Flat Water over Flat Land

Flat Water over Flat Land

ALAK08D-719

September 5, 2008

Yikes, I've been remiss in posting images.  My apologies.  Today we visit Alaska again, to see the wide open tundra of the north which is so fascinating and beautiful.  It is strange to see a natural landscape that is both lush and also without a single tree in sight (you can see that on the cornfields of Illinois, but it doesn't quite have the same feel to it).  And the emptiness of the sky, it's lovely.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  32 mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/16  ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Dutch Harbor

Dutch Harbor

ALAK08D-190

July 25, 2008

Alright, enough with the fishes (for now).  This week we're back to our normal helter-skelter of images.  Today we head back up to Alaska, a beautiful destination, to Dutch Harbor, home of the Deadliest Catch crews.  This image, overlooking a secluded part of the harbor on the back of the island, has some beautiful light.  The main elements are not terribly interesting in some views, but the calm of the water, the soft light on the hillside, the lone seaplane sitting there, all combines to make a lovely soft morning image.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 mm f/4-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 1/320 @ f/8  ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Watching the World Pass By

Watching the World Pass By

ALAK08D-376

July 31, 2008

The train ride to Denali National Park is quite a scenic ride, one that is not to be missed if you have the chance and the money.  You pass through the taiga forests of Alaska as you wind up towards the park, and it is a dedicated stop (meaning if you're without a car, like me, the train drops you right at the entrance of the park and you're able to walk in).  Along the long, 8-hour trip, there is plenty of time to wander, and I saw this young adventurer eagerly awaiting the arrival to Denali as much as I did, passing time watching the evergreens roll by.  Enjoy the journey as much as the destination. 
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 40mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Creeping Denali Fog

Creeping Denali Fog

ALAK08D-404

August 1, 2008

Hiking up the Mt. Healy Overlook Trail at Denali National Park, you go through some vast changes.  You begin in the forest that hangs around the entrance to the park, but soon (climbing 1,700 feet in 2.25 miles) you're emerging into the alpine/tundra environment, and you can turn back to view the valley from which you've climbed.  But on this morning, the sun was barely up, and the fog was still enshrouding the lower forest of Denali.  It made an eerie scene, watching the wind gently blow the fog through the gap and into the valley, waiting for the sun to chase it all away.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 24mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/5   ISO 200

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

The Autumn Tundra Landscape

The Autumn Tundra Landscape

ALAK08D-626

August 29, 2008

Autumn has left us already, and while it has been a mild one, winter is here.  Continuing on the theme of this week from Alaska, this is a scene from the Point Hope area, far in the north of the state.  Here the tundra is everywhere, and there is virtually no forests or trees to speak of.  Instead, the wide, spongy ground sports tufts of grasses, berry bushes, and thistles stretches far as the eye can see, and in the fall, as it all turns a golden orange, the whole place blazes with color.  It is peaceful, though empty, and the wind comes down from the Arctic and reminds you of how remote Alaska can be.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro

Focal length: 105mm

Exposure: 1/250   f/8   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Ariel River Snake

Ariel River Snake

ALAK08D-756

September 3, 2008

As we cruised over the Aleutian islands, you realize how empty this landscape is, these multitude of islands where no one lives, and the landscape evolves over time without the overt influence of humans.  It looks like how the Earth must have seemed ages ago, when the landscape was fresh and there weren't 7 billion individuals tromping over the land.  This winding, chaotic snake is a great remembrance of that time, and how meandering nature can be.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 422mm

Exposure: 1/3200   f/3.8   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Vastness of the Tundra

Vastness of the Tundra

ALAK08D-480

August 2, 2008

Denali National Park is full of wonderful places to visit, and yet it has a sameness that is familiar.  The tundra stretches out until it slams against the Alaska Range, culminating in the majesty of Denali/Mt. McKinley (which is hidden behind those clouds at the moment of capture).  This image hints at that vastness, that unending space of tundra and vegetation that is indicative of Denali, made even more remarkable by the trees ringing the foreground.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 40mm

Exposure: 1/80   f/8   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

The Sentinel of Priest Rock

The Sentinel of Priest Rock

ALAK08D-94

July 24, 2008

This small monolith is on the outer reaches of the bay in Unalaska, next door to Dutch Harbor, and marks the entry point to the harbor.  In previous eras, this rock marked the sign that sailors had reached their home again, and it was always a welcome sight.  I love the way the stone stands, in this image it seems in defiance of the incoming clouds and storm, remaining a beacon for those wayward travelers.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 22mm

