Posts Tagged ‘Alaska’
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
Fall colors along Arrigetch Creek in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Sunrise over the Brooks Mountains, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.
Hey Folks,
Here’s an image I took in August on a trip to the Arrigetch Peaks, in Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. We’d had a great early morning hike up in to and around the Maidens Valley for sunrise, and I shot a few nice images of the peaks catching early light. Afterward we hiked back to camp to catch an hour or so of sleep before breakfast, but I took a few shots along the creek before my nap.
I really liked the warm light striking the top of this ridge above camp, but didn’t have long to find a complimentary foreground before the low-lying clouds blocked the light. A pretty good rule of thumb for any landscape photographer in the backcountry is to always camp by water; one can USUALLY find some kind of foreground with a water source, be it a pond, a stream, a lake, the ocean, a glacier, etc.
Here I added some color by setting up near this patch of bear berry, strikingly red in peak fall color. The whole process for this shot took maybe 5 minutes, from walking over to the stream and scratching around to find the composition I liked, checking exposure, etc, and shooting the frame. 10 minutes later I was in my sleeping bag, toasty warm, and the light had dropped from the ridge altogether. I was able to grab some sleep before getting up again for breakfast with the group to a cloudy and somewhat drab day. (more…)
Tags: Alaska, Arrigetch creek, Arrigetch Peaks, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Landscapes, scenics
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Fall, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Landscapes | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
Northern lights over the Mentasta Mountains, tundra, boreal forest and a small kettle pond on a moonlit night. Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.
Hey Folks,
From the recent trip to shoot the northern lights in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park. I’ve never seen clouds move in quite so quickly as they did this particular evening. I’d se up to shoot over in the Glennallen area, and before long, high clouds rolled in from the southwest. In order to keep shooting, I had to figure which would be the best direction to head.
I chose north and east, toward the Nabesna Road, partly because I wanted to be in that area for sunrise. So I spent the evening trying to stay ahead of the lights and catch what images I could along the way. Finally, I made it to where I wanted to be, and then set off to find a composition I wanted.
For any Alaskans out there, or anyone else who’s hiked over muskeg before, you’ll appreciate this one.; try setting out at night time to hike over the muskeg for your photos. I guarantee that WILL kick your a$$.
Then I spent the rest of the evening waiting for the lights to turn on. They popped out a few times, but never really strongly, though they were pretty active. The full moon made for plenty of light for the foreground. I wish I could’ve gotten a little closer to the water’s edge here, but all that long grass in the foreground sits in about 10 inches of water. If the lights had offered something really dazzling, I might have ventured out, but for staying dry and warm seemed a better option given the circumstances.
Finally I fell asleep under a spruce tree, woke up to a clouded sky, and stumbled my way backward camp and my superwarm, absolutely amazing, Western Mountaineering Lynx sleeping bag. life was good. I didn’t get up for sunrise.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, aurora borealis, Northern Lights, scenics, Skolai Images, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Fall, Landscapes, Musings, Northern Lights, Photo Tours, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 19th, 2011
Mount Sanford, early morning, fall colors and a kettle pond, boreal forest, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click the image above to view a larger version of this photo.
Hey Folks,
So while I’m off in Katmai photographing the bears, I’ll schedule a post or 2 from the summer. Here’s a shot of Mt. Sanford not long after sunrise one gorgeous sunny fall morning. What a view!
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, Fall, Landscapes, Mount Sanford, Mt Sanford, photo tours, scenics, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Fall, Landscapes, Photo Tours, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 2 Comments »
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
Fall colors in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Aerial photo. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.
Hey Folks,
Here’s a quick shot from a flight we took over the park last week; the weather wasn’t so awesome, but the flight sure was. I’d shot this valley before, and knew it would have some nice color.
Now, back to packing gear for the grizzly bear photo tour.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Aerial Photos, Alaska, fall colors, Landscapes, scenics, Skolai Images, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Abstract Photos, Aerial Photos, Alaska, Fall, Landscapes, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | No Comments »
Sunday, September 11th, 2011
Glacial Stream and ogives, Root Glacier, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.
Hey Folks,
From my most recent trip to Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and beyond. This is an aerial photo from above the Root Glacier, near Kennecott and McCarthy, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The small stream is made up largely of runoff water from Stairway Icefall, a massive 7000′ vertical wall of ice that effectively form the “headwaters” of the Root Glacier.
