Spruce grouse in Alaska are known to be rather tame, and approaching them is often easy. They inhabit the dense spruce woods and feed on berries and spruce needles. The varied color and pattern in their feathers make them an attractive bird. Males have the distinct red band around the eye. A population distinction between…
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On the theme of frost, which visits Fairbanks generously during a given winter, this image reveals a brilliant pattern which sparkles under a low-angle sun. Hoar frost, or sometimes called radiator frost exhibits itself well in the Fairbanks winter conditions, partly because it is both cold and not very windy. Surface hoar frost, Fairbanks, Alaska.Canon…
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Yesterday morning was minus 23 degrees at my office, and about noon, when the sun rose over the distant mountains and cast its glow, I was struck by the light on the window frost formations. The near perpendicular angle of the sun is the cause for the amazing separation and differentiation between the crystal shapes.…
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I spent some time in Barrow, Alaska this summer, which is located in northern Alaska, along the Arctic ocean. Its an Inupiaq (Eskimo) community with a rich culture, and like many of Alaska’s native communities faces a host of challenges due to changing lifestyles, economics, and climate. If you find yourself miffed at the price…
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One of the most elusive animals that travels the Alaska landscape is the lynx. In my experience, the only other animal that I’ve encountered less is the wolverine. So, any opportunity to photograph one of these cats in the wild, in a natural settings, is a delight. This summer, I had one chance, although fleeting.…
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This image illustrates one main advantage of fast wide angle lenses–they offer shorter shutter speeds. Shorter exposure times mean more detail. A five second shutter speed in this case captures more distinctive shapes commonly found during the coronal display. These shapes tend to get all blurred together with long exposures. To achieve this however, you…
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The natural elements contribute an edge both to a photograph and the experience of its capture. I photographed this Common loon for about 20 minutes before the rain began, and during this time, it drifted near me on the shore for an almost full frame view. Unfortunately, by the time the rain fell, the bird…
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Photographic perspective is often a process. Many times, the initial approach to a particular scene requires a little study, some idea generation, and close observation of light direction. I chose these two images to illustrate this process on a shoot this summer. The first image is environmentally interesting, and is sort of “o.k.” but the…
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The Brooks mountain range, which crosses Alaska’s arctic region, is the farthest north mountain range in the United States. Just north of Atigun Pass–the highest road pass in the state– is Atigun canyon, the location where this photo was taken. The northern lights were not that bright to the naked eye, but timed exposures are…
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While over/under photography is nothing new, I wanted to experiment with a few ideas last summer. Both returned usable results, but not without plenty of experimentation, and trial and error. The equipment to do this right, i.e., the underwater housing for a Canon 1D series camera costs between 5-10K! There are cheaper methods, for example,…
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