Destination: Wildnerness

I have been shooting so much studio stock work lately that I decided to take a trip back through the 2007 archives in search of something different.

This image of a Piper Super Cub lifting off was captured last summer in Fairbanks, Alaska. The owner of this plane keeps it tied-up at his waterfront home. in less time than it takes me to drive from my house to downtown Salt Lake City this pilot can be trying his luck at a wilderness fishing hole.

But there are two sides to each coin, especially in Alaska. Right now it is -9º Fahrenheit in Fairbanks and they will have less than 7 hours of daylight today. I think I'll stick with Utah.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/1600 second, f/5.6, ISO 160

The Daily Commute

For some people, the daily commute doesn't involve sitting in freeway gridlock in a four door sedan.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/200 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

Afternoon Swim

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L with 1.4x extender - 1/640 second, f/5.6, ISO 125

The Water Might Be Cold If . . .

Taken at Portage Lake, near Girdwood Alaska.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/500 second, f/8, ISO 125

Enjoy the Ride

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/320 second, f/4, ISO 200

Top Shelf

Photographed aboard the Alaska Railroad en route to Denali National Park.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/30 second, f/4, ISO 500

A Beautiful Weed

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/4, ISO 100

Guest Contributor: ElisaRae.com

Today is one of the rare occasions when the featured image is not one I took.

While reviewing photos from my recent Alaska trip, I came across a series of dog shots that didn't look familiar. That's when I remembered that my 12 year old daughter Elisabeth had borrowed my camera while we were visiting my sister in the town of Healy. It was great to see the different perspective that she took while chasing the many dogs around the yard with a 5D in hand.

Of all the shots she took (read: LOTS!), this shot of Dog (pronounced dee-oh-gee) is my favorite. I love the low vantage point with the narrow depth of field. The tennis ball provides a great finishing touch. Elisabeth has a great natural eye and I look forward to seeing how her photography evolves in the future.

For more examples of her work, visit her frequently rarely updated blog at elisarae.com.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/500 second, f/4, ISO 400

Propulsion

Captured off the stern of the Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/1600, f/4, ISO 160

Looking Out

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/400 second, f/10, ISO 100

Trans Alaska Pipeline

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), usually called the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska or the Alaska Pipeline elsewhere, is a major U.S. oil pipeline connecting oil fields in northern Alaska to a sea port where the oil can be shipped to the Lower 48 states for refining.

The main Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs north to south, almost 800 miles (1,300 km), from the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to the Gulf of Alaska at Valdez, Alaska, passing near several Alaskan towns, including Wiseman, Bettles, Livengood, Fox, Fairbanks, and Glennallen.

Construction of the pipeline presented significant challenges due to the remoteness of the terrain and the harshness of the environment it had to pass through. Between Arctic Alaska and Valdez, there were three mountain ranges, active fault lines, miles of unstable, boggy ground underlain with frost, and migration paths of caribou and moose. Geological activity has damaged the pipeline on several occasions.

Since its completion in 1977, the pipeline has transported over 15 billion barrels (2.4 km3) of oil.

(read the complete article on Wikipedia)

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/250 second, f/22, ISO 160

Confluence

con·flu·ence [kon-floo-uh ns]
-noun

1. a flowing together of two or more streams, rivers, or the like: the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
2. their place of junction: St. Louis is at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
3. a body of water formed by the flowing together of two or more streams, rivers, or the like.
4. a coming together of people or things; concourse.
5. a crowd or throng; assemblage.

Today's image was captured at the confluence of the Chena and Tanana River in Fairbanks Alaska. The Chena River (on the left) is relatively clear as opposed to the Tanana River (on the right) which is extremely cloudy caused by glacial silt.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/13, ISO 160

Morning Spruce

Captured on a foggy morning in Fairbanks Alaska.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/80 second, f/9, ISO 160

Fireweed Serendipity

While I was shooting this top-down photo of fireweed in Chatanika Alaska, a bee flew into the frame. I love the addition of the bee and really appreciate what it brings to the image.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/160 second, f/4.5, ISO 160

Homeward Bound

As I write this it is 1:00 AM and I am sitting in Fairbanks International Airport waiting for my (delayed) flight home. It's been a very busy 10 days and we've covered a lot of ground. I look forward to going through the 15+ gigabytes of photos on my MacBook's hard drive when I get home.

Today's featured image is a Piper PA-18 "Super Cub" floatplane taking off on Fairbanks' Chena River. I grew up flying around Alaska with my father in his floatplane and it was really nice to re-live those memories.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/800 second, f/5.6, ISO 160

Young Bull

This young bull moose was photographed at the Alaska Conservation Wildlife Center in Girdwood Alaska. It would have been great to make a capture like this in the wild, but this setting made a great alternative.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens with 1.4x extender - 1/320 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

The Alaska Railroad

Taken at the Anchorage Depot of the Alaska Railroad.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/50 second, f/4, ISO 320

Nose to Nose

Alaska, Day 5

Today's photo of a Grizzly Bear and a Brown Bear sparring in the water was shot on Friday during my visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The center is located about an hour south of Anchorage in the extremely small town of Girdwood. Most of the animals there are rescues being prepared for re-introduction into the wild. The opportunity to photograph these bears at such a close range was clearly the highpoint of my visit.

Today, I am off to Denali National Park and Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L with 1.4x extender - 1/400 second, f/5.6, ISO 125

Alaskan Grizzly Bears

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L with 1.4x extender - 1/500 second, f/5.6, ISO 125

A Benefit of High End Camera Gear

A conversation I had yesterday at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics in Anchorage Alaska (as I sat with my family):

Lady (sternly): "Did you register at the press table?"

Me: "No"

Lady: "All press has to register"

Me: "I'm not press" (I didn't think LeggNet's Digital Capture would warrant credentials)

Lady: "You're not press??"

Me: "Nope, I'm just a guy here with my family"

Lady: "You're not going to sell these pictures are you?"

Me: "No. I'm just on vacation with my family"

Lady: "Uh... okay"

Me (a bit miffed): "Thanks. I just missed the event I wanted to see"

Lady (sarcastically): "There'll be more (walks while muttering something about my big camera)

Stranger next to me (with her point & shoot camera): "I can't believe she stood in front of me and blocked my view. I really wanted a picture of that event"

Me: "I'm sorry ma'am"

I guess this is one of the hidden benefits of shooting with nice gear, especially a long white lens on a large camera body. I don't think I'd have had the same conversation if I had been using my G7.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/160 second, f/4, ISO 1000

Alaskan Window Boxes

I'm in Anchorage for a few days before heading north on the Alaska Railroad. I spent some time wandering around the downtown area yesterday afternoon where I captured these window boxes. The window was located on the second floor and the image had a distinct 'looking up' feel to it. To compensate for this, I adjusted the vertical perspective in Photoshop to make it appear to have been shot more straight on.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/100 second, f/8, ISO 160

Bride by Lake

Bride by Lake, originally uploaded by LeggNet.

I worked in the late eighties as a professional photographer in Alaska. While looking in my storage shed recently for some old software, I came across an album with several photographs that I had taken nearly 20 years ago. I opted to scan them into digital format to help preserve the images.

Featured here is a capture of a bride standing alongside a lake in Chugiak Alaska. Many of the weddings I photographed in Alaska during the summer were outdoors, due to the beautiful scenery. This brides name is Janice and her wedding took place at her parent's home.