Exposure: 1/125   f/16   ISO 100

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Mossy Rocks

Mossy Rocks

ALAK08D-38

July 23, 2008

There are those pictures you come back to when you've had time away, revisiting the collection that gets shuffled away on the hard drive, and a certain picture strikes you like it didn't before.  That is how I feel about this image.  I took it, loving the matted pattern of the moss on these rocks in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.  But looking at it at first glance it was flat and boring.  Upon reflection, coming back to it this week as I perused the Alaska images, while it was still flat, I loved the soft green tones that ran throughout the frame, from the light grassy notes to the dark forest or moss greens.  It was peaceful, a still life from the sea, the conglomeration of rocks and their hairy coverings.  So I decided to send it up here for everyone to see.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 48mm

Exposure: 1/40   f/5   ISO 200

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

The Goose Touches Down

The Goose Touches Down

ALAK08D-788

September 5, 2008

Akutan island is a tiny place along the Aleutian chain.  It's main source of income is the cannery which processes food year-round, but aside from that it is a small, quiet place, far off the beaten track of tourists.  There are no roads out there, Akutan is accessible only by air or sea.  And the only airplane that services Akutan is a seaplane called the Goose. 

Riding in a seaplane is a unique experience, and one that is very hard to come by in this day and age.  Taking off from an airport in Dutch Harbor, everything seems normal, as you glide about a thousand feet off the ground, winding through the small islands that dot the seascape between the two.  Finally you bank steeply, coming straight for the water, and in an instant you are transferred from the air to the sea, rocking like a little boat as the plane taxis over to the landing dock.  It is indescribable.  This image was taken as the plane made its return journey to pick me up after several days of berry harvesting and working with the local community members.  And seeing this plane touch down from outside is no less majestic or awe-inspiring.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80
Lens:Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 135mm

Exposure: 1/125  f/8  ISO 800

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Polychrome Tundra

Polychrome Tundra

ALAK08D-500

August 2, 2008

The tundra of Alaska is a strange place.  Hiking along the landscape is akin to hiking on a lumpy, wet mattress.  It feels odd.  But it is beautiful, and the lack of trees amongst most of Denali National Park allows you to go off-trail (indeed, most of the backcountry has no trails defined at all) and hike to your heart's content.  Then flag down a bus for your way back to the station. 
The Polychrome is a small valley in Denali, and has these beautiful hues for the backdrop while hiking.  You head through the tundra on your way, and it is quiet, no cars or people to speak of.  While out there, in a 6-hour dayhike I saw zero humans, two bears (mom and cub), and some deer.  It was perfect. Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens:Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 10mm

Exposure: 1/80  f/16  ISO 100

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Salmonberry Globes

Salmonberry Globes

ALAK08D-622

August 29, 2008

The work for my MS was on wild Alaskan berries, their chemistry and health-promoting properties.  So, I was lucky enough to head out to some of the wilds of Alaska, some crazy places that are way off the beaten track.  Or any track, in some cases; a few of them were accessible only by plane or boat.  But this is one of the species we were after: the salmonberry (also known as cloudberry, Rubus spectabilis) is related to the raspberry that we know down in the lower 48, but less sweet.  They were juicy berries, and this image, captured during the fall harvest, is a good example of their cream-colored flesh.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens:Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro

Focal length: 105 mm

Exposure: 1/200 f/3.8 ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Alaska's Northern Coast

Alaska's Northern Coast

ALAK08D-607

September 7, 2008

The tundra in the far north of Alaska is unlike any other landscape that I've encountered.  Flat, deep, it feels like a mattress is underfoot, with a lush carpet of small, short plants.  It is treeless, and the water that saturates the ground pushes forth into small lakes and ponds all over the place.  It feels barren from up above, as seen on the flight from Kotzebue to Point Hope, but it is not.  The dun cliffs drop sharply into the frigid sea, leaving you breathless at the expansiveness of the lands to the north.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  25 mm

Exposure: n/a @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Byers Lake

Byers Lake

ALAK11D-21_pan

July 19, 2011

Near the dominating panorama of Denali, the taiga runs out through the hills, blanketing the landscape in a verdant dark green, lush from the rains and snows, but still foreboding, impenetrable, ancient.  At the shore of Byer's lake, you have the chance to take out a kayak and explore some of this landscape yourself, paddle out into the cold glacial water and bask in the rare warmth of the summer.  Photographically, I wish I had make a couple more images that could have followed through on the rest of the boats; this panorama is a little incomplete feeling, but I still like the diagonal line of the kayaks against the water and the horizon.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  135 mm

