Dwarf dogwood, blueberry and birch leaves in the boreal forest surrounding the X - Y lakes near Talkeetna, Alaska. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 24-105mm (97mm), 0.8 sec @ f/16, ISO 50.
Winter is pressing in quickly on the Alaska landscape. I’ve been chasing the autumn remnants to the south, as snow falls on the high country across the state. Along this journey, I did a small day hike at the X-Y lake trail near Talkeetna about a week ago. The colors there were still rich, as shown by this little cluster of leaves. I generally like to shoot macro frames with the Canon 100mm f/2.8 flat field macro but I had left it in the car for the hike. The 24-105mm does an a reasonable job in pinch however. To ensure greater lens stability and reduce camera vibrations, I activate live view, which serves as a quick and convenient mirror lock up (otherwise deeply buried in the custom function settings-which is annoying), and employ a 2 or 10 second timer depending on conditions. The only draw back to that as opposed to using a release is that if you are trying to time a shot in between wind gusts, you deal with a delay. But generally it works out well. I’ll share some shots from a few other locations in the following posts.
i like the photo tips, pat. hey i made some cranberry liqueur the other day and thought of you. hope things are going good.
Joe, glad to know you are visiting my blog and enjoying it. Four inches of snow on my deck railing, and growing as I type. Winter finds Fairbanks once again. I harvested a bunch of cranberries near my house and embarked on another batch, as last years tincture went way too fast. Tell me how yours turns out. At the least, I hope it inspires your mind for higher educational pursuits, which apparently rest at your feet. As Michael Pollan hints at in his book, “The Botany of Desire” psychoactive plants have had their influence in the larger picture of literature, perhaps more than is willing to be embraced by literary historians. Stay well in the south and update me on your location so I can make a visit on my next journey south.
Patrick