On this inaugural blog-creation-day the temperatures in Fairbanks, Alaska are on a slow but steady slide into the very “minus” category, at the moment that is -38 degrees Fahrenheit . Frost accrues on the trees and pink afternoon light is just a few days from the winter solstice. These are good times to do the tedious work that follows time in the field making photos. Editing, processing, and keywording, things which most photographers procrastinate quite well, myself included.
Aurora Borealis over tundra bond in the Brooks Range, Alaska.Canon 1ds Mark II, 16-35mm f2.8, 20 seconds, ISO 500
This photo was taken in Alaska’s Brooks range in early September 2007. If the conditions are right you can see the aurora in latter August-early September as darkness returns to the night sky. Although there is generally no snow to define the landscape features at this time, the water in ponds is not yet frozen and this gives the opportunity to work with reflective foregrounds near lakes or ponds. The aurora display was not particularly active, but the classic silhouetted trees of the taiga against a slightly foggy pond surface proved interesting.
