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.

Sunrise over the Alaska Range, Denali Highway. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200L f4 IS @ 138mm. 1/8" at f/14, ISO 100)

“Let every individual and institution now think and act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster peaceful progress in the human adventure.“

~ John McConnell, founder of International Earth Day

(stew・ard・ship)   noun: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.

~ via Merriam-Webster Dictionary

1. Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Accident – April 26, 1986
2. Bhopal Poison Release – Dec. 2, 1984
3. Kuwaiti Oil Fires – 1991
4. Love Canal Toxic Waste – 1978
5. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill – March 24, 1989
6. Tokaimura Nuclear Plant Accident – Sept. 30, 1999
7. Aral Sea Disappearance – 1960-2010
8. Seveso Dioxin Cloud Release – July 10, 1976
9. Minamata Disease & Industrial Poisoning – 1956
10. Three Mile Island – March 28, 1979
11. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill – April 20, 2010

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.“

~ George Santayana

I feel the need to take a break from the typical photography talk and open up a bit on a subject that is even more near and dear to my heart.

Our planet.

It’s 4.6 billion years old and 197 million square miles. But astronauts have said that, when seen from space, it is just a pale blue dot. Lately, it seems greed knows no bounds and a certain hunger goes un-satiated. A hunger for non-renewable resources. These same resources are just the latest in a long line of tools that we use to poison ourselves and our planet. Our planet did just fine before us and if we continue along this path, will be better off once we are gone.

“The superior man seeks what is right; the inferior one, what is profitable.“

~ Confucius

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)

Recently, both Governor Parnell (R) & Senator Beggich (D) agreed that the moratorium against further oil exploration and drilling in the Arctic (Chukchi Sea) should end. It has only been 9 months since the Deepwater Horizon explosion let loose an ‘official’ 206,000,000 gallons of crude oil. Every day, from April 20th through July 15th (when the wellhead was finally capped), approximately 57,000 barrels of oil gushed into the Gulf. It is estimated to have affected up to 68,000 square miles, several thousand dead animals (so far) and lets not forget the 13 human deaths directly related to the spill. An internal probe within BP forced the company to admit that they had made mistakes that led to the disaster.

Gee. You think?

British Petroleum is responsible for the greatest ecological disaster in U.S. history. They operate outside of their own country’s waters and as such have no real concern for the damage they have caused, other than their bank accounts. How can I say this? If they were truly concerned, they might have taken greater measures to reduce the risk of it happening from the beginning. Their greed greatly overshadowed any concern they may have held for the environmental consequences of their actions. Or in this case, their lack of action. If you can’t fix a broken pipe, you shouldn’t call yourself a plumber. If you can’t hit a nail, please don’t call yourself a carpenter. And you are unable to immediately fix a well head at 5,000 feet, you damn sure better not include anything Petroleum in your business name.

A New Day Dawns, Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200/4 IS @ 89mm. F/13 with 3 bracketed shutter speeds. ISO 200. Blended manually in Photoshop)

Next up? A Canadian/Alaskan partnership named the Pebble Limited Partnership intends to open a huge mine to ‘harvest’ an estimated $300 billion worth of metals. Proponents argue that the project will provide many jobs for local Alaskans, provide  tax revenue for the state, and reduce American dependence on foreign raw materials. Sounds great, doesn’t it. However, this mine would directly affect the Bristol Bay Watershed. What is so important about Bristol Bay? Bristol Bay is home to one of the largest salmon runs in the world. The local economy is built almost entirely on fisheries. Many experts believe that the drilling and scientific investigations have caused significant adverse affects to the land and wildlife around the Pebble Mine site. A little history about mining is in order. According the the EPA, 40% of the watersheds in the western U.S. have had their headwaters contaminated by mining operations. Between 76% and 93% of 15 similar mines have failed water quality standards. There is one more factor that is poorly understood in the region the Pebble Mine would operate in; earthquakes. Alaska has a lot of earthquakes, about 1,000 per month (on average) and we average one great quake (magnitude 8 or larger) every 13 years. What would a moderate earthquake (let alone a great quake) do to a mine tailings dam? How can people be willing to take that risk to find out. It’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when. Mines fail, that is their nature. Far too much is at stake, yet corporate and personal greed are rarely stalled , let alone averted.

