Sixtyone North » Alaska

More Photos from St. George Island, Alaska

David Taylor — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 02:59:52 +0000

Here are a few more photos from my recent adventure on St. George Island, in Alaska’s Pribilof Island Group. I have been working on editing the nearly 3,000 photos created over those 3 days. The “Selects” have been narrowed to a much more manageable group of around 30 images. That is 1 “Select” image out of every 100 clicks of the shutter.

There is an old-ish saying that I first heard from Galen Rowell,

“The difference between a professional and an amateur photographer is that a professional takes more bad photographs.”

Over the past few years, I’ve been focusing more on my landscape photography. St. George Island gave me a very unique opportunity to shift my main focus to the incredible wildlife, albeit with a few distractions where I was forced to resort back to my landscape roots – as you will see below.

The wildlife photography was stunning though, such a wide variety of subjects – most within close proximity. As we planned for this trip, I lamented not being able to pack a 600mm lens along with a teleconverter. I was concerned that I might not be able to get the images I desired with just a 400mm lens. We decided to go with what we had, and make the most of the situation.

When we arrived on the island, we were met by one of the very friendly and informative locals who drove us to our hotel – we hurriedly unpacked, grabbed our gear and headed out the door. We made a b-line for the cliffs at the edge of town. A two minute walk. As we neared the sea cliffs, I could hear the ragged snorts and bellows of the northern fur seals, and the cacophony of thousands of sea birds. Beyond the bellowing, snorting and screeching, the pounding surf of the Bering Sea reverberated against the basalt formations and rugged coastline.

Dozens of kittiwakes were circling above the ledge, and I knew there was a decent chance at finding other bird species on the cliff walls below. We approached the precipice slowly, worried we might cause the birds to scatter and fly away if they felt threatened. As I peered over the edge, the world fell away and the rocky coastline revealed itself. My eyes were instantly drawn away from the incredible boulder strewn beach to hundreds upon hundreds of birds perched on rocky outcroppings below my feet. Not just kittiwakes though. Horned puffins. Tufted puffins. Parakeet auklets. Least auklets. Common murres. These were not 600mm + a 1.4X teleconverter subjects. These were (often times) just a few feet away! A 70-200 would do well, but a 400mm lens was perfect. Within 20 seconds of standing upon those cliffs, my worries of ‘not having enough reach’ completely melted away.

More to come! Stay tuned…

Ps – I’m on Google+ now! If you are a member of Google+, please consider adding me to your circle(s).

Want to be kept up to date about all of my Photo Workshops & AdvenTours, tips & tricks, and news? Only Newsletter subscribers receive special discounts on Print of the Month Collectors Prints! Click here to sign up for the free Newsletter. Looking for a way to experience wilderness on a whole new level? Want to step into the Alaskan environment and witness incredible Wild Lands & Wild Life? Be sure to click here to look at The Best Photo Tours offered in Alaska.

Beyond Wild. Beyond Words.

David Taylor — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:15:09 +0000

To quote Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Dr. Ellie Arroway in Robert Zemeckis’ “Contact”:

No words to describe it. Poetry! They should’ve sent a poet.

Alaska has been kind to me. I’ve visited locations most photographers dream of & seen things most will never witness. But Alaska is always full of surprises.

I spent the past 4 days at a location that I’ve been dreaming of visiting for several years.

St. George Island sits just 45 miles to the east of the Continental Shelf. In this region, everything about the Earth’s crust is precipitous. If you were able to stand atop the ‘cliffs’ above the Continental Shelf, you’d already be in nearly 600 feet of water. But vanishing into the blackness below would be a drop off that would swallow the Grand Canyon whole. Twice. The sea floor drops over 11,000 feet, nearly straight down.

St. George Island rises out of the ocean to form a varied plateau. The island’s volcanic history is evident along every section of coastline. Basalt columns line and comprise the staggering sea cliffs that encompass the island, geometric patterns reminiscent of The Giant’s Causeway, in Ireland. The cliffs rise dramatically from the crashing Bering Sea, some are over 1,000 feet tall. Inland, the treeless landscape has a distinctly arctic feel, rolling plains and tussocks, interspersed with small ponds. At this time of year, you can’t walk 5 steps without being confronted with vast fields of wildflowers, most notably are the arctic lupine.

But the big draw, for me, was the island’s wildlife.

Vast amounts of birds call this area home, between 2-4 million in all. I’m not a great birder, but in our all-too-short time on the island, we spotted several species that I’ve wanted to photograph for quite some time. Not only did we spot them, but they were in numbers. And at very close proximity. Horned and Tufted Puffins, Common Murres, Least Auklets, Murrelets, Red-legged & Black-legged Kittiwakes, Parakeet Auklets and Cormorants. It was utterly incredible.

