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.

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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!

Here’s to this past year, and a New Year ahead!

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And one “sh!tty” photograph…

Looking for an amazing way to spend 2011? Consider joining me on a unique Alaskan Photo Tour! Amazing destinations, incredible wildlife, fantastic landscapes. 3 photo tours. 1 amazing state.

Alaska Photo AdvenTours.

Check out The Best Photos of 2009 list on Jim Goldstein’s website.

Somewhere, my high school english teacher just gagged.

Jena and I have been getting out in the field as much as possible, taking advantage of the beautiful winter wonderland that surrounds us and the gorgeous light we’ve been blessed with on occasion. It may still be considered “Fall” in the Lower 48, but we are full into winter here in Alaska. I remember when I first decided to move to Alaska, my friends in Wisconsin all made the same comment. “Are you sure you are ready for those winters?”

I knew it would be an adjustment, but I was not ready for how busy I would be in the winter time with my photography. The winters here are nothing short of awe inspiring. The mountains are even more beautiful and majestic, the spruce trees are covered in thick powder, and the light has an unbelievable quality – unmatched by any other region. Even with the amazing array of photographic options, it is rare to see another photographer. Boy… are they missing out.

Sunset at Knob Lake, Alaska ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200 @ 160mm. 1/40" @ f/14, ISO 200) CLICK TO ENLARGE

I’ve also been accompanied on nearly every photo shoot by my great friend (and professional videographer) Scott Slone, of Alaska HDTV. It’s always a blast to shoot with Scott – he’s a passionate outdoorsman, and we constantly push each other. Thankfully, because of the new snow, I’ve got a much more comfortable landing pad when he pushes and I’m not ready for it.

Scott – “Hey Dave, look at THAT!”

Me – “Look at Wha…?”

BAM!

Poofffff.

Good times.

Snow Angel & Me. Jena and I laying in the snow.

I wanted to make a list of winter photography tips based on some of the lessons we’ve learned in the wilds of Alaska. So, without further ado…

1 – Always prepare for the worst – As with any outdoor activity, safety should be your utmost concern. Winter conditions (especially in a place like Alaska) make this even more critical. So that means dress correctly for the conditions and have extra layers available if the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse. If you’ll be hiking/snowshoeing/moving around a lot – be sure to avoid sweating. This means you have to avoid overdressing and overheating. Layering is key – a wicking layer against your skin to get any sweat away from your body and allow it to dry quickly. I prefer synthetic or synthetic/wool blends rather than just wool because my skin finds plain wool irritating. The next layer should be an insulating layer (these range from fleece to down jackets) – it traps the heat and keeps you warm. If I’m moving around a lot and it’s not bitterly cold out, my insulating layer is usually in my pack until I stop. If you sweat as you move, you will instantly be chilled when you stop. The outer layer is your shell – it keeps the wind and water out, but still should allow any sweat to evaporate. You really can’t go wrong with Gore-tex materials here, but I recently bought a jacket from REI that uses eVent material and it has been nothing short of incredible. Lightweight and great performance. If you are in a car, you should carry warm blankets and/or a sleeping bag. I also recommend always carrying a spare set of warm clothes, if at all possible. If your clothes get soaking wet (say from breaking through a supposedly frozen lake or pond… ehem… Scott…) you will be in a lot of trouble without a spare set of warm & dry clothes. Waterproof winter boots are a must, as are gloves and a hat/scarves/neck gaiters. If your feet are prone to getting cold, I’ve found that hiking gaiters really make a big difference.

2 – Make a plan, share that plan, stick to that plan. I never was a Boy Scout, but I did play one in the Army. One thing we learned early on was to have a plan before it’s go time. That plan “ain’t worth diddly” if you don’t share that plan with a reliable person back “home”. They need to have solid instructions in case of an emergency or if you don’t get home when you were supposed to. Keep in mind, sharing that plan with a trusted source will be of no help whatsoever if you don’t stick to that plan. If you don’t show up at the scheduled time and a search goes out for you, you want them to look for you where you will be & not where you were supposed to be but no longer are. In short; plan, share, follow through. And live to shoot another day.