If that isn’t enough, there is the continued development of Alaska’s North Slope. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is the largest ‘protected’ wilderness in the U.S.. But it isn’t truly protected, as the Conservation Act of 1980 that established the region deferred a decision on the management of oil and gas exploration and development of 1,500,000 acres in the coastal plain. One of the controversies surrounding oil in this area is the affect it will have on the global oil prices, as it is only projected to equal 0.4% to 1.2% of the total world consumption. This equals up to $0.75 per barrel, and assumes that OPEC would not follow the standard practice of neutralize this price adjustment by reducing their own exports by an equal amount. That means we will have greatly endangered an amazing wildlife habitat only to see no drop in price at the gas pump. Well, that sounds reasonable… The proponents of this plan state that the footprint of the project will only affect 2000 acres. Convenient lies when people only hear that it will lower the price at the gas pump and affect such a small area. The facts are entirely different however. The project would significantly alter or destroy 640,000 acres. The math simply doesn’t add up. With the risk of another oil spill in yet another pristine wilderness that could very easily affect the Porcupine caribou herd, which numbers 125,000 strong. The area being considered for future drilling just happens to be the area that the herd uses as its annual calving ground.

Some will say, “Dave, you have never been to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Chukchi Sea, or Bristol Bay. Why should you feel attached to it? You have no personal bond with these places.” But wilderness does not need to be experienced to be appreciated. I feel better just knowing it is there so that others may enjoy it in the future. Obviously, those people have never looked upon wilderness with reverence; perhaps only with greed.

Many other states across the nation face similar issues. Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining in the beautiful and now endangered Appalachian Mountains in the Eastern U.S. is one that immediately comes to mind. Overfishing and the use of harmful chemicals in huge corporate farming operations affect us all. Then there is the hot-button topic of global warming/climate change. It astonishes me when intelligent people doubt that we (as a species) could affect the  temperature of the planet. Talk to any number of people that live along the Alaskan coast, especially along the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, and actually listen to them telling stories of how far the ice sheet moves away from the coast each summer. Thousands (if not vastly more) tundra ponds can be seen ‘boiling’ as huge amounts of methane bubble to the surface and escape into our atmosphere. Besides smelling rotten, methane is also a much more efficient greenhouse gas. Once in the atmosphere (in my higher concentrations than is normal), it helps to trap heat and will give our planet ‘flu-like’ symptoms and bring on dangerous temperature levels. This in turn will speed the melting of the polar ice caps, and the Greenland Ice Sheet, which may in fact stop the North Atlantic Current and plunge Europe into a premature ice age. Oh, don’t worry. It gets better. The majority of our planet’s population depends upon the freshwater that originates high in the Himalayan Mountains. As these glaciers slowly disappear over the next few centuries, billions of people will be thrust in a situation where there is not enough fresh water to survive.

Glacial Ice Cave, Alaska

Even if there were no scientific reports to back up the claim by nearly every respected scientist from around the planet regarding global warming/climate change, can we not all agree that pollution is a devastating thing? Simply put, we are killing our planet and ourselves in the process. The continuation of this allowance of greed beyond all measure simply can not continue. The same greed and lack of regulation brought about the recent financial crisis around the world. And that was just our ‘livelihood’ that was affected. Imagine what will happen when the oceans rise and begin to reclaim our coastline. When temperatures rise so drastically that our crops will not grow and species begin to die off due to lack of food. We do not know how long the damage will take to become readily apparent to the previously ignorant, but perhaps their billions of dollars will shelter them from the brunt of their sins. The rest of us (or our future generations) will not be so lucky, I am afraid. So here is a plea that will likely go unheard, please consider your actions. I’m sure that there are politicians and business men that are snickering at this thought at this very moment. You may not live to see the culmination of the damage you helped to cause, but your actions will be judged by a higher power. I am not a religious person, but I do believe in a variation of karma. As they say, ‘it’s a bitch’. For those that continue to take advantage of others simply to line your silk pockets and fill your exotic leather and jeweled wallets or purses, I say shame on you. Your greed makes you inhumane, and you do not deserve to breathe the same air as us mere mortals.

Perhaps human enacted global warming/climate change is a farce, and our planet will continue to support us no matter what we throw at it. Unfortunately, the smartest people in the room find this to be very far from the truth. But what do we stand to lose by trying? We have taken so much from this planet, isn’t it time to give something back that doesn’t choke our lungs, grow grotesque appendages, or wreak havoc upon our environment?