We (including my good friend, Scott Slone – of Alaska HDTV & my collaborator on our new venture, AlaskaPhotoVideo.com) also had several great encounters with the island’s resident Arctic Fox population. One of the fox families we photographed had 8 very cute pups! Mom was quite busy making multiple runs a day to bring back enough food to sustain the large family. We watched her return to the den with a kittiwake, and saw her carrying a dead puffin another time. Good job, mom!

The people of St. George are very friendly, always offering to help or to tip us to yet another incredible location or situation.

One thing is certain about this location, I can’t adequately articulate the feelings we were overtaken with while on St. George Island. I don’t think it has fully set in yet, how lucky we both were to be able to witness a place so spectacular. I hope my photographs will do a better job at filling in the gaps my words can’t occupy.

In closing, I would like to thank the warm-hearted people of St. George Island. Thank you for welcoming us onto your beautiful island with such grace and helping make our trip such an absolute success. Also, a huge thank you to Pen Air, for providing our transportation to and from the island – the service was great and everyone on staff was fantastic to work with, from beginning to end. Finally, a big thank you to Tanaq Corporation, for all of the ‘on-island’ logistical help, lodging and rental vehicle.

As always, it is a pleasure to travel and work with Scott Slone of Alaska HDTV.

This was a true collaboration, in every sense of the word. Our success is due primarily to your generosity, hard work and vision. I can not wait to work with you again, and revisit St. George Island, in the future.

Some of you might be interested in knowing that I will be offering an exclusive photo tour to St. George Island, next year. I’m still working on the logistics, but I will announce the full details here as soon as possible. Again, to paraphrase “Contact”:

They still want photographers to go… Wanna take a ride?

I’ll have more images up soon, stay tuned…

Hartney Slough Sunset, Cordova, Alaska

David Taylor — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:01:20 +0000

Hartney Bay has a lot to offer, photographically, and I visit it often whenever I am in Cordova. In early May, hundreds of thousands of birds use the bay as a resting ground as they migrate north to the Arctic Slope. During June (while guiding my tour), it is not uncommon to find moose wandering the Slough side, amongst tall grasses and wading through the shallow stream. Eagles circle overhead, and bear scat can be found without too much searching.

Who can blame the animals for spending time in the area? It’s incredibly beautiful; with the Orca Inlet across the bay, and Hartney Slough leading to Heney Ridge further inland.

At high tide, the salt water of the eastern Prince William Sound invades the fresh water coursing down from the mountain, and the slough floods in dramatic fashion. Because of the high water, it calms considerably, becoming a nearly flat & mirrored surface to reflect the trees at the back of the slough, the mountains and sky above.

This is an image from this years Wild Lands & Wild Life: Cordova Photo Tour. Taken at sunset, Scott & I trained our cameras at the beautiful grasses displayed in warm light, the alpenglow covered mountains and the darkening clouds overhead.

: Hartney Slough Sunset ©Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, Tokina 16-28mm @ 16mm. 1/5″ @ f/18, ISO 50)

More photos from Cordova, Alaska to come, stay tuned…

Print of the Month, July 2011 – “Every Day an Eternity”

David Taylor — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:19:04 +0000

If you are a subscriber to my twice-monthly newsletter, you may already know that I announced my newest Print of the Month Collector’s piece, today. This new image, created a few weeks ago while cruising the incredible waters of Kenai Fjords National Park, is the 4th image in this new series. If you are not already subscribed, you can read the newsletter here. Be sure to click the link at the top left of the page to check out the archived newsletters, or sign up!

Stay tuned…

Photos from my Cordova, Alaska Tour

David Taylor — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:30:57 +0000

I am a finally settling back into a ‘normal’ rhythm after returning from my Wild Lands & Wild Life: Cordova Photo Tour, this past Saturday. After over a full week on the road, with many late nights, a few very early rises and a mid-tour hard hitting virus, this tour was a tour de force. And soooooo worth it! The clients had an excellent time.

One of the clients even cried.

“Wait. I thought you said you had an ‘excellent time’, Dave?”

My client (who shall go un-identified) was seated next to me during one of our aerial photography sessions. I turned towards them mid-flight and caught the glint of a tear rolling down their cheek. I asked if everything was ok. The reply was so poignant.

