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.

Dusk and Dawn Landscapes

Alaska, Landscapes, Photography, Travel

It’s a subject I’ve talked about before, long Alaskan summer light. Dusk and dawn, referred to as “golden light” in photography, are but a few short hours apart. A fishing trip to the Copper River Valley early June gave me a prime opportunity to photograph both ends.

In the first image: Alpenglow illuminates Mount Drum, left, and Mount Sanford, right. Shot at 11:10 p.m., June 11, 2013.

Alpenglow highlights mountains along the Richardson Highway,11:10 p.m., June 11, 2013.

Before getting on the boat the next morning I walked down to the Copper River to photograph a gorgeous sunrise, At 4:30 in the morning, just over five hours later.

Sunrise over the Copper River at 4:30 a.m., June 11, 2013.

Day Bike in Denali Nat’l Park

Alaska, Landscapes, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized

Saturday, May 25, a group of friends and I did an out-and-back from Savage River, 12 miles into the park. Completely clear skies allowed the sun and cool air to compliment each other nicely. We split into two groups part-way through, and mine made it a few miles past the mostly frozen Teklanika River. The frozen river is a reminder that weather near the tallest peak in North America is very dynamic.

Savage River, as far as the public is allowed to drive.

Visitors can bus, bike or simply hike into the park.

Snow and melt water were both prevalent, and crews were on hand to try and keep them heading the right directions.

Road work crew.

This includes keeping culverts clear of ice, which can be a tricky operation.

Deeper then expected.

We started at 11, and biked roughly 50 miles before returning just before 6 p.m. A fantastic time to bike, but difficult time to photograph. But this trip was about having a good time with friends, and we managed to meet up right before the final uphill, before relaxing and snacking at the top.

Left to right: Charlie, Louise, Denali, Nick, Robin and David.

Budding pussy willows with Denali in the background.

Budding willows with Denali in the background.

Redpolls, robin egg, beehives and PRI.

Alaska, Landscapes, Macro, Photography, Wildlife

My old theme had been giving me problems, hence the new appearance.

A very similar story to the subject of this post was on Public Radio International during my drive to UAF: Magpies as pests. The story about how magpies, cousins of the fascinating raven I love to photograph, are often exterminated because of their aggressive nest-plundering habits. In defense of the magpie it was said other animals, raccoons, squirrels and deer probably steal more eggs. I’ve been unsuccessful finding the podcast, if I do I’ll post it.

In truth it’s just nature, the favorable location or easy meal will get taken.

I have three examples of similar subject matter today: First, a bird home overtaken by bees; second, former chickadee’s nest taken by redpolls; and finally, a scavenged North American Robin egg.

A beehive in a bird house at Creamers Field, late April, 2013.

Snow flies as a redpoll eyes its nest.

A redpoll warms the eggs, May 17, 2013.

Three of the four light-light blue eggs in a rotting birch tree.

Bright blue and broken.

Orbital.

May Skiing and a Dog

Alaska, Landscapes, Photography

I received a comment from a viewer that there’s overlapping issues when they view my site on Internet Explorer, has anyone else witnessed this or anything similar?

Over the next few days I’ll be featuring some of my favorite images from skiing and snowboarding last winter.

There has been a few good opportunities to snowboard this May, both at Skiland and backcountry. A group of friends and myself took a trip to a local south-facing slope and did a little hiking. What I really like about this series of two pictures: they’re two photos of only eight I took, one frame after the other. It’s just a good feeling, not shooting heavy, but getting a few strong images. I like the first photo because of the scale, two small hikers and an expansive horizon. The three main elements and the triangular composition of the second picture are simple, but pleasing to the eye.

Russle Walker, foreground, and Nick Konefal work back up the hill, May 9, 2013.

A dog watches the road

Bicycle Beat: Welcome to Winter, Spring.

Alaska, Black & White, Landscapes, Photography, Street

Crazy Fairbanks weather continues. That didn’t deter some friends and I from doing an art-show bike on Friday, May 3.

Such an important part of photography is taking pictures of everything. I find it an important way to sharpen the eye and make sure my camera’s settings will give me a well-rendered file. The green fence caught my eye, and the complementary color of the red for-sale sign was enough reason for a quick stop.

Green Fence with for-sale sign, May 3, 2013.

Wind and cold soon swept in snow, which fell in large, heavy clumps. Truly spring with a twist.

Snow falls May 3, 2013 in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Spring is also a chance to see what winter left behind. This is most evident in the trash that manifests on roadsides after being forgotten under a blanket of snow all winter. Fairbanks has a community clean-up day, when scores of volunteers take to the streets with bright yellow trash bags helping make the Golden Heart of Alaska clean again. Not uncommon, clean-up day 2013 had to be postponed, and is now scheduled for May 11.