Marmot House Overlooking Perseverance Cirque. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D mk 2, 24-105 @ 28mm. 1/8" @ f/16, ISO 100. B+W CPL)

Call me a ‘treehugger’, I call the corporate and political greed ‘eco-murder’ and genocide because you are slowly, but surely, killing us. There must be an end to the unlimited take-take-take of our past. ‘Fatalism’ is not a reasonable reaction to this. Ask yourself, “What can I possibly do?” There are very simple answers out there, from the personal to the political.

Turn off lights you aren’t using, turn your heat down a few degrees (especially at night), invest a small amount of money in increasing the energy efficiency of your home – door and window seals. Watch your water usage. Buy organic food produced by local farmers/coops. Carpool. Change light bulbs to lower draw options. Unplug electronics when going on vacations – they draw power even when turned off. Recycle. Use recycled products.

Vote for change. I will not vote for any future political candidate that does not have a positive environmental agenda. If they do not heavily support the abandonment of fossil fuels, and the advancement of green technologies (such as solar, wind, tidal, hydro, thermal, etc.), I will not support them. And you shouldn’t either, because if they stick to the antiquated ways that have brought us to this position, they are killing you and yours while calmly staring you in the eyes. We are long overdue for a dramatic overhaul of the government. If you (the politicians) are not for us, you stand against us, and your days in office and unbridled power are numbered. Good riddance.

Donate to conservation organizations. Non-profit organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, The Conservation Fund , Wildlife Conservation Society, and the World Wildlife Fund.

We stand upon a precipice. Behind us, the mistakes listed above and those that have gone undocumented. Before us, a choice to continue on without thought or care of this place we call ‘home’ and continue to hope our ‘landlord’ does not deliver an impromptu eviction notice, or we can learn from our past mistakes and transgressions and look to new technologies to move forward. It is long past the time to start showing our planet the respect she deserves. This is literally the fight for our lives and for our home.

Wild Lupine and Sheridan Glacier, Alaska. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 24-105 @ 24mm. 1/40" @ f/16. ISO 200. B+W CPL)

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.“

~ Gaylord Nelson, co-founder of Earth Day

It is not acceptable to pass this responsibility to the next generation, it is our responsibility. Doing the right thing may not be convenient, but virtue rarely is. As the old phrase goes, ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” Perhaps Mr. Santayana’s quote could be shortened to accommodate our present situation.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.“

~ Mahatma Gandi

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.]]> http://sixtyonenorth.com/2011/01/on-stewardship/feed/ 8 http://sixtyonenorth.com/2010/12/winters-embrace/ http://sixtyonenorth.com/2010/12/winters-embrace/#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:44:05 +0000 David Taylor http://sixtyonenorth.com/?p=1653 I am happy to announce a new image, “Winter’s Embrace”. I captured this scene while on a snowshoe hike in the Chugach National Forest with my good friend Scott Slone of Alaska HDTV. We had set out to photograph the beautiful new snowfall that surrounds a remote creek deep inside the forest. The creek has that classic glacial run-off color, a cross between turquoise, milk and emerald. The water seems to glow from within, as it courses around large rocks that have been newly capped with a foot of pure white powder. We set out to film that contrast. But as we neared the crossing, the water’s color and depth had changed. Gone was the milky blue, replaced by just the perfect clarity that only plummeting temperatures and lack of glacial melt can bring.

We were disheartened, and immediately started to consider backup plans. None of which included the large expanse of beauty surrounding us. We thought of hiking all the way back to the car and driving further south to scout other locations. But we both hesitated when we saw another trail branching off. It hadn’t seen the same use as the main trail, but as Robert Frost once beautifully wrote,

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

No, this image wasn’t created while taking this less used trail. It happened because we stuck around and explored. Instead of packing up our gear and heading for a different location, we settled in and embraced our surroundings. In turn, Winter embraced us.

This seems to be a recurring theme with me. I’ve taken paths less traveled throughout my life. Sure, I went to college. And like many others, I dropped out. But I did it with style, I did it twice. I got a great job with a great group of people in my hometown. It was where I was comfortable, the job was comfortable, the future I saw was… comfortable. I saw myself in five years with a wife, a nice 3 bedroom ranch-style home, two and a half kids and a mortgage. Very soon, that future became less comfortable. In it’s predictability it became dull. Early on I adopted the writing of another writer, Marcel Proust,

“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

But I needed new landscapes. I needed a new voyage. And perhaps I reasoned that those landscapes needed to be seen with my new eyes. So I set my eyes on Alaska, and upon developing my photography in “The Great Land”. Marcel Proust also wrote about dreaming,

“If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more. To dream all the time.”

