Polar bear tracks on wind-blown snow, Barter Island, Alaska.Canon 1Ds Mark III, 24-105mm f4L IS, 1/50 sec @ f20, ISO 400 The strong winds of the arctic blow the snow vigorously across the tundra creating patterns on the hardened surface. The pressure of a polar bear foot upon the fresh snow remains as the snow…
<!– @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –Willow ptarmigan in Atigun Pass, Brooks range, Alaska. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 500mm 4L IS, 1/500 sec at f7.1, ISO 800 Willow ptarmigan turn a cryptic pure white in the winter to blend in with the snowy landscapes. Their black beak,…
Photography in Alaska’s arctic, particularly in the snowy months, presents many subjects and scenes filled with white, and often a white subject on a white background. While traveling with a photo tour group, one of the sharp-eyed guests (thank you Skip) spotted this arctic fox curled up in a snow drift on a frozen lake.…
Caribou in taiga, arctic, Alaska Canon 1Ds Mark III, 500mm f4L IS, 1/500 sec @ 6.3, ISO 500, vertical crop Most of my winter photography of caribou has been in the treeless arctic. The snow covered spruce trees make this image a little unique to my experience. This year on the north side of the…
Polar bear on the sea ice, Beaufort Sea, arctic Alaska.Canon 1Ds Mark III, 500mm 4.0L IS, 1/500 sec @ f5.6, ISO 800 Earlier in my photography career I guided a variety of photo tours throughout Alaska. I’ve recently scaled back to just one trip, which I co-guide with friend and colleague Hugh Rose. Hugh is…
Patrick is currently in the far north chasing the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights. He has with him an arsenal of equipment, not so much because such a variety is needed, but because there is no perfect aurora lens. The search for such a lens continues, and perhaps Canon’s new version of their 24mm F/1.4…
From my observations, young bears exhibit a mischievous behavior more often than adult bears. Chalk it up for play, curiosity, or too much energy–who knows why. This second year bear took a liking to the wood slats on the walkway to the bear viewing platform in Katmai National Park. Each year the park maintenance crew…
Photographing wildlife within a landscape has always been an interest to me. Doing very close portraits of animals, although it can be challenging, holds less appeal. The more space visible in a frame, the more “stuff” you have to manage in respect to light and composition. So dramatic landscapes with wildlife in them is a…
Brown bear and sunrise, Katmai National Park, AlaskaCanon 1Ds Mark III, 24-105mm 4.0L (32mm), 1/250 sec @ f/11, ISO 100 The versatility of zoom lenses is so appealing that I use prime lenses less often these days. However, they are notorious for lens flare and controlling that can be difficult. On this trip, I did…
Canon will soon be shipping the recently announced, much anticipated 5D Mark II. It matches the company’s flagship 1DS Mark III for resolution, with 21.1 megapixels, and boasts some interesting new features. Perhaps most interesting to many, however, is the price. At $2699 verses $7999 for the 1Ds Mark II, it brings professional resolution and…