Music Monday: Clinton Fearon

Please excuse my lack of posts in the previous week, I had been traveling with limited use to internet.

Jumping back into posts today with a brief Music Monday. Clinton Fearon, Jamaican Reggae artist, played a solo show on Alaska Live with Lori Neufeld March 8, 2013. Check out his podcast on KUAC’s website.

There was a shortage of light during this particular shoot, so even at ISO 3200 my shutter speed was a somewhat testy 1/25th of a second. Thanks to a steady hand and image stabilization I was able to get a few sharp shots. One cool effect of a slow shutter is the blurring of Clinton’s strumming hand.

Clinton Fearon uses music to spread his message of hope and love on Alaska Live, with Lori Neufeld.

Music Monday: Nor’easter, With Video.

Alaska, Black & White, Music, Photography, Portraits

Boston-based band Nor’easter, founded by Max Newman of Fairbanks, spent some time sharing music in the KUAC studios Feb. 1, 2013. This contra-dance band features Max Newman on guitar and mandolin, Cedar Stanistreet on fiddle and Julie Vallimont on piano and accordion.

Being a band with Alaska roots, Nor’easter got the filming treatment during their Alaska Live session, which I will embed at the end of this post. Want more? Check out their full Alaska Live podcast.

It’s evident they have fun sharing their music, which indeed induces foot tapping.

Sporting Thursday: Nanook Hockey Playoffs

Alaska, Photography, Sports

It’s time for another inauguration of another theme, Sporting Thursday. Having an active lifestyle has always been important to me, it’s only natural I should continue that through my photography. For todays first post of Sporting Thursday, we travel to the Carlson Center, Fairbanks, Alaska, for the first round of the soon-to-be defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Association, where the Michigan State Spartans traveled to play the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks.

Friday, March 8, was a intense, low scoring game. Despite the Nanooks 35-15 shot on goal advantage, 3 minutes into overtime, MSU’s Matt DeBlouw slipped the puck past Nanook goaltender John Keeney.

The image I have of DeBlouw’s game-winning goal is an interesting thought experiment. Occasionally the discussion of sport-journalists acting as cheerleaders arises. In this particular instance I had positioned myself in hopes UAF scored the overtime goal, a better angle then if MSU did. As we know MSU scored first, had I kept a neutral position it’s likely I would have a cleaner image with the puck easier to see. Of course, sports are unpredictable, and would-be images frequently happen out of range or obstructed.

This cheerleading mentality can also manifest in war reporters. Stories get edited, or completely untold, to protect the reputation of the military. That is not something I have experienced, and a discussion for another post.

UAF goalie John Keeney realizes the game is over after MSU scores in overtime.

A good chance goes without a goal for UAF’s Trevor Campbell

The Nanooks won Saturday, I game I did not attend, 4-1, forcing a deciding game three on Sunday.

I showed up sometime in the second period, the score tied 1-1. Within five minutes MSU went up 3-1, both goals I may have got a good shot of, if I had been ready. Also within that five minutes two players broke some glass, causing over 20 minutes in delay. MSU then went up 4-1, and the game ended 4-3, with UAF being done for the season.

UAF goalie John Keeney hangs his head after MSU scores their 4th, and ultimately game-winning goal.

Broken glass created a lengthy game delay in the second period.

Music Monday: Fairbanks Winter Folk Festival

Alaska, Music, Photography, Portraits

Welcome back to the second installment of Music Monday, on Far North Light.

Twice a year, in summer and winter, The Fairbanks Folk Festival offers a chance for some of the many Interior Alaska bands a place to conjoin and perform. February 9th, at Pioneer Park’s Civic Center, over 30 acts took turns filling 15- and 20-minute sets. Performances ran the gamut from solo singer-songwriters and a comedian to picking sessions with dozens of stringed instruments.

I was there finalizing recordings for my internship at KUAC, which allowed me some time to photograph as well.