I decided to stop dreaming of Alaska and a career in photography and take a chance. My dream became my reality. I took a path that may not have been as comfortable for me, or my parents. But they grew to accept it and have always supported my path. It was a path less traveled by. And it, like my families support, has made all the difference.

"Winter's Embrace", Chugach National Forest ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 24-105 @ 24mm. 1/13" @ f16, ISO 200. Singh-Ray 2 Stop Soft-Edge Grad ND)

Although this particular image is only a few days old, this scene has been acting out each winter for ages. I just happened to stumble upon it this go around. As day gave way to night, the forest closed in and embraced us once again.

How many times has similar light settled in across this valley, brushed across those trees, glanced upon that mountain, and bathed that cold sky in warmth? Certainly it has done so before and will do so again. Some sunsets are more spectacular, some less – these are “The Challengers”, and they always return.

This was a good afternoon, and if for no other reason than to see “The Challengers”, I will return too.

Consider your path through life. Are you “comfortable” in it? Or is there a path that would make all the difference?

This image has been added to my “Best Nature Photos of 2010″ Gallery.

____________________

“Paths Less Taken”

I have a 2 seats left in the “Aurora, Winter Landscapes & Wildlife Photo AdvenTour” from March 26-31, 2011. So if you are looking for a path definitely less taken, this might be right up your alley. Click here to view the aurora photo tour description page.

Also available are a few seats on my “Cordova: Wild Lands & Wild Life” Photo Tour. This is a one-of-a-kind Alaska destination. It is less visited and holds an amazing variety of subjects that have not been shot to death like so many other places. Imagine, just a small group of like-minded photographers around you, surrounded by an amazing wilderness of glaciers, mountains, rainforest, ocean and sky. All while staying at a beautiful coastal adventure lodge… How does that sound? Click here to view this unique Alaskan photo tour description page.

These two images are very similar. They should be, they were taken only 15 minutes apart. The exposures and gear are very similar as well. In truth, I shot the first image then saw something else a few feet away and only came back once I realized there were more options back at my original location. I’d love to hear your opinion, which image do you prefer? They are so similar, perhaps too similar… but still, try to pick one if you can. Or, tell me if you don’t like either of them! Be open, be honest, but describe why if you can, this stuff fascinates me. Comment below!

Flowing Water, Bear Valley, Alaska. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200 @ 200mm. 0.3

Flowing Water, Bear Valley, Alaska. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200 @ 155mm. 0.5

Stay tuned…

Illuminating the Fog. Willow Lake and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska. Click to enlarge.

Sometimes, when looking at panos I’ve shot, I wish I could go back and widen the perspective even more. This is one of those occasions. The problem with this approach is my feeling that it actually lessens the overall image. If your eyes are allowed to drift through a print “gone too large”, you may miss the subtleties that could have set that image apart, if it had only been cropped in its length. Sure, the size and the scope of the print itself is impressive. But the print is not my final objective – the image is. We’ve all seen these huge wrap around 360 degree panos. Some are printed dozens of feet long. What are the words that you hear associated with these images? Typically it is, “wow” or “cool”. But rarely do you hear the holy grail description uttered, “beautiful”. I believe that is because there is just too much information, too little composition, too much technology and too little art. Bigger is not always better, and yes – size does matter. But that phrase doesn’t always mean that more size is what matters.

Sometimes, you can do more… with less.

Now, get your head out of the gutter & get out and shoot! Stay tuned…

The entire Labor Day “long weekend” fall color tour was shot in the company of two great photographers, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, they pushed me to take my photography to the next level. If you want to really expand your creative boundaries, shoot with people that are better than you. The other two photographers I shot with have been very nice to say very nice things about spending that weekend shooting with me, but I honestly think that I was the one presented with the gift. Their company, their photographic passion, their excellence has only pushed me into a new level of creative awareness – and for that, I am forever in their debt.

