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Posts tagged ‘Clouds’

Sep 5

A Few More Photos of the Alaska Range

I was going back through some of my photos, and realized that I hadn’t processed some of my infrared photos of the Alaska Range.

I use a Nikon D300 that I’ve converted to infrared through LifePixel.com.  (Please use that affiliate link if you are thinking of converting one of your cameras.)

All but the last of these images are from Talkeetna, which is about 60 miles south of Denali.  I think the view from Talkeetna gives a better overview of the Alaska Range.  The weather was also a lot better when we were in Talkeetna.  I would have loved to seen Denali from Wonder Lake on the north side, but that just didn’t work out.

Anyway, I wanted to share these, and hope you enjoy them. (Click the photos to see larger versions.)

 

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Denali

 

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Mt. Foraker (17,400 ft), Mt. Hunter (14,573 ft), and Denali (20,310 ft)

These are the three highest peaks in the Alaska Range, and the 1st, 3rd, and 10th highest in the US.

 

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Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, and Denali

 

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Mt. Foraker.

The lenticular cloud above the summit indicates high winds.

 

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Denali

 

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Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, and Denali

 

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Mt. Foraker

 

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Mt. Hunter

 

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Mt. Hunter, and Denali

This is taken from Denali State Park (about 35 miles from Denali), with the Chulitna River in the foreground.  In Talkeetna, stop at the Denali Brewing Company for a Chuli Stout, named after this river.

Aug 21

Alaska, Days 6-10

I apologize for not posting in a few days.  Our days have been full, and the internet less than speedy and reliable, so updating the blog took a back seat.

In Skagway, we took the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad to White Pass, briefly crossing into Canada before returning to Skagway.

 

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The next port of call was Sikta, where our good weather karma started to run out.  Our last day at sea met swells up to 18 feet, and winds up to 50 knots, as a large storm passed from west to east, as we went through in the opposite direction.  This same storm caused significant flooding in Sikta the day after we were there.

In the photo below from somewhere in the Gulf of Alaska, note the relationship between the horizon and the boat.  Our motion sickness patches worked great, though._DSC1017

 

One of the highlights of our trip so far was a stop at Happy Trails Kennels, home of Martin Buser, a four time Iditarod champion.  We loved the excitement of the dogs, playing with some 10-week-old puppies, and sitting in Martin and Kathy’s home talking about dog training philosophy.

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We next worked our way up to Talkeetna, where the good weather karma returned.  Denali is only visible about 30% of the time.  Many people come to Alaska and stay for days without seeing it.  Here are a couple of photos from Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.  These are from about 60 miles away.

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Tomorrow, we will probably be off the air for a couple of days in the Denali Backcountry.  More when we return.

Jun 5

Inspiration

20110516_0199_200_201_202_203_tonemapped_1Sunset Over Kalalau Valley, Kaua’i

I had a great time in Hawaii, and made it back home safely. I very much appreciated the words my friends suggested for this series of articles. I want to talk about one more word… “inspiration”.

Hawaii is a pretty inspiring place, especially for a visual artist.  Remote islands with beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife. Grab your camera and just head out for the day to see what you’re given.

But as I’ve said before, the most important inspiration comes to me from the people around me in my life.  Family and friends.  Really amazing family and friends.  Amazing.  And imperfect.  And courageous.  And especially, inspiring.

Thank you all for being here, for gathering here, in my life.

May 19

1 Comment

Hawaii, Day Six

A reminder that I asked a few friends to suggest words to inspire topics in this blog.

Today’s word is “strength”.

I found out this afternoon that one my best friend’s dog passed away.  Those of you who know me know that I’m a dog person, and I was deeply affected by this news.  My heart goes out to Shelley, Cory, Sierra, and Lyla for the loss of their family member.

I also learned today that two people were killed Tuesday in an ultralight plane crash along the Na Pali coast of Kaua’i. I didn’t know them, but I saw the police and ambulance crews rushing to the north side of the island.

We get through times like these with strength—our own inner strength, but more importantly, the strength of our friends and family. People who love us and care for us, and make us feel better when we lose loved ones and we hurt.

Today’s images are from the Na Pali coast.  These photos are taken with my Nikon D200, which I had converted to an infrared camera by LifePixel.  These daunting cliffs, especially rendered in infrared, say “strength” to me—Nature’s strength, the strength of the Hawaiian people who lived there, and the strength of the people who visit the coast today on foot, on the water, and in the air.  This is a challenging place.

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I hope tomorrow’s better.  See you then.

May 16

Hawaii, Day Three

We had a tough day today.  The weather didn’t cooperate; only a bit of rain, but a lot of clouds that socked in some of the canyons all day.

Today’s word is “wonder”, which is what you feel all along a hike we did to the top of Waipo’o Falls, in Waimea Canyon.  The canyon is up to 3000 feet deep in places.

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This is an HDR (high dynamic range) image, created from three exposures with a one stop difference between each.

I enjoy your comments; keep them coming!

Dec 21

Wupatki National Monument

Wukoki_Pueblo 

I spent the weekend with my good friends Crystal and Paul. On Saturday, we went to Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments.  The image above is an infrared shot of the Wukoki Pueblo (approximately 800 years old) at the Wupatki National Monument.

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