Life in the northern landscape
According to my GPS coordinates for Barter Island, Alaska on Oct 12, 2009, the maximum high angle of the sun is a mere 9 degrees. This is part of the magic of the arctic at this time of year, having a low angle of light for the entire day of shooting. However, photos can continue…
I’ve been posting a few photos and comments from a recent photo tour in Alaska’s arctic. Here is a link to a gallery of a few shots I quickly processed before heading back in the field for the second photo tour. http://alaskaphotographics.com/galleries/2009-photo-tour1/
One of the beauties of photographing in Alaska in October is that the quality of light stays relatively warm and angle-appropriate for shooting most of the day. However, there is nothing quite as dynamic as the first and last light of any day. This shot was taken about 1 hour before actual sunset, but the…
People have a keen interest in the Aurora borealis images, so I’m posting another one from my recent Arctic photo tour. We had unusually warm temperatures, and in some parts of Western Alaska, all time record high temps were set. This is usually not favorable, since the snow melts and things look pretty brown. However,…
On the Arctic photo tour that I guide each year, our departure from Kaktovik, Alaska was delayed a few hours due to mechanical problems with the airplane. This resulted in a different plane showing up about three hours later. It was a Caravan, and the first time I’ve flown in one. It is a fantastic…
Each October, my friend, colleague and fellow guide Hugh Rose and I lead a trip of intrepid photo enthusiasts into Alaska’s arctic to chase its magical light. The aurora borealis, polar bears, arctic wildlife and other grand landscapes prompt many shutter clicks. The sights vary every year, in an amazing diversity of subject material. However,…
Polar bears congregate along Alaska’s north coast when the scent of the bowhead whale carcasses show up from the autumn indigenous whale hunts. Barter Island, located just off the Alaska mainland, is bordered by the Beaufort Sea to the north. It is growing in popularity as a destination to view polar bears, an amazing experience…
It seems that the James Dalton Highway, or the Haul Road, has grown increasingly popular as a segment to add to one’s motorcycle roadway achievements. While the road is a mix of pavement and gravel sections, there are plenty of steep hills and precarious conditions awaiting the two wheeler. Rain can turn the road surface…
If you are at all apprised of the weather conditions of interior Alaska, you know that it is a record setting hot and dry month of July. This usually means forest fires, and as of today there are 79 actively burning across the state. Canada and Russia are also experiencing forest fires, and collectively, there…
If you are not familiar with a tussock, this is probably a good thing. Especially in the context of hiking. However, if you plan to travel across the tundra in Alaska’s arctic, you will indeed become quickly familiar with the term. A tussock is a large knob of soil with tufts of grass or sedges…