Check out “The Best of the Fest” podcast on KUAC’s website, where you will also see a slideshow with more pictures that I took. I recommend the recordings that start with Ester Jelly Jam and New Cut Road.

Bruno Grunau, of the band Ice Jam, plays mandolin with his 6-week-old daughter Annabelle.

Warming up in the green room at Fairbanks Winter Folk Festival.

A very full stage.

Emcee Lori Neufeld chats with members of Zingaro before they take the stage.

Ukulele Russ: One man, one ukulele, lots of hair.

‘Tis the season to ski: Nat’ Geo’ Extreme Photo of the Week and more.

Alaska, Black & White, Photography, Portraits, Sports

First things first: A huge shout out to my friend and fellow (former) Fairbanks resident, Luke Smith, who is the skier in this weeks National Geographic Extreme Photo of the Week. Photographer Ryan Kruger captured Luke skiing Frazier Basin, Bridger Range, Montana.

Here’s the image, click the link above to see the full story. I especially like the delay between the initial viewing and noticing the skier, and of course, the monochromatic image.

photo by Ryan Krueger

Photographing skiing and snowboarding is a very delicate balance for me. Often my love for snowboarding overpowers my desire to take photos on the hill. It’s easy to worry about my camera, ducking under and squeezing through trees at Skiland, where I ride, and the fartherst north chairlift in North America.

I am becomming more comfortable with it though. The hardest part is forcing myself to be less agressive while riding.

While neither of my photos offer the extreme enviornment of Krueger’s, they have their own qualities. Both with a strong sense of light, the Sun peeking out behind my friends Nils and Nick in the first, illuminated hoar frost on the lift in the second. The first image is also a pan shot, my movement, parallel with the subjects, keeps them in focus while blurring the background.

Nick and Nils gather speed for the traverse at Mt. Aurora Skidland.

Nick and Nils gather speed for the traverse at Mt. Aurora Skiland.

Hoar frost on an early morning chairlift ride.

Hoar frost and an Alyeska sticker on a chilly, early morning chairlift ride.

Music Monday: The Young Dubliners on Alaska Live

Alaska, Black & White, Music, Photography, Portraits

In an effort to increase the regularity of posting I will be creating a few themes for Far North Light. Today is the inaugural day of Music Monday, where I feature photos of the various venues and concerts I’m involved with around Fairbanks.

Capturing the essence of music in a photograph is no easy task. Obviously the biggest hurdle is lack of auditory signals. What is possible is trying to capture the symbiotic relationship band members share with one another, as well as audience members. Much like a sound wave reflecting off ceilings and walls, energy fills the studio or dance floor, it’s that energy that is possible to photograph.

Often to capture the intensity a plethora of obstacles must be navigated. Studio settings don’t offer audience members, or the added energy they bring, to incorporate into the photo. Bright spotlights accompanied with dark surroundings can easily lead to blown out highlights or indiscernible shadows. My technique is expose so no highlights have lost information, then bring back detail in the shadows. Rarely is ISO set below 1600. Another common impediment is a cramped enviornment: instruments, bodies and microphones can easily decapitate an important figure in the background. Thanks to the near unlimited picture taking ability of digital, shoot enough and there’s bound to be good frames.

As I mentioned in a previous post I’m doing a professional media internship for KUAC, Public Radio of Alaska. I assist Lori Neufeld in the production room for her show, Alaska Live, a live-music radio program feature Alaskan and visiting artists. The most recent band to play in the studio was The Young Dubliners. This Celtic-Rock band played a mellow version of their stage show. Check out the podcast here.

The Young Dubliners perform on Alaska Live in KUAC’s studio at University Alaska Fairbanks.

First Friday, Klara Maisch’s “Broad Pass”

Alaska, Arts, Photography, Portraits

My friend and artist Klara Maisch is having a First Friday tonight at Gulliver’s Books, in Fairbanks, Alaska. Her Alaskan Inspired prints and paintings beautifully capture the abstract nuances of everything that inspires her: mountains, trees, pillow lines, animals and nature of all kinds. Her work ranges from monochromatic medleys to impressionistic landscapes with vivid colors.

