Photographers are students of light; the more we understand its varied qualities, the better we can capture it for others to see and appreciate. A favorite atmospheric phenomenon of mine is called the Belt of Venus. Named for the breast-band…
My Favorite Photos of 2020
Photography is many things to me: a full-time job, a passion, an escape from reality, an attempt to make order out of chaos, a healer, and perhaps most importantly as an artist, a visual way of expressing my inner self…
Dream World of Orton Imagery
As artists, a proverb we often hear is “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Oscar Wilde expounded on that original quote by Charles Caleb Colton by adding “…that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” Cynicism aside, the irony of Mr.…
Seasons Change
The Coronavirus pandemic, and the need to arrest its spread and carnage, has upended our “normal” lives. Social distancing limits how or whether we gather as friends and family, go to school, work, worship, purchase goods and services, and recreate…
Astrophotography Noise Reduction
Astrophotography presents unique challenges to a photographer: manually focusing in the dark, manual exposure, and in Alaska, coping with the cold while waiting for the aurora to come out. As much as thoughts of post-processing our images nestled in a…
The Digital Divide
The origins of photography date back to a simple principle — known since the time of Aristotle — called camera obscura. Latin for darkened chamber (or room), it was observed that light streaming through a small, circular hole into a…
Navigating the Light
When we hear the word navigation we think of using a Global Positioning System (gps) to travel from one location to another. For photographers venturing into the untrammeled wilderness to capture unique photos, skilled use of a gps and map…
The Trees of Winter
As I write this, Southcentral Alaska is in the midst of a January deep freeze reminiscent of winters past. Subzero temperatures combined with ground fog are adorning trees with thick layers of hoarfrost — the foliage of winter. While the…
Tatshenshini-Alsek Dawn Prelude
Winter light in the sub-Arctic and Arctic regions of the world has a character different from summer light; it is often softer and more subtle. This photo ranks as one of the prettiest sunrises I have ever seen. It was…
Luminosity Masking
Photographers are connoisseurs of light, and the right light grabs our attention like a porch light bulb at night attracts moths in the summertime. In Alaska we are blessed with epic landscapes. Most photographers would be hard pressed not to…