“It’s overwhelming…”

I couldn’t have said it any better. At the time we were in a gentle right turn in our Cessna 180, banking low over the Bering Glacier. We had just spent the previous day at Childs Glacier, spending much of the afternoon standing a mere .19 miles from the calving face. Childs Glacier is an amazing sight, even for me (a ‘seasoned’ glacier enthusiast). It stands several hundred feet tall, directly across the raging Copper River – which undercuts the face of the glacier when water levels run high in early summer. The ‘terminus’ runs just under 2.5 miles across, and crawls steadily forward from its source, nearly 8 miles up-valley. 200-foot tall blocks of ice plummet downward and crash into the surging Copper River.

Impressive, to say the least.

Compare that to the Bering Glacier, the source of my clients current fascination. The calving face we were passing over runs over 4 miles across. But this is just a small ‘lobe’ of the Bering Glacier, a ‘branch’ off the main ‘trunk’, if you will. The full mass of the glacier can not be represented in numbers, at least not in a way that carries the immensity in a respectful tone. It is 46 miles wide at it’s terminus, and runs 140 miles into the Bagley Icefield. Together with the Bagley Icefield, the Bering Glacier System covers most of the core of the Chugach Mountains and encompasses a staggering 1,900 square miles.

Overwhelming? Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

One of my favorite photos from the trip was from our flight back to the comforts of the lodge. We had just spent several hours on a very remote beach; miles of powder-like sand, incredible sea-stack islands, dense lupine fields, dozens of bald eagles and several fresh bear tracks wandering the beach.

And a whole lot of a solitude.

We were paralleling the western side of the Ragged Mountains, heading north.

How’s that for a proper moniker?

“Ragged” Mountains. They were true to their name.

I glanced out the window to my right, scanning a bit more ‘fore’ than ‘aft’. Compositions happen quickly in aerial photography, so you have to be ready at a moments notice. A composition that looks brilliant, but caught too late, on the first pass might completely change with slight altitude adjustments, a shift in cloud coverage or turbulence might make a second ‘try’ impossible. So ‘visualizing’ an image from 1/2 mile away (or far less) can make the difference between a great shot and an ‘any way I can get a mulligan’. It’s rare that I use golf terms, so that should carry some weight;)

Just in front and to our right, a patchwork of incredible beauty stretched out to the base of the Ragged’s. I have never seen an area so lush and full of early summer. The varieties of green spanned every shade – truly a rainbow of green. Pockmarking the pools of grass were lines of gray and turquoise – the mighty Copper River Delta spending it’s last energy as it neared the Gulf of Alaska, and the open ocean beyond. Ponds dotted the landscape, taller willows and trees lining each section of water. Laid out like a carefully sculpted and manicured golf course – water hazards everywhere. So many channels and waterways, so much undiscovered beauty, a land bordered by mountains and the ocean, but owning too little elevation change of its own after glaciers plowed over the Delta in the past ice age.

A nearly flat, yet utterly dynamic environment.

It is a zone in transition, first ground to a level plane by crushing ice and rock, then divided and sectioned by rushing silt-laden and near freezing waters, and finally being swallowed whole by the ever present tidal changes of the North Pacific Ocean.

It took my breath away.

So much so, that I’m not sure if I’ll ever catch it.

“The Truth Will Out”

David Taylor — Fri, 06 May 2011 07:51:55 +0000

Australian professional landscape photographer (and fellow Fstop gear user!), Christian Fletcher, is having a great discussion over on his site. It’s in regards to creating art that people haven’t seen, particularly in photography.

Photographers far more elegant than me have handled this topic before. Here in America, one of my friends and ‘phantom mentors’, Guy Tal has said:

“Photograph for yourself and satisfy your own sensibilities and aesthetics. True artists do not pander to a pre-selected audience. Instead, they carve an audience of their own from those who will encounter and be moved by their work.”

“The best way to use your imagination is simply to not stand in its way.”

I think he’s right. We have to shoot for ourselves first & let the cards fall where they may. If we consume ourselves with making $100,000 prints and worrying about getting the shot for someone else while shouting “It’s bloody ROARING!” on camera, we’ll die a slow, very public, artistic death.
Shoot for ourselves. Embrace our own passions. “The truth will out” & people will be drawn to our work because they will identify with something not seen within the frame, but felt within their hearts – if we’re lucky, they’ll identify with us. They’ll identify with something they haven’t seen before, because we showed them a new perspective. Ours.

“Discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
~ Marcel Proust

How is your creative vision?

edit: In responding to my good friend, Scott Slone’s comment below – I was reminded of a favorite quote, which posted below may not get the attention it deserves. So here you go:

One of my favorite quotes of all time, is by Stephen King, from his book “On Writing” (which I cannot recommend enough!). Of course, he is referring to being an author – but this message can be easily bent to suit your own pursuits:

Put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room. Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.”

