Aug 28, 2019 | Landscape Photography
I’ve not met a single photographer who didn’t travel for his art. Some definitely travel further than others and some, travel a whole lot more often than others. But photographers seem to be natural travelers, explorers, and wanderers taking the camera along to record their memories. The good photographers are happy with their finds and keep searching. The great photographers are never totally happy and cannot stop searching. Searching not for that great photograph, but for the adventure at the end of the road and the memories that search brings to their lives. Why, perhaps they love telling stories?!
I honestly don’t know how many times I’ve traveled to the end of the road in Denali. I do know that the journey or search has never been the same twice, not even close. That’s why I keep going back with my camera with eyes wide open for whatever appears. Critters are the obvious attraction and we did see a lot of Moose. But the light brought life to the landscape that was captivating. The challenge is bringing the vastness of the land to the image and the light was so magical, even that was done for us. Then all that was required was to follow that natural cred of the photographer acknowledging the journey never-ending.
Aug 16, 2019 | Wildlife Photography
These two, three-year-old cubs are doing what cubs do so well, mess around! What many interpret as “fighting” is no more than working off lots of energy and boredom. Coastal Grizzly Bears are an amazing critter with such a complex yet simple biology. They are the perfect couch potato, just eating and sleeping. That’s true for all except the cubs who don’t really have to work hard to gather food as mom does it all. And like any kid with idle hands, they get into trouble. It’s really easy to place human emotions and reactions to their movements when there is nothing more complex than play at hand.
We were all alone on the Inlet beach with this family of four for nearly five hours. They really could care less about our presence and went about their daily routine which at this time of year, goes with the tide and the Pink Salmon run that had just started. I truly enjoyed hearing all the sounds of the family as they were an expressive bunch. Shooting with the Z6 / 180-400VR, I could hear it all even when shooting as the Z6 makes no noise. It was a 4200 images morning that really didn’t capture all the memories quite as well as my mind and heart. Oh well, I just gotta go back … gotcha in my spell!
Aug 15, 2019 | Landscape Photography
It still amazes me how life clings to the smallest things and manages to survive, even flourish! I was reminded of this when we were working with Alaskan Sea Otters in Kachemak Bay last week. A favorite locale of mine to shoot is Duck Island. You can see it from Homer looking across the bay, it’s a small island about the size of a football field. It is a major nesting colony for Black-legged Kittiwakes along with Pelagic Cormorants, Horned & Tufted Puffins, and some other seabirds. It’s a symphony of sounds and a nostril full of smells of new life. Typically, I go with a long lens and focus in on just the nesting birds but this time, I wanted to tell about the celebration of life on the lonely rocks in the middle of the sea.
How do you say lonely and celebration of life in the same click? I thought going long but then remembering I was in a boat, I went wide and used the boat to zoom “with my feet.” Shooting with the Z6 / Z24-70f2.8, I watched first the “loneliness” of the rock and then blasted away once I saw the flying dust spots align in a cool pattern. Then once back at the computer, selected the pattern of flight that tells the story I wanted to convey. In that process, it made me long to be in those slow swells on the water experiencing it all over again. Good times, good times!
Aug 8, 2019 | Wildlife Photography
The ride over was a bit on the bumpy side, but Carl once again worked his magic and put us in a calm bay with a raft of Alaskan Sea Otters. These amazing creatures make their life seem so good as they just float about on the surface, sleeping the day away. But it’s a hard life and they work very hard to maintain their body heat through lots of food and that gorgeous, thick coat. Shooting off the back of Carl’s boat, with the D5 / 180-400VR, he would ever so slowly back us into the raft and give them time to get used to us in order to get the shot. It was once again, an amazing experience with these clowns of the sea!
Aug 7, 2019 | Landscape Photography
Kachemak Bay, AK
captured by Z7 / Z24-70f2.8
I’m rarely disappointed by a sunset in Alaska. And, I’ve never missed one. That’s because the sun takes so bloody long to set, you could drive for an hour to the perfect spot and still capture it! So while watching the Sea Otters float by, the gulls and kittiwakes settle in for the night, I sat on the balcony and listened to the crashing waves as the earth slowly spun forcing the sun to once more go below the horizon. Even if for only five hours before popping back up again. I even did time-lapse of the setting and rising sun. Shooting with the Z7 / Z14-30, I gaffer taped my tabletop tripod to the railing to do it. Too lazy to go down to the truck and get my tripod. Too beautiful a scene to leave!
Aug 6, 2019 | Wildlife Photography
Black-legged Kittiwake
captured by D5 / 180-400VR / watertaxi
I have spent a lot of time on Alaska’s coastal waters. They are always new, different and gorgeous each and every trip! Went out to a favorite locale this morning, Gull Island to spend some time with all the nesting birds. The predominant species is the Black-legged Kittiwake. I’ve shot there a lot over the decades so spent most of my time with the Z7 / Z24-70f2.8 shooting. But then we rounded the point and I saw this so had to pull out the D5 / 180-400VR. Now the fact I have to point out this detail tells you that in general, it’s weak. If it were strong, you would see it without my pointing it out but such is not the case. But under the adult in the top left corner is a chick staring back out. And if you look right next to it, an egg. It’s a detail that makes me smile.
