Blog
Since I talked about the immense scale of Alaska yesterday, I thought it would be proper to show the smaller side of nature. In the context of looking at mountains, forests and glaciers, it's easy to miss things that are under foot some times. Of course, this is the power that we have as photographers.
Also, when I post my mushroom photo, I can feel better about myself: there are things in the Alaskan wilderness that are smaller than me. :-)
Canon 5DIII 1/80s f/2.8 ISO1000 100mm
I have read that the great cathedrals and basilicas of Europe were designed, in part, to make humans feel small in the presence of the awesome power of God. And I'll have to admit that even to a 21st century traveler, these structures still have that impact on me.
But the amazing wilderness of southeast Alaska makes the biggest structure than humans have built seem puny. And, frankly, there is little that a photo or a mere description can do to communicate this. Suffice it to say that for most of the seven days we cruised the waters of Alaska, I felt small - both in terms of my size and in terms of the brief time my life represents compared to the geologic time it took to craft and scour the mountains and fjords of Alaska. But the effect of this on me and other viewers is not to be overwhelmed but instead to be inspired.
My wife explicitly warned me not to publish too many photos of glacier ice so I guess I'm defying her with this one, since I published another ice photo a few posts ago. But I can't help myself. How can you not be fascinated with the colors and textures of this ice. And how can you not think about the Titantic, when you hear the thumping of small chunks of ice against the hull of the Safari Endeavor? But our captain is much smarter about ice than Captain Edward Smith. :-)
Canon 5DIII 1/800s f/6.3 ISO400 200mm
There are many good things that I could say about Un Cruise Adventures, the company whose boat we cruised on in Alaska recently. But one of the great features was their "open bridge" policy. Passengers were encouraged to come on to the bridge to see boat operations from the pilot's point of view. On watch in this photo is the Captain, Jenna, who is expertly guiding us near Ford's Terror. With a name like "Ford's Terror," you'd expect the place to be intriguing. And it was. . . .
Canon 5DIII 1/100s f/4.5 ISO400 29mm
I was anchored near the mouth of Mission Creek at Lake Oahe (Missouri River) a couple weeks ago when I noticed movement on the point of the far shore. Using my binoculars, I noticed that it was a group of deer walking slowly along the beach. A few minutes later, I saw them walk into the water and then start to swim to the south point of the bay I was in. I estimated that the swim was about 1/4 mile and was more than a little surprised since I didn't know deer could swim.
Eventually, they arrived on the near shore and, having checked me out, hurried up the hill and out of sight. Below you will find two other photos I took in the sequence, including one where the buck (who was last in the line) has stopped and is checking me out. Given that he didn't have his Speedos on, do I dare say that he was "buck naked?" (Sorry.)
Canon 5DIII 1/1600s f/8.0 ISO400 200mm
I’m off on a junket to Alaskan waters on an Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I’m posting old stuff but I’m making it sound special by calling it “Reprise.” I’ll back back on September 3.
I’m off on a junket to Alaskan waters on and Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I’m posting old stuff but I’m making it sound special by calling it “Reprise.” I’ll back back on September 3.
I’m off on a junket to Alaskan waters on and Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I’m posting old stuff but I’m making it sound special by calling it “Reprise.” I’ll back back on September 3.
I'm off on a junket to Alaskan waters on and Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I'm posting old stuff but I'm making it sound special by calling it "Reprise." I'll back back on September 3.
This is the last of three macro photos that are intended to suggest that photographers have the potential to make common things interesting by finding the right framing, focus and light.
Second is a series of three.
This is the first in a series that I am calling "Singled Out." The series is an attempt to show you that photographers have the power to make the mundane interesting. All it takes is the right framing and the right light. All of the subjects in this series are considered weeds.