Ripples Above, Ripples Below

» Posted by admin on May 19, 2010 in Alaska, color, Dave Taylor, Denali National Park, Friends, Landscapes, Mat-Su Valley, Mountains, Panoramic, Spring | 7 comments

Just a quick post to “show off” a recent panoramic image I have been working on. Jena and I were headed back from photographing Denali (and the Alaska Range) from the South Overlook on the Park’s Highway, this past Monday night. As we neared Willow, Alaska, we turned our heads to look back at where the sun would be setting. It was slightly above the mountain range, but was already showing a beautiful orange hue. The cloud formations looked very promising. I knew there were several lakes within just a few miles that would offer a good view back towards the Alaskan Range. So this became our mission. The very first lake we passed is the one in this photograph – Kashwitna Lake. Talk about luck!

This is a 6-image pano. Each one shot vertically to increase resolution across the panorama. I used a graduated neutral density filter (2-stop soft edge Singh-Ray) to balance the exposure of the sky with the reflection.

This was one of those incredible moments to witness, let alone photograph. And the best part was… not being there alone. As the clouds shifted color and deepened to a pure crimson, the slack-jawed look on Jena’s face was classic. Until she reminded me that I had the same look. Great evening. Nuf’ said.

Please click on the image below to view it larger. Want to see it even larger? This one needs to be viewed large. This image is roughly 5 feet long by 2 feet high in it’s native form. I’m looking forward to having one on display as soon as possible. As soon as I calculate a couple of print options, I’ll post an update. If you have a large, blank wall… perhaps it’s time you fill that space with an image of Mount Foraker, Hunter, and Denali reflecting on a calm lake in the interior of Alaska.

Kashwitna Lake Sunset, Denali and the Alaska Range. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D mk 2, 70-200 @ 111mm, 1/4" at f/13, ISO 200. Singh-Ray 2-stop soft edge grad ND filter. The images were manually merged in Photoshop.)

Stay tuned. I’ve got several more photos from the past few weeks that I’ll be posting shortly.