Ice covered Stream, Hatcher Pass, Alaska ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200 @ 176mm. 2" @ f/16, ISO 50. B+W CPL)

3 – Stay in contact. You’ve made a plan, you’ve shared that plan, and you are sticking to that plan – but security comes from staying in touch with someone in the “front country” if at all possible. This can be done via cell phone calls/texts, satellite phones if you are “out there”, or a GPS tracker service like SPOT. I really like staying in touch, it makes my friends and family back home a lot happier (which makes me happier). The GPS SPOT Tracker is a great device, it sends a message at appointed times or checkpoints reached (or at whim) and allows anyone you designate to follow you on your adventure. It also has 3 very important buttons. “Check-in OK” sends a message to friends/family and says “Hi, I’m alive and taking great photographs!” and provides a link to find your location on Google Maps. The second button is “Help” and is used for non-life threatening emergencies and is sent to your friends/family. The last button, the one you hope you never have to push but will feel better having at your fingertips, is the “SOS” button. It notifies emergency services of your exact location and that you need immediate assistance, anywhere in the world. The SPOT service is subscription based, so once you purchase your SPOT device, you need to activate it with a yearly service plan ($99).

4 – Camera gear. There are special considerations when dealing with cameras in the cold. The first is battery life and performance. Batteries drain faster in the cold and LCDs can malfunction or even stop working. Batteries drain quicker when using Live View, autofocus and image stabilization. If I’m shooting landscapes (which means I’m on a tripod…) I turn off the I.S. on my Canon cameras, and I turn off my autofocus. That mountain is not going anywhere anytime soon. I also turn off my automatic image preview. I do use the Live View feature a lot with my landscape and macro photography, so that’s a sacrifice, but I turn it off whenever possible. Condensation on viewfinders/lenses/filters is another hurdle to consider for winter photography. Whether you are moving from a cold exterior to warm interior, or just exhaling on your camera – the moisture can freeze quickly and fog your optics. I try to avoid breathing directly on my camera back or lens when outside. If you go inside a warm building after being outside in the cold with your camera gear, keep your camera closed inside your camera bag and allow it to warm slowly back to room temperature. Also, resist the urge to lick your metal tripod head. Don’t ask.

Hey. I said don’t ask.

5 – Speaking of tripods… Tripods are strong. But they aren’t unbreakable. Be very careful when you set them up in snow. If you spread the legs fully before pushing them into the snow, they will continue to spread because of the snow’s resistance to them. You can shatter carbon fiber legs, or break tripod legs off at the center collar. If possible, I’ll use my boots or snowshoes to pack down the snow for a solid platform. If I need to set up fast and don’t have time to pack the snow down, I’ll pull the legs in towards the center and allow the snow to spread the legs, but never so much that they are near the limit of their range. If you have locking points (like on some Gitzo tripods), I recommend releasing them so they can spread freely if needed.

6 – Even if you aren’t using your spare batteries, the cold will still drain them. Keep extra batteries in your pocket or a heated area in your backpack. If you are in a bind and still have things to photograph (which is pretty much always…) but your camera is reading a low or dead battery, try putting the cold battery in your pocket and rewarm it. Often times, the rumors of your battery’s death are greatly exaggerated. I also carry a car adaptor so I can charge my batteries as needed on the road.

Flowing Water, Bear Valley, Alaska. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D Mk 2, 70-200 @ 155mm. 0.5" @ f/16, ISO 50. B+W CPL)

7 – Photography doesn’t end when the sun sets. Of course, this can go for nearly anytime of the year. But with the longer nights of winter, take advantage of the night sky. Star trails, northern lights, high ISO images of the Milky Way Galaxy… all are great subjects and now you’ll have more time to master them! Be sure to utilize the plethora of educational tools available on the web to learn more about astronomy – there are even several free or inexpensive options available for mobile phones and laptops. I really like Stellarium for the desktop/laptop user, and Star Walk for the iPhone (iTunes Link).

8 – Caring for accessories. I like to use remote releases whenever possible. When combined with mirror lock up and/or a 2 second timer, it can remove almost all of your camera vibration at the time of the shutter release. I prefer the Canon TC-80N3 Remote Release because of the versatility that it offers. However, on a very cold night in February of 2008 I was out shooting the aurora borealis. What is “very cold”? Well… roughly -48 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s without the windchill, and it was pretty breezy that night. I was standing on the edge of a small lake, concentrating fully on my compositions of an extraordinary northern lights show that lasted from 11 pm to 7 am the next morning (with few lulls in activity). I noticed that my headlamp was flickering and dimming very quickly, so I decided to walk back to my car to get the spare batteries (you did pack spare AAAs and AAs, didn’t you?). I let go of my remote release but it just floated there, in mid-air. The cord had frozen solid and suspended the remote where I left it. I do admit to giving a slight numb-lipped snicker at the circumstances and reached for the remote release. That was when the the cord shattered into a million pieces. Well, that was expensive.

9 – Use your LCD and histogram. Exposing for snow is still a difficult task, regardless of what medium your using (film or digital). The difference is with digital you can verify your exposure. Because snow is white and can be very bright if the sun hits it, it will make your camera’s meter misinterpret the light – underexposing it in the process. So you will need to “open up” (use a larger aperture or longer shutter speed) by a few stops to compensate. I like to activate my RGB histogram while using Live View to make sure I’m not blowing out important highlight detail in any channel.

