only were there no shots fired, but that there was never attacked.  Who knows.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize it was this ship until after it departed, or I would have asked one of the many passengers who passed by the house that day about what happened.

Thanks for the responses to the Ask Ron post – I will follow up with answers soon.

Ask Ron

Ron Niebrugge Ask Ron, California, Los Angeles, Photos, Travel 13 Comments

A ferris Wheel at night, Long Beach, California.

A ferris wheel at night, Long Beach, California.

 I thought I would try a new idea with the blog and create an Ask Ron category.  My thinking is that every so often I would answer reader submitted questions and publish the question and my response here on the blog.  They can be pretty much anything photography related, from travel destinations, gear, techniques, thoughts and opinions – you get the idea.  If there is a photo you have always wondered about, maybe the story behind the image, that would be good too.

If you have a web presence; website, blog, Flickr page, I would be happy to link back in my response.  If you would prefer to remain anonymous, that’s cool too. 

You can post your questions in this thread, or feel free to email them to me at ronn@arctic.net  If you could, put “Ask Ron” in the subject so that I will know it is for the blog and not just someone asking a question.

I will do my best to answer all questions as best I can, but I will have editorial control, so I could decide to ignore a question – heck, it is my blog.  🙂  So if I start posting photos of a wolverine den, chances are slim that I will provide the GPS coordinates.  Likewise, asking for the name and number of the photo editor at XYZ magazine probably won’t get a response either, but most stuff will be fair game.  So hit me with your Q’s!

Hey, speaking of wolverine.  Now that we are heading into spring, I figure it might be a good time to remind everyone that my deal from last year is still on!

In Deep with Steep and Cheap!

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Chugach, Miscellaneous, Photos, Travel 15 Comments

Culross Island, Prince William Sound, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

Culross Island, Prince William Sound, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

This is Troy Henkels in the pack raft on a beautful island in Prince William Sound.  I’m a bit tired of a brown and white world, and I’m now looking forward to the rich greens of summer!

Speaking of getting ready for summer – I have to admit, I’m a bit addicted to Steepandcheap.com.  Steep and Cheap is a bit like an online, outdoor gear version of QVC.  They only sell one item at a time, and the item is usally only up for 20 minutes or so, or until is sells out.  You never know what might appear, but it is usually at a killer price – so we find ourselves constantly checking back to see what we are missing out on – it is adicting!

PS:  Here is a site that feature numerous outdoor gear deals of the day.

Legal Advice for Photographers

Ron Niebrugge California, How to, Miscellaneous, Orange County, Photos 3 Comments

 

Palm Trees at sunset, Newport Beach, California.

Palm Trees at sunset, Newport Beach, California.

Let me start by saying, you shouldn’t get your legal advice from friends and fellow photographers.  Having said that, let me offer some advice.  🙂

The place I turn to when I have questions is the Photographer’s Legal Guide by Carolyn Wright.  The book covers most of the legal issues one might encounter when dealing with photo business and photography issues such as copyrights, model releases, insurance and paperwork.  I think most photographers will find it very valuable. 

I have known Carolyn for a number of years now and consider her a friend – she is a wonderful person, and as a fellow photographer, she understands the industry and issues photographers face.  We have hired her on occasions when we needed large contracts reviewed, and also successfully used her for a copyright infringement suit – who better to hire then the person who wrote the book!  Read More