Check out her show, tonight March 1, from 6-8 p.m. on the corner of College and University. And check out the link to her artwork here.

Klara Maisch fills in holes on screen before screen printing.

Klara Maisch patches a screen prior to printing

Can I use that picture? No. Well… I’m going to. Street photography and copyright infringement.

Film, Photography, Portraits, Street, Travel

An issue every photographer struggles with, sharing their work with the world while protecting intellectual property, has a new high-profile case.

Humans of New York, the blog of street photographer Brandon Stanton, is a hugely popular blog featuring posed and candid images of the many unique citizens in America’s most populous city. According to The Guardian, clothing company DKNY offered Stanton $15,000 to use 300 of his photos. Feeling $50 per photo was inadequate compensation from a wealthy company Stanton requested more, which DKNY denied.

A fan of Stanton later brought to his attention that DKNY had in fact used many of his images in a window advertisement in Bangkok. Taking a very admirable path, Stanton asked DKNY donate $100,000 to his local YMCA, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. In what was a simultaneous act-of-kindness and backhanded swipe, DKNY donated $25,000 in Stanton’s name.

So how do photographers, and artists as a whole, attempting to establish their name protect it at the same time? There’s no fool-proof way. Watermarks, finding websites that don’t allow downloading of images and small file sizes are all techniques.

Personally, I size my images small enough they wouldn’t make a decent print and hope people will at least ask if they want to use it. I have found out this isn’t an adequate approach.

The topic will only continue to brew confusion and controversy, as popular image-sharing software Instagram has recently been sued over inadequate protection of users photos.

Today I will share some of my street photography from Seattle.

I didn’t have much reaction time when I saw how the orange of the man’s shirt and child’s stroller complemented the orange accents on the posters.

Here I was simply interested in the smooth curvature of the drinking fountain and the bike-lane indicator in the street when a pedestrian came to quench his thirst. Again I had to quickly step back to get a more inclusive image before he continued on his way.

I dig his tall, white socks with black shoes.

Alaska Live: Tony Furtado and Peter Mulvey, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas.

Alaska, Black & White, Music, Photography, Portraits

As part of my journalism degree I’m required to complete a professional-media internship. To fulfill this requirement I have been interning for a program called Alaska Live, part of Alaskan Public Radio, KUAC 89.9.

Alaska Live is a live-music radio program, featuring Alaskan-based musicians, as-well-as visiting artists. It is good experience learning some of the inner workings of broadcast radio, and an excellent opportunity to hear some amazing music. Although my internship is not photography based, it’s hard to resist fulfilling my photographing fetish. Two of my duties include editing audio and posting podcasts online.

Here are some images of the visiting artists.

Tony Furtado, left, and Peter Mulvey perform together Jan. 31, 2013 for Alaska Live with Lori Nuefeld.

Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and cellist Natalie Haas on Alaska Live.

The Nutcracker Ballet, it’s that time of the year.

Alaska, Arts, Photography, Portraits

It may not be December yet, but the holiday spirit will descend on Herring Auditorium this weekend as The North Star Ballet performs The Nutcracker. This is the 26th year the ballet has been staged in Fairbanks. Set to the classic score by Tchaikovsky, it follows the tale of a young girl named Clara, who saves the Nutcracker from the sword of the evil Mouse King. The Nutcracker then transforms into a prince, and Clara is whisked away to the land of sweets, to be entertained by dancers representing tea, coffee, Danish marzipans and of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier.

The North Star Ballet follows a traditional Balanchine choreography, and is a spectacular show if you’ve never seen it, or go every year. Performances this year feature returning guest dancers from Ballet West, Deanna Karlheim and Hannes Van Wassenhove as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

The Nutcracker will be performed tonight, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. tomorrow Dec. 1 at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. Again I encourage everyone to support their local art scene and show them how much you appreciate their hard work.

Happy holidays!