While slowly walking through the woods, looking for compositions (and hearing frequent chuckles and comments from Steven, “Nailed it!”), I continued to look for new perspectives. “Looking Up” was one of those. I found myself leaning against a beautiful trunk gazing up at the sky, I even shot a couple of variations of “Looking Up” within closely spaced trunks, but it was too constricting.

Then I looked down.

Dappled warm light, a forest floor carpeted in colorful fallen leaves, and incredible textures – both soft and hard edged. I adjusted my wide angle lens and got my tripod in close to the trunk. Upon gazing at the Live View image during the initial composition, I felt a perspective slide into place. The shot appeared as though I was descending from high up in the canopy, just nearing the ground. I felt like a black bear, my head glancing down over my right shoulder, looking for a soft spot to land.

It is an unconventional perspective, to be sure. But I am really drawn to it for some reason. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

A Bear's View. Aspen grove in autumn and fallen leaves in warm light. Just off the Richardson Hwy, Alaska.

Stay tuned…

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1 week ago, I boarded the high-speed ferry in Whittier, bound for Cordova on the eastern edge of the Prince William Sound. The forecast had changed so many times over the past couple of days, that I really had no idea of what to expect. Honestly, is there anyone out there that can be so wrong, so many times and still get paid for their job. Weather forecasters can barely even tell you what happened yesterday, let alone what will happen tomorrow or the next day. I think they use a Ouija Board, a Magic 8 Ball, and a 24-sided die to make their forecasts. Sorry Al Roker, the people have spoken. Now move along to a respectable, reliable, and predictable line of work, like politics or gambling.

Anyway… I tend to drift a little, but those darn tangents can be fun.

It was raining lightly in Whittier as I came out of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. I have never traveled by ferry before, or dealt with the AMHS (Alaska Marine Highway System). Check in is not like at the airport & not like dealing with the TSA. Actually, I have nothing against the TSA – they do a thankless job around people that have to take off their shoes can you say Odor Eaters? (Odor Eaters is a Combe Incorporated brand). Here is my check in conversation:

“Good afternoon, my name is Dave Taylor. I’m on the fast ferry today at 4″

“Hi Dave, can I see your driver’s license. Great, do you have any firearms, explosives, or fuel?”

“None other than in my car:)” Hey… she laughed…

“Ok, here are your tickets. Just pull your car into lane 6 or 7 and have a great trip”

In and out of the check-in building in less than 1 minute. Easy peasy.

Everything is very ordered and neat. You board the boat in a very orderly manner and after parking your car in the parking bay below the passenger deck, you move upstairs to the very comfortable sitting area. This is not like coach on a plane. This is like first class seating, everywhere you look. Oh, and everywhere you look… panoramic views out huge windows. This is a cruise, not a mode of transportation! There are ample power outlets, tables, and comfortable reclining seats with GOOD headrests! And it’s not super expensive. The AMHS offers a deal for travelers driving their cars on – the driver goes free. My round trip ticket with my car was $210. Not too shabby.

The high speed ferry (the M/V Chenega) is a catamaran, and offers a very smooth and quiet ride. The trip to Cordova and back to Whittier 5 days later was a great time to relax and soak up the beauty of the Prince William Sound as it passes by you at nearly 40 knots.

On to Cordova. Cordova is amazing. So much variety nearby and the people are fantastic. It truly is “The Land that the Internet Forgot”. I found 1 wifi spot, at Baja Taco. Baja Taco has great food & questionable wifi. Cordova’s idea of wifi is you tossing your laptop across the room at a high rate of speed. Which is fine for you Dell (dude you should have bought an Aerobie!) users, but my MacBook Pro is no frisbee. But it was actually quite nice to be “unplugged” for the majority of the trip, avert my eyes from my laptop screen and unglue my finger tips from the keyboard. Because Cordova has so much to offer. Surrounded by mountains, rainforests, glaciers and ocean. Both salt and fresh water are either crystal clear or a pale & milky blue from glacial silt. Which brings me to the colors of this area… wow. My retinas are actually stressed because of the intensity of the colors, everything is so lush and vibrant. Brilliant greens in the rain forest and deep, warm browns of tree bark. Wildflowers such as columbine (scarlet), lupine (blue), and geraniun (deep lavendar) blossom this time of year. Then there are the colors of the glacier… the deepest blue you have ever seen. The deep layers of compressed snow and ice haven’t seen daylight in hundreds (or even thousands) of years, but when they get exposed it is like they are lit from within. I’ll have photos posted of all of these subjects over the next several days, so keep checking back!

