Concert In the Garden: Susan Grace

Alaska, Music, Photography

Once again from UAF Summer Sessions, Concert in the Garden performance by Susan Grace, Alaskan troubadour, singer and songwriter. Her songs analyzing the effect humans have on the planet were made more poignant by the smoke blowing in from a nearby wildfire. It wasn’t enough to deter people from enjoying the music. The concert took place June 17, 2013 at the Georgeson Botanical Gardens.

Sun rays streak through smoke.

Flags fly at UAF’s Georgeson Botanical Garden.

Concert in the Garden was a fantastic event to photograph. So much is happening in a very compact area, allowing for photographs with many different elements.

Checking out the train.

Work for some, play for others.

People gladly support the gardens during the free concerts.

Can’t have a post about music without the standard close up of the musician!

Susan Grace taps her guitar and sings, June 27, 2013.

Concert In the Garden: Will Putnam and Trudy Heffernen.

Alaska, Music, Photography, Portraits

I recently took a short, part-time job for UAF Summer Sessions photographing classes and events. Included in those events was concert in the garden, a weekly, outdoor concert held in UAF’s Georgeson Botanical Gardens. The lovely settings, typically great weather and lively music drew large, energetic crowds. On June 20, 2013, Will Putnam and Trudy Heffernen delighted the audience with their country-bluegrass rock.

Alaska Railroad doesn't may make music harder to hear, but adds fun picture elements.

Alaska Railroad trains may make music harder to hear, but add fun picture elements.

Playing and laying.

Always working: Josh Bennett, of Sound Reinforcement Systems, mixes the music.

Roses in the foreground, musicians in the background.

More excited exploration.

Critter Corner: Three bears and Georgeson Botanical Garden.

Alaska, Photography, Wildlife

Bears, what needs to be said? Large, viscous, cute, curious, smart, omnivorous, powerful and today, wooden. Bears in Denali National Park got a lot of attention this year, when a hiker photographing a grizzly was mauled to death last August. Remarkably, this was the first fatality in the Park’s 95-year history. Bears are incredibly fast, and the estimated “50 yards” between the bear and his victim leaves little room for evasive measures. Keep your distance.

Keeping distance wasn’t a problem during the Denali Park Lottery last September. This Alaskan lottery allows 400 vehicles a day to drive all the way into the park, a trip usually reserved for tour buses. Park Rangers are fast to converge on eager photographers, keeping them safe distances from wildlife.

Please click images to view full size.

Bear gazing over riverbed.

A bear pauses while climbing a steep, rocky slope.

For some slightly different bear action, check out this statue of a bear at UAF’s Georgeson Botanical Garden, the northern-most botanical garden in North America. I hadn’t walked through in awhile, and found lots of lovely sculptures had been added. What originally caught my attention, though hard to see in the picture, was an ear of corn someone had placed in the bears paws, reminding me of the fall harvest.