10 – The final tip? Simple. Get out and enjoy the winter months. There are so many opportunities out there. The landscape may be right where you left it, but it is a different world than how you remembered it from just a few months ago. It’s a fleeting time (even in Alaska, where we joke that we have 9 months of winter and 3 months of rough sledding) and the landscape is in constant change. Get out there, freeze a moment in time. The cold temperatures shouldn’t have all the fun.

If you have any winter photography tips or funny winter photography related stories, please leave a comment. Scott, Jena… not a WORD about any tripod head licking incidents…

Stay tuned…

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) *Click to view large*

We arrived home recently from my annual Fall Color shoot.  We hit just past peak fall colors, but the weather was spectacular. As were my fellow travelers. This was Jena’s first trip “up north” to Interior Alaska. Also joining us was Scott Slone of Alaska HDTV. Jena and I had planned on spending the full 8 days on the road, but the colors shifted so quickly that we headed home early. We will do local day trips whenever possible though, to find nearby “pockets” of color that have yet to mature.

I was very happy to meet with a few family owned lodges that will be hosting my Alaska Photo Tours (AdvenTours) next year, and in the years ahead. Wow… that’s all I can say. I was blown away by their hospitality and comfort in remote regions. We will NOT be lacking in facilities. After this years scouting trip, and speaking with the lodge owners, I am changing my schedule a little for a few of the upcoming workshops. This should help our chances of being on location for perfect timing to coincide with peak conditions for our subjects. It pays to stay flexible and open to new opportunities.

Jena Above Gorge. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North

So, with that in mind. I’m breaking up my Alaskan Fall Color Grand Tour into two separate tours. The first tour will run from August 25th – September 1st, 2011, and is called the Denali Highway Fall Color Tour. It is poised to take advantage of the amazing fall colors on the tundra and the more than abundant wildlife. I saw at least 100 caribou on this past trip. The second tour will run September 4th – September 9th, 2011, and is called the Southern Alaska Fall Color Tour. It will focus on the amazing autumn landscapes along the Richardson and Glenn Highways. Rugged mountains, towering waterfalls, brilliant aspens, and roaring glaciers. Each tour will be limited to only 5 clients. All logistics while on tour are included – lodging (in amazing and remote settings!), meals (starvation will NOT be a factor), and transportation (small group = more space & no crowding). Another option I’m working on and will have more info on shortly, involves my Aurora Tour. Things may be changing on this front too, in VERY exciting ways. I’ll still be offering the Aurora and Winter Landscapes Tour, but I’m considering changing it to December . In addition, I am in talks to add a second Aurora Tour in a completely different location and with an exciting new option for transportation. That’s all I’m going to say for now. Yes, I’m a tease. Deal with it. Believe me, it’s worth the wait! You can go on a tour with a dozen (or more) other people to already crowded vistas, or you can travel in a small group to locations unspoiled by tripods, uncluttered with people, and views second to none. These tours are very exciting & I can’t wait to spill the proverbial bean(s)…

Scott Slone (of Alaska HDTV). ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North

I’ll have more details on all of these tours shortly. If you are interested in being added to the “short list” for these tours, contact me. Asap.

Stay tuned.

How many?

Oh… around 5 million. Give or take.

Two photography tips for this location in May? Yeah… you’ll thank me later.

Tip #1 – Wear rain gear at all times. Might be a good idea for your camera gear too.

Tip #2 – Don’t EVER look up with your mouth open. Those aren’t wet snow flakes. Well, they may be. But do you really want to take that chance?

You’re welcome.

Hartney Slough Twilight Pano. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North - CLICK TO ENLARGE

Annnnnnyway. In mid June, there are less birds and associated poop to dodge.

The grass that grows in Hartney Slough is thick and lush green.

The river is constantly changing appearance. When the tide is out, it is just few feet deep and is mainly clear with a light silty tint to it. When the tide comes back in, the river creeps up the grassy banks of the slough and takes on a beautiful milky blue cast. Evidence of it’s glacial source.

This place, where ocean meets land, embodies the Prince William Sound. Perhaps all of Alaska. It is snow falling high in the mountains, compacting to ice over eons, drifting slowly & inexorably downhill. It crushes those same mountains into rock, pebbles, and fine powder. The glaciers melt and carry the same silt downstream, tumbling through deep dark rainforest. It collects fallen trees, leaves, and plant life and carries them through the sloughs and finally the sea. This is life, death, and rebirth.

And everything in between.

