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.

Childs Glacier & Copper River - ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, Tokina 16-28/2.8 @ 16mm. 1/5" @ f/22, ISO 50)

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.

"Into the Labyrinth" - Copper River Delta, Alaska ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS @ 32mm. 1/640" @ f/6.3, ISO 640)

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.

A New Day Dawns ©2011 Dave Taylor

“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.

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.

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…

Never heard of Cordova? You’re not the only one! I first visited Cordova 4 years ago, and have since gone back every year to make up for lost time. It is quite literally my favorite place in ALL of Alaska – quite probably the entire world. Yeah, it’s that extraordinary. But what sets it apart?

Photographer in lupine field, Sheridan Glacier, Alaska. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D mk 2, 24-105 @ 105mm, 1/200" @ f7.1, ISO 400)

Cordova could easily be called “Hidden, Alaska”. It is tucked back in Orca Inlet, on the eastern edge of Prince William Sound. It is remote, yet logistically fairly simple to get to. It’s just far enough ‘off the beaten track’ so that only the adventurous travelers get to experience its wonders. But we won’t be roughing it while on tour – oh no! We’re staying at one of the best adventure lodges in all of Alaska. In fact, our rooms sit just above the rocky shores of the Inlet. Very comfortable beds, outstanding meals prepared in “The Cantina”, deep history and the pristine location make this an extraordinary place to call home for the 7-day/6-night tour. Warm showers, electricity and wifi – all the comforts of home – just without those pesky neighbors or traffic! A waterfall tumbles off the mountains and through the rain forest, just to the north of our lodge. The lodge itself is an old cannery, and old dock pilings still jut out a bit into the Inlet. It is common to see bald eagles perched right outside our windows, and sea otters or harbor seals patrolling the waters.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

We will use a small skiff to access the protected waters in search of the numerous sea otters nearby. By ‘numerous’ I mean… hundreds! It is not unheard of to see ‘rafts’ of sea otters numbering in the 50′s. On one trip to this area, I saw a raft of sea otters that likely numbered several hundred! Inland, we will walk through the world’s northern most rainforest – The Chugach – and photograph the ancient trees, dripping mosses, and rushing streams of fresh glacial and snow melt as they course towards the ocean. In Alaska, it seems that you are always surrounded by the mountains – Cordova is no different, and they make for a very dramatic backdrop for our photography.

We will also visit 2 glaciers. The first we will actually be able to walk on (safe conditions permitting, of course). It’s leading edge is surrounded by beautiful and dense lupine flowers. It truly is an amazing location, glacier, ice, morraine, flowers, and surrounding peaks. We could probably spend the entire tour here, and never get bored! But Child’s Glacier beckons to us from near the end of the Copper River Highway. It’s face is several hundred feet tall and is usually in a very active ‘calving’ phase this time of year. We will spend several hours photographing this immense glacier from just .19 miles away.

So, just to recap just some of what Cordova has to offer:

Moose, black bear, bald eagles, sea otters, harbor seals, jellyfish, waterfalls, rain forest, glacial streams/rivers/lakes/ponds, glaciers, mountains, the largest river delta on the west coast, trumpeter swans, waterfowl, and immense emptiness! And likely, not another photo tour group in the region. Please check out the dedicated Cordova Tour Description page for more info, and please contact me with any questions or to sign up for the amazing and very unique photo tour. The last few seats are filling quickly!

Wild Lands & Wild Life: Denali Highway Fall Color Tour – 2011

Clearwater Mountain Sunrise, Alaska ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200L f4 IS @ 200mm. 1/5" @ f/16, ISO 200)

I’m also going to try something new out for the rest of 2011…

Want to make $100? I thought that might get your attention!

Meet the F.R.I.P. – Friend Referral Incentive Program. Don’t you just love acronyms…

5 easy steps:

• Post a link to my Alaskan Photo Tours & Workshops page on your personal blog, website, twitter, and/or Facebook page.
• Refer a photographer friend (or friends) to my 2011 Alaskan Photo Tours & Workshops page
• Have them sign up for a 2011 photo tour with me & mention you as a referral with a way to contact you
• The client must complete the photo tour
• Check your mail for a $100 check

Restrictions?

• Well, you can’t refer yourself. But yes, your wife/husband can…
• The client must complete the photo tour before you get your $100 check
• NO restrictions on the number of clients you can refer, except for tour size limits. Refer 4 people that complete any tour, get $400!
• In order to qualify, you must post a link to my Alaskan Photo Tours & Workshops page on your personal blog, website, twitter, and/or Facebook page.

If you are already a client on an upcoming tour  (or a previous tour) and you refer another new client, you get $200! Again, no limit on the number of people – except until tours are full for 2011. That on top of the already-in-place $200 off for any returning client, and you can really add up some savings!

Not too shabby, huh? Time to start spreading the word!

