Tamarack trees, Fairbanks, AlaskaCanon 1Ds Mark III, 500mm f4.0L IS, 1/160 sec @ f8, ISO 800
Alaska’s boreal forest is dominated by just a few species of trees, the birch, aspen and spruce. There is one conifer however that loses its needles during winter, unlike the other evergreen species of black and white spruce trees. The tamarack needles turn a yellow gold and drop as the first snows fall. I’ve been trying to capture this scene for years, but I’m often out of town at the proper time. This year however, I was able to grab this shot one day before leaving on a 10 day trip. I’m still hoping to get the scene while fresh snow is falling. The colors are vibrant and it is a tell-tale sign of winter’s unfolding. I used a telephoto lens to isolate a few trees, including some at various stages of needle color.