Oh, and one more thing. I’m heading back to Cordova next year, likely for 2-3 trips. The first will be in early spring for the Shorebird Migration on a solo trip. Then back again around this time of year for 2 separate photography workshops. I think you’ll see why in the upcoming posts. One of the trips is already booked! I’ll have the details on the other trip very soon, so if you are interested in joining Sixtyone North on an amazing photographic adventure, send me an email NOW to get on the list. It will be an all-inclusive 5-day trip (meals/lodging/transportation (during the workshop)/and guiding all included) and is sure to become an annual event. This isn’t offered anywhere else.

But for now, on to the cute fest. The sea otters of eastern Prince William Sound. Awwwwwwwwwwww… where’s that damn box of Kleenex? There are a bunch of images here, so take your time & remember to click on them to see a larger version.

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) floating in Prince William Sound

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter with cute baby (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter with baby on chest (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter with baby on chest (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter with baby on chest (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter with baby on chest (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound, in front of ship wreck. Near Cordova, Alaska.

Sea otter with baby on chest (Enhydra lutris) floating in the Prince William Sound

Sea otter with baby floating in the green waters of Prince William Sound, near Cordova, Alaska.

Sea otter pup swimming towards me. Prince William Sound, near Cordova, Alaska.

Sea otter pup on back, floating in Prince William Sound. Near Cordova, Alaska.

Sea otter mother "cruising" with pup on stomach. In the Prince William Sound, near Cordova, Alaska.

Blonde sea otter floating in Prince William Sound, near Cordova, Alaska. Apparently, he thought I did something right. He clapped.

Raft of sea otters, in secluded bay in eastern Prince William Sound. Near Cordova, Alaska.

]]> http://sixtyonenorth.com/2009/06/the-sea-otters-of-prince-william-sound-caution-cuteness-coma-alert/feed/ 3 http://sixtyonenorth.com/2009/05/buying-your-first-digital-camera-kit/ http://sixtyonenorth.com/2009/05/buying-your-first-digital-camera-kit/#comments Sun, 17 May 2009 08:07:30 +0000 admin http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/?p=498 “I could use a bigger lens”. Ask my family and friends, it’s a phrase they’ve heard many a time. Photographers are always looking to “expand their kit”. And no, I don’t mean by using Viagra, Cialis, or any natural “herbal” remedies. Then it’s, “I need more megapixels” (MPs). Because you can never have too many, and a 40″ x 60″ print is just too small. But how did we get to this point? It’s because technology is always evolving, and you’ve got to keep up with the Jones’s. Somehow, that top of the line camera (the brand new Cakon 1X Alpha) you bought 6 months ago became completely worthless as soon as they announced the really brand new Cakon 1X Bravo! The truth is, it still works just as good as it did the day you bought it – you’re just trying to keep up with the Jones’s.

But what about new photographers looking to make their first purchase? How do you make sure that you are making a good investment? Cameras and camera equipment (kit) are not cheap. There is a dizzying array of options to choose from. Everything from cameras to lenses, tripods to filters, memory cards to flashes, remotes to camera bags. And a whole lot in between.

What comes first? What is the next step? I hope to answer some of those questions in this post.

Cameras

First things first. Simply put, they are only a light-tight box. They are the human eye ball simplified. The camera body is the eye,  and the digital sensor is the retina. You need a lens to complete the eye analogy. The aperture is the iris and pupil, and the lens elements are the cornea and crystalline lens. The eye lids are the lens hood. There you have it – a human eye simplified. To prove a point, professional photographer Terry Richardson, used a disposable film camera (yep, those little Kodak or Fuji plastic and cardboard contraptions) to do an entire shoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (I swear, I read it for the articles…). Oh, and he got the cover shot. It’s not the camera!

“Dave, hurry up and tell me what to buy!”

No.

You’ve got to ask yourself a question first. “Self, what do I want to photograph?” Until you know that, the rest is trivial. 75% (or more) of people would be fine buying a digital point and shoot camera and going with that. Heck, I own one & it’s a lot of fun. But if you want to push your photography (and yourself) and have a fully customizable camera, you need a digital SLR.

“Dave, what’s a SLR?”