Aurora Borealis over the Denali Highway, Alaska ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, Tokina 16-28/2.8 @ 16mm. 10" @ f/2.8, ISO 3200)

Stay tuned…

Super Moon Over Pioneer Peak, Alaska ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 100-400 @ 100mm. Mountain exposure = 15" @ f/11, ISO 800. Moon exposures = 1/400" @ f/8, ISO 1600)

It’s now 1:23 Am… not quite sure how I managed to figure out how to save this image file to the hard drive from Photoshop… I am ‘plum tuckered out’. Jena & I headed for the “Palmer Moose Flats” area this evening to photograph the so-called “Super Moon” as it paralleled Pioneer Peak in its rise towards the heavens. I had checked “The Photographer’s Ephemeris” program a few days ago and knew exactly where the moon would rise and at what time. I also used the programs “Geodetic” feature to predict the apparent elevation of the moon in relation to the mountains, and found that the full moon should follow a path almost precisely parallel to the northeastern flank of Pioneer Peak. The Geodetic feature showed that it would maintain a fairly constant elevation clearance of this ridge from moonrise to when it would pass the peak, from 9:13 pm to roughly 10:56 pm. So I set out to attempt a series of photographs, 15 in total – 1 every 5 minutes (programmed by my Canon TC-80N3 remote timer). The composition would remain the same, as would the exposure – it would just record the moon’s path over the 75 minutes. After the series was taken (once the moon had moved well out of frame), I took one additional photograph exposing for the sky & mountain silhouette. When I got home, I merged all of the moon images together into one photograph using PS CS5, then merged them with the silhouette/mountain frame. The camera was not moved once throughout the nearly 2 hour sequence.

It was a really fun experiment and I’m happy with the results. For me, the moon seems to making a summit push on Pioneer Peak. I’d like to hear your thoughts, so please chime in below in the comments!

Stay tuned…

Aurora Borealis over Alaska Range, Denali Highway, Alaska ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, Tokina 16-28/2.8 @ 16mm. 15" @ f2.8, ISO 3200)

Gathering Aurora Storm, Alaska Range, Alaska ©2011 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, Tokina 16-28/2.8 @ 16mm. 20" @ f/2.8, ISO 3200)

I’ve got a BUNCH more aurora images from this trip to post – including a ‘movie’ of the aurora activity… it blew my mind.

Stay tuned…

Rays of light over Alaska Range at Sunrise, on the Denali Highway, Alaska. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 7D, 100-400 @ 330 mm. 1/640" @ f/8, ISO 400)

I’m very happy to formally announce the 4th tour of 2011. The “Wild Lands & Wild LIfe: Denali Highway Fall Color Tour”. August 26-September 1, 2011.

I’d like to invite you to join me on an epic, small group, wilderness photo tour into the heart of Alaska.

The Denali Highway – 135 mile long ‘improved’ road, stretching from Cantwell (near the eastern border of Denali National Park) to Paxson at the east end of the road. From 1957 to 1971, this was the only access to Denali National Park. Since ’71 it has become mostly derelict and poorly maintained. It crosses some of the most dramatic and incredible terrain in the United States. Mountains. Glaciers. Rolling tundra. Taiga forest. Kettle ponds. Raging rivers.

And ‘Big Sky’ that Montana can’t even fathom.

Wild Blueberries & Kettle Pond, Denali Highway. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 24-105 @ 28mm. 30" @ f/16, ISO 50. B+W KSM Circular Polarizer)

Then there’s the wildlife. The Nelchina caribou herd passes through this area, every year. 36,000 strong – free ranging, un-penned, wild caribou. Thousands of moose call this region home. Wolves, wolverine, fox, rabbit, lynx, marmot & a wide variety of migrating birds.

It truly is a buffet for the adventurous photographer.

We will spend long days in the field, and our nights at a rustic self-sufficient lodge at the center of all this wilderness. Bring your appetites, you will eat well throughout this adventure. Hearty meals, no frills & no skimping on portions.

Bring your stamina, this is your window seat to adventure. Get ready to be swallowed whole by a landscape so breathtaking that you’ll refer to this photo expedition simply as ‘the trip’ – for the rest of your life.

Most importantly, bring your passion for photography. This is the trip you’ve been dreaming of. The adventure of a lifetime awaits.

Alaska awaits. Where will you be this fall?

Full trip description coming very soon.

If you are interested in this 7 day/6 night all inclusive (meals, guide, instruction, transportation & lodging) epic experience, send me an email now and get on the ‘the short list’. These 6 seats will fill very quickly.

I’d like to thank Scott Slone (of Perfect Blend Media & Alaska HDTV) for producing this very special commercial for the Fall Color Tour. Scott will be joining us again  to film our adventures & has offered a crash course in videography/production and editing to our participants. Thank you very much, my good friend. As always, it is a pleasure and honor to travel with you.