Exposure: 1/500 @ f/6 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Illiamna in the Sunset

Illiamna in the Sunset

ALAK09D-196

August 31, 2009

The Seldovia area has numerous volcanic islands in the bay, and when the light is just right, you're able to capture them as the sun sets in the west.  This scene was shot through the bay as the clouds parted briefly to allow the horizontal band through to highlight Illiamna from behind.  With the silhouettes of the coniferous trees of the bay anchoring the left side, I like this composition and how it shows off the volcano as a mysterious, forbidding entity.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  135 mm

Exposure: 1/500 @ f/6 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Red Mountain Cirque

Red Mountain Cirque

ALAK08D-291

July 29, 2008

Red Mountain lies above Seldovia, following a long and winding road until it reaches this idyllic landscape.  The cirque in the background reminds the glacial origins of this area, how Alaska is still often covered in ice and snow.  But the stream that flows from the mountain is cold, crisp, refreshing.  It is a fabulous place to explore for the day.  The shadows were a bit harsh, due to the high summer lighting, so the left side of the image is a bit off, but the sharpness and colors really pop.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  10 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/22 ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Wine Salmonberry

Wine Salmonberry

ALAK09D-175

August 30, 2009

Sitting on the bush, ripe for the picking, this salmonberry is much darker than usual colorations, the wine-red color looking very appetizing.  Found all through Alaska, and parts of Canada, these berries are wonderful.  A little less sweet than cultivated berries we're used to, they make wonderful preserves and pies.  But perhaps they're best eaten raw, right off the bush.  Found near Seldovia, Alaska, in the height of summer.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/60 @ f/8, ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Dawn Breaks Along the Nenana

Dawn Breaks Along the Nenana

ALAK08D-413

August 1, 2008

This early morning hike led me up from the Visitor's Center of Denali National Park along the Mt. Healy Trail.  The few trails which do exist in the park are concentrated near the entrance area. Most of them are mild hikes, wandering through the taiga forest. Mt. Healy Overlook is an exception. This hike runs a seemingly short 2.3 miles one-way... until you realize that during those miles you also climb nearly 1,700 feet in elevation. It can be steep sometimes, as much as a 25% grade at some points. It can be quite a haul, moving up the trail. But the views are well worth it.

From the trail, and the outlook, you can see far into the valley, even to the Nenana river. It is breathtaking, looking over the taiga forest below.  As it was early morning, the sun was coming up over the eastern ridge, and was breaking up the clouds that had plagued us the day before.  It was a breathtaking scene, well worth the trudge up the slopes.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  112 mm

Exposure: 1/10 sec @ f/25, ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturation, minor curves adjustment in PS4

Mysterious Taiga

Mysterious Taiga

ALAK09D-339_pan

September 2, 2009

Our trip to Alaska had been beset by weather, meaning we were unable to head out to the Aleutian islands to complete our workshop.  Instead, we grabbed a car and wound south, through the seeming endless coniferous forests of the peninsula.  The weather was ominous, but also lending an air of mystery to the landscape, these forests hearkened back to times of legend.  This panoramic, stitched from 2 different images, captures some of that aura.  The river, winding down to an unknown hill, lost in the fog and clouds, with a single puff of cloud hugging the hill on the right.  And all through, that blanket of green enveloping the entire scene.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-200 f/3.5-6.3

Focal length: 36 mm

Exposure: 1/30 sec @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Splicing and panoramic construction, curves adjustment in PS4

A Story of Lichen

A Story of Lichen

ALAK11D-80

July 20, 2011

One of the greatest courses I have taken throughout my academic career, which has been extensive (much to my mixed feelings) was mycology.  In it, I learned about this world that I barely knew existed.  It was eye-opening, fascinating, intriguing.  Seeing this tangle along a branch in Alaska brought me back to that class, and got me thinking about how intricate simple, small compositions can really be.  This branch represents probably close to a half dozen distinct species, all living and working for and against each other in this small space.  It was so much diversity that it wouldn't even fit within the depth of field.

The branch, and its clear depiction of the species, bore a likeness to those old scientific pictures taken on expeditions to the wild interiors of continents across the globe.  Hence the tinting and monochrome nature of this image, trying to simply but clearly depict some of the wondrous aspects of nature that exist.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length: 105 mm

Exposure: 1/500 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 400

Post-processing: Desaturation, toning, curves adjustment in PS4