“SLR” stands for Single Lens Reflex. It simply means that it uses a mirror to allow the photographer to look through the viewfinder and see exactly what is being photographed. The mirror flips out of the way when the shutter is fully depressed (pushed down, not considering a course of Prozac). Point and shoot (p&s) cameras and rangefinders provide a viewfinder that looks around the lens and approximates the view of the lens. Sometimes, much less accurately than desired. SLR cameras allow you to buy different lenses and swap them out as the subject or circumstances dictate. They also offer the widest variety of accessories, so you can grow and customize your “kit” as you develop.

I stick by my long standing belief that you should buy a camera from one of the “Big Two” manufacturers. Canon or Nikon. Pentax, Sony (they bought Minolta’s technology), Sigma do make good equipment – but their systems and available accessories are not as developed as Canon or Nikon. Truth be told, both Nikon and Sony use Sony digital sensors on most of their offerings. The only major difference that sets these brands apart is stabilization technology. Canon was the first to the plate with I.S. lenses (Image Stabilization). Then came Nikon with their V.R. lenses (Vibration Lenses). Sony shook things up by building on Minolta’s in camera sensor stabilization (SteadyShot INSIDE™). Canon’s I.S. has been very good and Nikon has really advanced their V.R. technology – but I honestly hope that they both adopt an “in-body” stabilizer technology like Sony in the future. It would make the lenses smaller and lighter weight and lower their cost. Sony has proven that in-camera stabilization is every bit as effective as lens-based stabilization.

Digital SLRs are very different from their old step-brother, the film SLR. Image quality is essentially identical between a 1970′s Canon and a 1999 Canon. Not so in the digital world. Sensor technology leaps forward every few months it seems. But remember the original point I tried to make. That great shot you took 1 year ago with your “now old and decrepit Cakon 1X Alpha” is just as good as it was then. A good photo can stand the test of time, regardless of the technology.

There are a lot of options in camera bodies, but they all do the same thing – they take pictures. Some even make movies! As a comparison between Canon and Nikon, here is how their cameras match up in offerings. They don’t match up perfectly, but this is in the ball park.

Canon Rebel XS & XTi = Nikon D40, D60 and D5000

Canon Rebel T1i = Nikon D80 & D90

Canon EOS 40D & EOS 50D = Nikon D300

Canon EOS 5D Mark II = Nikon D700

Canon EOS 1D Mark III = Nikon D3

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III = Nikon D3X

The megapixel range in these cameras is astounding. Any of these cameras can produce very nice 16″ x 20″ prints. The more megapixels you throw into the camera, the larger you can go and the more aggressively you can crop. The top of the line EOS 5D Mark II, 1Ds Mark III and the D3X can produce amazing 24″ x 36″ prints with no problems, and can often times go much larger.

The first 3 lines (Canon Rebel models through the Nikon D300) all use an APS-C sensor size. APS-C is smaller than a 35mm piece of film but offers a higher resolution than a 35mm piece of film ever could. It also means that they magnify any lens you put on the camera by about 1.5 times! A free and built in  teleconverter! So a 20mm lens is in fact producing a 30mm view & a 600mm lens is producing a 900mm view. Great for wildlife, bad for wide angle landscapes. There’s another trade off, the viewfinder isn’t as bright or large to look through in these cameras when compared to a full frame camera. Everything in photography is a compromise, everything. The sooner you recognize that, the sooner you can advance as a photographer. The Nikon D90 and D5000 can also capture HD movies, though not as high a quality as the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

The Canon 5D Mark II & the Nikon D700 both use a full frame (35mm equivelant) sensor size. With these, there is no built in teleconverter. This means that any lens you mount gives the exact view it was designed to give, a 12mm wide angle lens is exactly that – 12mm. Awesome for landscapes and offer LOTS of detail in your images. The Canon 5D Mark II also shoots full HD 1080P movies – beautiful quality movies!

The Canon 1D Mark III is a “partial-crop” sensor. Almost a full frame sensor with a 1.3 built in teleconverter. Great sensor, very fast frames per second rate, and a great “compromise” between a full frame and an APS-C type sensor.

The Nikon D3, Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III and the Nikon D3X are all full frame sensors. Again, great for landscapes and very high quality (and resolution) images. Oh, and they’re expensive. The Nikon D3X (at the time of this writing) is about $8000. That’s just for the camera body. “Lenses NOT included”. Got a bank nearby? Consider a loan or robbery. Disclaimer time: Dave Taylor & Sixtyone North LLC accepts no responsibility for any photographers anticipating incarceration due to alleged robbery attempts. Darn lawyers – they made me put that in there.