Here’s to life support via passion.

May 2011 – Print of the Month – “The Glow of Spring”

David Taylor — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:16:41 +0000

Print of the Month for May, 2011 – “The Glow of Spring – #002″
Every year, I return to Cordova, Alaska. Simply put, it is one of the most spectacular locations on our planet – for photography and for escaping city life. The variety available in this region staggers me; ocean, rain forest, glaciers, mountains, ponds, lakes, marshes, meadows, streams and rivers. Then there is the wildlife! Moose, bear, wolverine, sea otters, bald eagles, trumpeter swans and so much more. My photo tour also coincides with the massive wildflower bloom in mid-late June. Fields of lupine, dotted with buttercup, columbine, bunchberry, yellow pond-lillies, and many other varieties.
The brilliant yellow of the buttercup in this image contrasts nicely with the deep blue-purple of the out of focus lupine. I wanted to really emphasize the range of color in the scene, and simplify the composition by focusing on a very specific, and beautiful, ‘vein’ detail on a single flower petal. For me, these incredible details are the essence of Alaska – gorgeous color surrounded by stunning vistas. I remember the day this image was made as if it was yesterday. A crisp morning and very light mist greeted me as I opened the door to the porch in front of our lodge; gentle waves lapped at the shores of Orca Inlet, just a few feet below the wood railing in front of me. I could smell the ocean and surrounding rain forest, a wonderfully fresh smell. I could almost hear the ancient trees behind our lodge creaking their invitation to me, so I took an early morning hike along on old game trail. I half expected to see a black bear wondering amongst the thick timbers, but it was only my feet that fell on the moss-cushioned forest floor. Every now and then, the trees would creak again in the soft breaze or a bald eagle would shreak overhead. They beckoned me onward. Before long, it was nearing lunch, so I headed back to the lodge and had a light meal. Then I headed out along the Copper River Highway, towards the Delta. Lining the roadside were thick patches of wildflowers. I tried several compositions, many of them were uncompelling. There was still a slight breeze, so as I set up this shot I had to wait for the wind to die in order to get a sharp image. The wait was worth it – it allowed me to ‘settle’ into the landscape even more, becoming more aware of what it was that attracted me to this location.
Rich, contrasting color and the simple form of a beautiful specimen of Pacific Buttercup set against thousands of Arctic Lupine.

Bring a piece of Alaska into your home or office.
I’m offering this print as the first of my new Print of the Month Collectors Edition. Each print is custom made by the master printers at West Coast Imaging and measures 20″ x 30″. The image is printed on a vibrant ‘super gloss’ paper, then sandwiched between a flame polished acrylic sheet and a dibond backing. This mounting method is extremely rigid and is supported by a unique ‘french cleat’. This design allows the print to seemingly float in front of your wall. There is no additional framing needed, and the print is delivered to your doorstep ready to hang. This 20″ x 30″ print is being made available for a special introductory price of only $375, that is $125 off! This is a beautiful print; rich in color, depth and detail. It will literally leap off the wall at you and help you think of summer in Alaska, year round.
Print orders will be sent to the printer around June 1st, and will ship direct from the printer shortly thereafter. If you are interested in purchasing this (or any other image) as a premium print, please email me.

Congratulations Scott Slone, Winner of this Month’s “Tripfilms Video of the Month”!

David Taylor — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:26:37 +0000

I’d like to take a quick moment to congratulate my good friend, and frequent hiking partner (aka – the guy who laughs along with me as I fall and sprain my ankle or bash my shin… hey, I’m a cluts, and it’s funny!), Scott Slone of Alaska HDTV & Perfect Blend Media. You’ve likely read my praises of Scott’s work; he’s easily one of the hardest working, most creative, versatile people I’ve ever met. But he’s also a ‘rock’. He’s the kind of friend that remains solid and sure footed in the toughest of situations, and can be counted on to always give 130%. I’m privileged to call him one of my closest friends. People that see us together often say we could be twin brothers. I keep telling Scott, “Lucky break on your part, bro.”

For the entire month, his video “Alaska Railroad Adventures” (featuring the incredible Alaska Railroad journey from Anchorage to Seward – and back again!) will be featured on Tripfilms.com‘s home page. Tripfilm’s quote says it far better than I ever could:

We are riveted by all of AlaskaHDTV’s stunning shows that capture the natural beauty of Alaska and showcase the people in a new light.

Well said. Congrats my friend. Well deserved!

You can follow Scott (and Alaska HDTV) on Facebook & Twitter.