Moose and Calves. ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D mk 2, 100-400 @ 310mm. 1/60" at f6.3, ISO 3200)

Stay tuned.

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.

I’ve covered a lot of things on this blog/journal and it has been fun to watch it grow and build momentum. I started slowly. The first post was back in February of 2008. It involved the Aurora Borealis and how to photograph it. Didn’t post anything for 4 months… not exactly how I’d recommend that you build a “steady” fan base. I’ve covered bear, moose, eagles, caribou, Dall sheep, whales, glaciers, rain forest, digital darkroom techniques. My move to Alaska and increased focus on my photography has been the greatest “risk” I have ever taken. And by far, the most rewarding.

Although I have greatly increased my post frequency, I don’t typically “schedule” a post for a particular day like some do. I wait until I have content ready. For me, it is more about quality over quantity.

To each their own. Horses for courses.

Yesterday, I made my way “down south” again to the Kenai Peninsula for sunrise photography. Another beautiful drive. Well, the way home it was anyways. Still very dark on the drive down. But the days are definitely getting longer now, the sun is actually rising before 10 AM! So much for my theory about sleeping in and still photographing sunrise… I left my place at 5:45 Am in anticipation for the nearly 3 hour drive. I met a very nice highway flag person, directing traffic through a construction zone just past Moose Pass. We talked for quite some time after I finished shooting. He’s been working the same area since Fall, so it was great hearing him describe how the quality of light and color has changed over the months. He’s seen lots of bald eagles, lynx, and moose in his 1/4 mile. Interesting guy.

Trail Lake & Andy Simons Mountain. Moose Pass, AK - Copyright 2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (70-200 @ 111mm, 5D mk 2, f/18, ISO 100 - 1/6

Unfortunately, the web cannot adequately display an image in such scale. The shrinking and compressing of such an image (the original, unflattened image was over 2.5 GB!) lessens the impact and introduces “viewing problems”. The right side of the image shows a poor transition from foreground detail to the sky – there is a “halo” like appearance surrounding the trees on the web version. Simply put, it’s not there in the original… it’s all a figment of your imagination:)

The new camera I’ve been using for the past couple weeks (Canon’s 5D mk 2) really produces high quality files… that’s when user error doesn’t generate cr@p of course. As I was piecing this pano together in Photoshop (it’s 16 vertical images, merged into one gigantic pano – 8 for ), I took the time to “look around” in the composition. There’s a TON of detail here. For instance, the partial peak just to the left of the center mountain has a small glacier on it. In the full version of the image, it’s easy to see the pale blue exposed portions, a few crevasses and seracs. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

Kenai Mountains Panoramic, Seward Highway, Alaska - Copyright 2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 70-200 @ 160mm, Canon 5D mk 2, 1/125

What’s absolutely fascinating to me is “what lies beyond”. While researching this region on Google Earth (what? you don’t have that on your ‘puter? As soon as you are done here, click this link and download the program. Your welcome.) is the vast wilderness just beyond. Google Earth reveals so many photo ops, literally just over ridgelines and rivers, valleys and summits. Pristine lakes. Totally virgin photographic territory… oops, sorry… a little drool problem here. Surprised my laptop isn’t smoking. I may need to invest in flood insurance, but I’m not sure if that comes with a drool clause. Anyways…

Hopefully, the quality has been at least adequate for you, my readers. It is my goal to make sure that it only improves.

So. What does “lie beyond”? Simple, a massive personal project that I will be announcing here shortly. Well, the idea is simple… the actual tackling of said project, not so much.

Stay tuned…

This is a good time to remind you of my upcoming photo workshop/adventour in June. Seats are limited, but we have a few spots open at this time. Please click HERE to read more about this one of a kind experience. Of course, if you have any questions, please contact me at any time. I look forward to seeing you, on this incredible tour!

Don’t wait, don’t hesitate… the remaining seats will not last much longer.

Before I forget, don’t forget to take a look at the recently announced workshop: Alaska’s Southern Coast, June 11-18, 2010.

This panoramic was shot yesterday morning at sunrise. I was shooting mainly from the South Overlook, along the Parks Highway, north of Talkeetna. I observed a visual distortion through my Live View viewfinder as I was composing and focusing the photos I took yesterday morning. There was an apparent temperature differential shimmering in front of the mountain(s). It created this moving rippling effect, like a mirage shimmering, and ever so slightly bent the light. Unfortunately, this translates into a slightly softer photograph than I would have liked. Fortunately, our upcoming winter should “remedy” that. Good times ahead!

Denali Rising Above the Alaska Range. Click to enlarge.

This is a pano blend of 3 images shot side by side, then merged in Photoshop.

Stay tuned.