This is an image I’ve wanted to capture for sometime now; I’ve seen various similar images of this same stream from a few photographers, including my friend Ron Niebrugge, and often thought it would be a cool subject to shoot. Indeed it is. (more…)
Tags: Aerial Photos, Alaska, Glaciers, Landscapes, ogives, Root Glacier, scenics, Skolai Images, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Abstract Photos, Aerial Photos, Alaska, Landscapes, Photography, Tech Stuff, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 7 Comments »
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Tags: Alaska, Arrigetch Peaks, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Landscapes, scenics, sunrise
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Landscapes, Photos Only | 8 Comments »
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
Mount Saint Elias, 18 008' high, catches the last of the sun's rays for the day, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska - aerial photo. The rocky islands, or outcroppings, in the foreground are called Nunataks. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.
Hey Folks
Mount Saint Elias is possibly one of the great unsung heroes of American mountains, possibly all the world. Towering 18 008′ tall, the mountain rises right from sea level to its lofty summit. The Saint Elias coastal range are the world’s tallest coastal mountains, and Mount Saint Elias is their crown jewel. It’s also the crown jewel of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the nation’s largest national park, and finest preserve of wildness and wilderness.
From the north, Mount Saint Elias is bordered by the Bagley Icefield, largest non polar icefield in North America at nearly 130 miles long. There is simply no end to the superlatives for this massif.
This photo is from the end of an amazing flight-seeing trip to the Saint Elias range. Absolutely jaw-dropping stuff. We didn’t arrive back to the landing strip until dark; super was late this night. But the chance to be in the presence of such magnificence is a treat to be savored as long as possible. I was pretty glad to have had the opportunity.
Mount Saint Elias is the 2nd tallest mountain in the nation, the 2nd tallest mountain in Canada (it sits right on the border). I’d be surprised if more than the smallest fraction of visitors to the region ever even see the mountain, however, simply because so few people make the trip. It’s not a roadside venture at all. But oh wow, oh so worth it.
More photos of Mount Saint Elias and the Saint Elias coastal Range region of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, Landscapes, Mount St. Elias, scenics, Skolai Images, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Aerial Photos, Alaska, Landscapes, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | No Comments »
Sunday, March 27th, 2011
A coastal brown bear, Ursus arctos, walks along Brooks River shoreline at dawn, backlit, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska.
Hey Folks
Next up in this series of news of the month pieces.
This month, I haven’t been spending as much time in the woods, and even less reading the news. Mostly, I’ve been grating sandpaper over my eyeballs … more commonly called “working on website updates”. I need to take about a year off, and learn how to do this properly, then start over from scratch and rebuild everything (yeah, that’s gunna happen).
Below I’ve compiled various bits from around the web that held my failing attention long enough to actually read through the piece. Feel free to add your own stuff of note, I’d love to see some things I’ve missed.
In a completely random order: (more…)
Tags: Alaska, conservation, Environmental Issues, Grizzly Bears, Mount Blackburn, News, Skolai Images, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Alaska, Art, Environmental Issues, Grizzly Bears, News, Photo business, Photography, Social Media, Stuff to Click On, Tech Stuff, Wildlife, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Wrangell Mountains and the Kuskulana River, Mount Blackburn, near Nugget Creek mine. Winter, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger versoin of this photo.
Hey Folks,
The other side of the same coin, I suppose. How many hours have I spent looking at a computer screen, sifting through snippets of html code for a closing bracket (>) or some php code for a dollar sign, etc, etc, etc. Please, don’t answer that. 
How many hours have I hacked, stabbed, mauled, wrestled with and mangled some code to tweak my website/s? Days (i.e., months) fiddling with photoshop, trying to learn how to process an image. Upgrading software, learning software, relearning software, replacing software, trialling software, etc, in the interest of my photography. Those hours could’ve been spent in the woods. (more…)
Tags: Alaska, Mount Blackburn, Photography, Skolai, Skolai Images, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Canada | 2 Comments »
Monday, March 21st, 2011
Aurora borealis lights up the winter night sky over Mt McKinley, highest mountain in North America, also called Denali. Viewpoint from Denali State Park, Alaska. Click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.
Hey Folks,
One topic I’ve often heard discussed relating to nature and outdoor photography pertains to the value of the experience itself. Does photography “get in the way”, and limit the photographers’ realization of the experience itself, or does it add to it?
I have friends, for example, that don’t like to bring a camera on a backpacking trip because they feel it hinders how they are able to soak up the actual experience. They’d rather sit and watch that glorious sunrise than fiddle with the camera and try to get a good composition. They’d rather sit back and stare in awe at the Aurora borealis do its thing over Denali than take their gloves off and tweak camera settings. (more…)
Tags: Alaska, Art, aurora borealis, Denali, Northern Lights, Photography, Skolai Images
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Art, Cool stories, Denali National Park, Landscapes, Musings, Northern Lights, Photography | 6 Comments »