Without further ado, here is Scott’s award winning video – “Alaska Railroad Adventures”!

Monochrome Fantasy. Which Do You Prefer?

David Taylor — Mon, 02 May 2011 01:49:49 +0000

I don’t work much in black & white photography. I think I must be the only photographer that skipped past the darkroom and dove directly into chromes. Well, let me make one thing clear – I never ‘skipped’. And no, there was no ‘prancing’, either. It’s always funny, talking with other photographers whose career started before the advent of digital – many of them speak with a great reverence and that certain ‘twinkle’ in their eye(s) when it comes to the time they used to spend in the darkroom.

“I really miss the smell”. Of chemicals? Rancid developers, horrid fixer baths, and acrid sweat drenched trays? Oh, sure… I see where one could learn to love that kinda thing… Not.

One wonders, when an ex-photographer enters politics, you never hear them say, “I never inhaled”…

Oh, that’s right. There’s no such thing as an ‘ex-photographer’. And none lack enough intelligence to enter the political arena. And…. off my soapbox.

I never felt the allure of the darkroom; with the red lights and cancer-inducing toxins. I can’t even say that it was my generation, because several of my friends truly enjoyed their time in the darkroom. I’m sure they never inhaled, too.

For me, I was intensely drawn to ‘color’. I didn’t see the world in black, white and shades of gray, so I had a difficult time transforming the world I saw (in all of its beautiful hues) into a monochrome fantasy. Even though I loved the work of Ansel Adams, I was rarely compelled to attempt to emulate him. Instead, I drew more from the likes of Galen Rowell, David Muench, Jim Brandenburg and the other masters. Each of these photographers are (or ‘were’, for the late, great Galen Rowell) known primarily for their color photography.

But every now-and-then, I feel drawn towards this monochromatic medium. There can be a subtle richness to the ‘color’ within a black & white image. A velvety feel in some prints, and an abrasive roughness to others. Black & white photography forces the photographer to focus their creativity on composition, light, form and texture. When color is abandoned, all you are left with is light.

This past Saturday, I was joined by Jena and my good friend Scott Slone (of Alaska HDTV & Perfect Blend Media) on a rainforest hike in Portage Valley. It was the consummate Spring day in Alaska. Rainy, overcast, and more than a little gloomy. But, as the saying goes, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade”.

This section of rainforest is very easy to get to, but only if you know just where to look for it. Once under the dense canopy, the lower branches of the Sitka Spruce are draped under locks of dripping cat-tail moss, and the forest floor is a rolling carpet of dense green white-toothed peatmoss. It is a damp environment, even on sunny days. The different mosses and liverworts act as a sound-dampening material, and most of the outside world is drowned out as the forest begs you deeper. Before long, you’ve walked a 1/2 mile into the ancient woods and the forest has enveloped you. The only sounds are those of creaking trees and branches, the faint rustling of leaves, and dripping water falling into small puddles on the forest floor. Somewhere, an eagle shrieks, a forlorn cry quickly muffled by the deep forest.

Scott and I scouted this area last weekend (again, in the rain). These two trees lurch out of the ground and spread their root systems up against the mountain side, the terrain becoming much steeper just feet behind this forbidding tangle. I was instantly drawn to the shapes they created; embracing but not quite holding each other, falling apart but not quite separated. Struggling to maintain their existence at the border between mountain and forest. The second image was taken from a small rise, perched somewhat precariously on another moss covered root system. The first photograph was taken from directly below the trees; a wide-angle lens was used to exaggerate the arching of the roots – which (I believe) accurately documents their perilous footing. Each was processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop CS5; including some cloning of minor deadfall twigs (that, as usual, are better left where they fell), contrast adjustments, dodging and burning, and a slight vignette to the edge of each frame.

I’m very interested in which photograph you prefer, and why. Or do you recommend I give up and take up basket weaving? I happen to like them both, equally – yet for different reasons. Please consider voicing your opinion(s) in the comments. I really appreciate your feedback.

Stay tuned…

Timelapse HD video of Aurora Borealis over Alaska

David Taylor — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:06:48 +0000

This is a quick (very quick – only 3 seconds total) timelapse video of a 13 1/2 minute aurora storm from my first of 2 “Aurora Borealis, Winter Landscapes & Wildlife” photo tours – February 26-March 3 of this year. Winter has left us and we are full into spring mode here, in south central Alaska – but the aurora are still whirling overhead. Tonight, in fact, we are predicted to have a decent showing. Hope to view it from my comfy bed – wish I could make it out tonight to film it, but it just isn’t in the cards. Perhaps this weekend…

Stay tuned…