The long and short of it is that every one of these cameras can produce fine images. It is a matter of what your intended “final product” will be. If you are a hobbyist looking to decorate your home/office with small”ish” prints of your family, vacations, or local wildlife/landscapes a Canon Digital Rebel or Nikon D40 – D90 will work wonderfully. If you want more features, higher resolution, better noise performance, higher “frames per second” (can you say 10 frames per second?), you’ll need to look at that loan/robbery option. *Please refer to afore mentioned disclaimer*

The growing popularity of the movie making option on a few of these cameras is a sign of the future. Rather than having to lug around a digital camera and camcorder, you can have all that performance in one package. Get used to it ol’ fogies, HD movies are here to stay – this ain’t your dad’s Holga or Brownie.

Don’t discount ergonomics either. True, I’m a Canon shooter – but I’ve always thought Nikons fit my hands better. The grip and control layout just makes sense. So why did I go with Canon? At the time, Nikon wasn’t committed to developing their V.R. system, stating that it wasn’t a tool that working professionals saw the benefit of. Watch a football game or a tennis match. Check the sidelines (and endzones), see that white mass of huge camera equipment? Those are all Canon cameras sporting 500mm and 600mm lenses… with I.S. capability. They make a world of difference. Nikon came around though, but by the time they had, I had already invested a sizable amount of cash/credit in my Canon system. I may switch sides in the future (cameras… not orientation. I like women. Sue me). The Canon ID series, and the Nikon D3 series also include a built in vertical grip. This adds weight, but also comfort and a good counterbalance to heavy lenses. You can add aftermarket vertical grips to most of the other cameras in this list as well. The Canon models look like you slapped a plastic brick on the bottom of your camera, whereas some of the Nikons (in particular the D700) blend together so well, it’s hard to tell that it is an accessory. Canon could learn something from this approach.

Another compromise. With smaller sensors (like those in the first few lines), you will see more noise in your photos at higher ISOs. This is because of something known as “Signal to Noise Ratio”. A Canon 50D shares a similar resolution with the venerable Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II, but the larger sensor of the Mark II will produce “cleaner” files because of it’s larger sensor.

Coming up next? Lenses & Filters! Stay tuned. And remember, the best camera is the one that you own and have with you. That little p&s camera you carry in your purse or messenger bag takes a lot better pictures when you have it with you. When it’s sitting at home & is 20 miles away, you probably aren’t gonna get the shot.

I’m unsure of what the actual name of this particular lichen is, but there were several patches of it covering various rocks above the beach in Jakalof Bay. Brilliant colors, and nearly perfectly round in many instances. Incredible shape and color, very complex & yet very simple. Mother nature is a fine artist and has the most varied palette you will ever see.

Bullseye Lichen, Jakalof Bay, Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska

Bullseye Lichen (Detail), Jakalof Bay, Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska

Remember to look around. Most importantly, look down. You never know what you’re missing by always looking ahead.

Stay tuned.

Often times, photographers (myself included) get attached to an image. This is usually directly associated with our experience of being there when the image was created. Not only what was in front of the camera when the shutter was pressed, but the lengths we went to get to that point. The sounds & smells of our surroundings, a cool ocean breeze brushing against exposed skin or a 60 mph gust smashing into us as we anchor our tripods in -50 degree temperatures in the middle of a dark winter night while watching northern lights dance overhead. A good landscape photograph can project more than just awe of a beautiful scene. The viewer may be able to imagine what it would be like to stand in that location. The photographer has the added benefit of actually knowing what it felt like to be there – and this can sway our critical eye into making compromises that can hurt the overall image quality. More importantly, it can stall our growth as a photographer. With that in mind, please feel free to speak your peace. I can’t promise that I will completely alter my methods, but I do want to hear what you have to say & promise to keep an open mind, and attentive ears. “Unleash the hounds!”. Don’t hold back, I appreciate your candidness.

Here are some more images from this weekend. No silhouettes here, just “normal” shots. Unleash the hounds!

Mass Exodus. Click to Enlarge.

I.D. please? I think it's a Sandpiper of some kind. Click to Enlarge.

Down the Hatch. Click to Enlarge.

Stay tuned!