The most basic of design elements in composition is the line. You don’t need to study art to know about lines; presented with paper and crayon a toddler instinctively draws lines. There are many variations of lines: straight, curved, jagged,…
Twilight Zone
I teach night photography workshops in Alaska. After covering the fundamentals of focusing techniques and how to get proper exposure, I then turn to a discussion on depth of field and composition. I tell participants not to abandon the principles…
Long Exposure Photography
We usually equate long exposure photography with astrophotography, where long shutter speeds are needed to properly expose for stars and moon, the Milky Way, auroras and other nighttime phenomena. However, long exposures (known as dragging the shutter) are also used…
Mornings of Creation
Rainforests are prime ecosystems for generating moody weather. The Tongass National Forest in the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska is a perfect example. At 16.7 million acres (6.76 million hectares), it is the largest national forest in the U.S. The…
Oh My, Aurora!
Late last month, two coronal mass ejections (a fancy term for ionized gases that erupt from the surface of the sun) in succession hurled towards the earth. When they arrived on February 26-27, they produced a G3 solar storm that…
Mountain View
Although the Alaska wildflower is the Forget-Me-Not, it would be easy for visitors to the state to assume it was Common Fireweed given its pervasiveness. It is even depicted on the Alaska Scenic Byway Route road signs. Its name derives…
2022 in Review
REFLECTIONS ON 2022 This past year was a challenging one for me personally and professionally as health issues limited my time in the field. Fortunately, I am on the mend and am looking forward to being more photographically productive in…
Diffused Light
At 325,000 acres, Denali State Park does not have the name recognition of its larger neighbor, Denali National Park, which at 6 million acres is famous for the tallest mountain in North America. Nevertheless, the state park does have panoramic…
Tangle Lakes Sunrise
The Denali Highway is a 135-mile gravel road (Alaskan for “highway”) that connects Paxson on the east with Cantwell on the west. Prior to completion of the paved Parks Highway in 1971, it was the only route for people living…
In-camera Blurs
Is your photography in a rut? Are you looking for ways to reinvigorate your creativity? One option is to make blurry photos. No, not the ones that happen by accident, but the ones that you intentionally create. Done correctly, landscapes become…