I don’t know what happened for this bike beside the path to become utterly destroyed, but it must not have been enjoyable for the rider.

A beat-up, rusty bike lays along side a bike path in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Bicycle Beat: Munching Moose and a May Day Sun Dog

Alaska, Landscapes, Photography, Street, Wildlife

“Bicycle Beat” is an idea I have wanted to start for some time. And until recently was hindered by winter. Bicycle Beat is my reporting from a bicycle. I have often felt bike riding is the ultimate way to capture great photos. Unlike driving, stopping and turning around is almost instantaneous, and it’s much easier to spot interesting subjects traveling 10 mph rather then 50. Consequently, also much faster then walking, greatly expanding the range of your photographic canvas. Also important is inconspicuous. You draw a lot more attention stopping a car then a bicycle.

I went for a very brief 3-mile bike ride last night and in the short time happened upon two photo-worthy subjects. It’s been a very testy spring in Fairbanks, with multiple inches of snow the last week of May. Greenhouses are opening despite unavailable exterior space. One of them is Plant Kingdom.

Mayday! A sundog is visible on May Day. A sundog is an atmospheric reaction when light deflects off ice crystals in the air, producing a halo effect. They are common to cold weather.

The snow and cold on May 1, producing a sundog, mixed with the open Plant Kingdom sign, is a significant juxtaposition.

A sundog is frames the Plant Kingdom sign on May 1, 2013. It has been one of the coldest springs on record in Interior Alaska.

I slung my camera around my neck and hopped on my bike, only to travel another half-mile before finding another photo.

While I may have stopped a car to take the sundog picture, I never would have seen this young moose right off the bike path. Maybe 15 yards away, it would have been a great opportunity to get a wide-angle shot of a moose. Having a zoom lens however, my first instinct was to zoom in as close as possible. Probably 2 or 3 years old, I did make sure no mother moose was visible before shooting.

A moose munches off Farmers Loop Rd.

Very-Temporary Fossils

Alaska, architecture, Photography, Street, Wildlife

While nothing in Interior Alaska can be considered typical, Fairbanks – typically – isn’t very windy. This winter has brought no shortage of windy days. While occasionally bone-chilling cold, wind also creates exciting conditions. Ravens seem to have fun when currents whip up.

Ravens play in high winds above UAF’s Fine Art Complex. April 17, 2013.

The next day, slowly picking my way down a steep, slippery hill, my preferred route between car and classroom, I found evidence some ravens had been using strong winds and currents to their advantage.

Spiraling strike marks decorated the snow’s surface. A raven had been hunting, likely a small rodent. My friend accurately described it as a “very-temporary fossil.” Indeed unlikely the imprint would be preserved more then a day or two.

A hunting raven leaves evidence in the snow, April 18, 2013.

At the time I was en route to grab class materials, happy just to spot the strike, I didn’t linger. Deciding to court a safer path back up the hill, my attention was once more drawn toward patterns in the snow. I couldn’t pass the opportunity to photograph another strike mark. Even if it meant going back to my car to swap tennis shoes for boots.

A pedestrian walks up a path at UAF, near a imprint a raven left in the snow, akin to a temporary fossil.

A pedestrian walks up a path at UAF, near a raven imprint in the snow, akin to a temporary fossil.

Close-up of an imprint left by a hunting raven.

Sporting Thursday: Rattlesnake Ridge in Snoqualmie, Washington.

Landscapes, Photography, Travel

On a beautiful, sunny, Easter Sunday, people thronged to Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area so they could relax, sun, and ascend Rattlesnake Ridge. Nestled in the foothills of Washington’s Cascades, just outside Snoqualmie, Rattlesnake Ridge is a is a solid hike, gaining roughly 2000 ft. of elevation in 2 miles.

The trail was packed. Without any attempt at counting adventurers, the number easily surpassed 100. I would estimate closer to 300, over a small portion of the day. A few larger groups appeared to be in double digits. After a long, rainy winter in Washington, people want to play.

For those interested the climb includes some slightly harrowing overlooks. Deaths are not unheard of, one as recently as 2012, according to the Issaquah Reporter.

Thankfully there were no reports of accidents on my trip.

Hikers enjoy the view, share photos, and make a mess and dogs roam at Rattlesnake Ridge.

Hikers enjoy the view, share photos, and make a mess while dogs roam at Rattlesnake Ridge.

Were it not for bright-red shorts, this hiker would completely vanish into the landscape.

Long ways down: The parking lot and trailhead descend into the distance, with the slight stature of hikers visible in the upper-right corner.

Three illuminated pieces of Old Man’s Beard.

Far North Light

Adventures starting in the heart of Alaska

Weather