Selecting cameras and lenses for a photo trip usually takes me longer than anticipated. If I’m working from my car, that’s a different story, since I can take everything I need, and pick and choose a subset of lenses or camera’s based on the day or moment’s activity. I own a lot of Canon lenses,…
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F/8 and be there is a common phrase among the photography community, implying that half of the job is being somewhere at the right time. And it is true in many respects, but there is often a lot more that goes into a capturing a creative image. I’ve admired photographers that successfully employ some degree…
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I picked 100 of my favorite images from the year of 2009. As always, it is fun to see a year visually in a rear view mirror.
Today on www.spaceweather.com there is a link to an interesting graph denoting the geomagnetic activity on a monthly basis. Spaceweather says: “Statistically speaking, March is the most geomagnetically active month of the year; October is a close second. Although the reasons why are not fully understood, there is no doubt that equinoxes favor auroras.” The…
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Untitled Document Its time for a Sierra Club Calendar Submission. I used to submit to them for many years when I shot film, but there was a huge gap in time for them to catch up to the digital world, and just last year they began accepting submissions of digital photography. While that was a…
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While politics for me is like chewing an aspirin, I guess its my turn to chew a little … HB 267 is a House Bill sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly and Rep. Mark Neuman and co-sponsored by Rep. Tammie Wilson. The bill will allow snowmachine (not other motorized vehicles) use on the Dalton highway corridor,…
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Paulet Island, just off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula hosts a giant colony of adelie penguins. The count varies year to year, but approximately 200,000 birds make for a notable population. They are constantly coming and going from the nesting sights to the sea, bringing food back to feed the growing chicks, often two…
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On Monday, March 8, at 7:00 PM, I’ll be giving a presentation in Fairbanks for the Arctic Audubon Society’s March program along with colleagues Hugh Rose and David Shaw. I went to Antarctica with both Hugh and David, great traveling companions, photographers and extremely knowledgeable natural history guides. Our presentation will focus on stories and…
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I’ll be making a few more entries about my recent trip to Antarctica, along with some photos and notable stories. While there is much to see and many experiences to embrace in Antarctica, there is certainly one that should be avoided at all costs. We traveled in very reliable 260+ foot icebreaker, but that can…
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I’ve been invited to be the featured artist for the month of March at the Alaska House Gallery in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Alaska House is a fine example of Interior Alaska’s log cabin artistry, designed and hand-built in 1939. There are oak floors, high ceilings and leaded windows in the three white-washed gallery rooms, hand…
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Every once in a while I get a little feedback from a photo buyer and let me place an emphasis on “once in a while”. Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a designer (ChadMicahel Morrisette) who purchased a photo for use in a store front window display. The photo–a snow covered boreal forest of birch…
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I guess this is a perfect time to make mention of another IPhone application called Dragon Dictation. The reason it’s a good time to make note of this little application is because I’m using it right now to make this blog post. Due to some recent surgery, I’m currently left somewhat of a one-armed-man and…
DetailsPlain and simple, backing up digital files is essential. Its a safety measure that should not be overlooked, both in the field and in the office. Below is my current proceedure for data backup. Image data backup in the field: When downloading media cards in the field, redundancy is a standard policy for me, at…
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The access and viability today for personal, desktop publishing is none other than remarkable. Back when I was saving my pennies to come to Alaska at age 17, I worked in a print shop, operating an ink press. Typesetting was still done with copy paper and wax, blue pencils, and believe it or not, rulers.…
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Some hate sitting at a computer working on images, which is a dislike I can understand in the context of time, and the value of time. However, it is this very aspect that completes the circle for me, and affords an additional layer of artistic expression to any given image. Do you think Ansel Adams…
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I’ve been asked a number of questions regarding my RAW file workflow, and it seems prudent to post that information here, if I can retain your attention long enough for a quick summary of this techy, but necessary language in today’s world of digital art. Due to the young “state of digital affairs” and software…
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The area known as Salisbury Plain on South Georgia Island (these British names… come on…for a land so rich in its own identity!) is home to a large colony of king penguins. And on this calm morning, enthusiasm was high to explore this expansive area filled with life. Thanks to Marlene Planck (that would be…
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I wrote previously about the South Orkney Islands, which lie between South Georgia Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. The dreamy, iceberg-filled, early morning seascapes gave way to the ship’s anchorage near an Adelie penguin colony, the first of many encounters with this lively and cartoon-like little bird. The weather, ah yes, the weather…it changes quickly…
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King penguins, Right Whale Bay, South Georgia Island. Canon 5D Mark II, 24-105mm f/4L IS (28mm), 1/25 sec. @ f/9, ISO 400. I wrote from the Polar Star about my first encounter with a King penguin. Now with some photos at hand, and a little more time and energy, I’ll retell the experience. Right Whale…
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A big thanks to everyone who offered their comments and opinions on a cover choice for my 2011 calendar. The blending of photography, art, rack appeal, and marketing present a challenge. I went back and forth on the selection, but ended up with my first choice, and the one that garnished the most votes by…
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I’m interrupting my string of posts on Antarctica to ask for a little help from my visually acute freinds out there in cyberland. Its time for me to wrap up my 2011 Fairbanks and Interior Alaska wall calendar and get it off to the printer. I’ve narrowed the cover down to two images. One winter,…
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I am not unfamiliar with icebergs. Alaska has its share of glacial feeds that fill the fjords with wonderfully shaped, floating icebergs. But the morning this photo was taken, was a feast for my eyes, and in looking at the series, I’m compelled to relive it over and over. When I thought of Antarctica, it…
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The Black-browed Albatross, a sleek, beautiful and artfully soaring bird nests in giant numbers on the Falkland Islands (approximately 400,000 brids in total). The Falklands, or Islas Malvinas, depending on your political persuaision, lies about 2 days east (by boat) of the southern tip of Argentina. The islands are well vegetated, in contrast to the…
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(Thanks to all of you who checked in on my blog while I was in Antarctica for a month. Postings were slim due to a busy schedule of work since my primary purpose was an expedition staff member. While this is primarily a blog about Alaska photography, I’ll be deviating to Antarctica over the next…
DetailsAfter a month in the southern hemisphere and many days in Antarctica, the experiences, sometimes overwhelming, are slowly sinking into a resolve of wild beauty and extreme natural wonder. In the following weeks, I’ll be posting some images and video from my experiences there. The return to Argentina from the Antarctic Peninsula requires crossing the…
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