First Snow

Top: Canon G9, 1/30th sec, f5.6, ISO 100, 37mm.
Bottom: Canon G9, 1/25th sec, f5.6, ISO 100, 44mm.

We received our first snowfall of the season yesterday. I woke to a dusting on the ground around the cabin. Though it is beautifully sunny again today and the snow has disappeared, I know that fall is fading fast and it won't be long before the white stuff is here to stay. Adios Autumn, you were grand while you lasted.

Iconic Images and Boredom

Canon 40d, 70-200mm f2.8 L, at 155mm
1/400th sec, f4.0, ISO 100.

I'm not sure who made this image first. Not this exact image, of course, I made this one. But I'm referring to the original. The first of the iconic "Bear catching salmon" shots. I think every serious photographer who has visited Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park has some rendition of this photo. And I'm confused by that.

Why is it that we struggle to imitate the classic images of the places we visit? In Denali, its Mt. McKinley over Wonder Lake from Ansel Adams Point, or Denali in Reflection Pond. Both of those standards were, of course, set by Adams himself. There are the Tetons with the Snake River, and the Grand Canyon from the South Rim, Monument Valley from the East, and of course Katmai Brown Bear catching salmon in the air at Brooks Falls.

When I made this image, I was standing next to another photographer, a teched-out fella who rolled up to the viewing platform dragging two suitcases loaded with gear, took over a good portion of the upper level with his cases and then bull-dogged his way into the prime viewing spot to set up, pushing tourists aside with flying elbows as he passed. When I found my way next to him I cracked some joke about making the salmon jumping/bear catching image and how strange it is we all want that image. He replied with braggadocio, "I'VE got more than a dozen!". Wow, I thought, not only is he an ass, but he's a boring ass as well.

But why is it that we want those images? We tick them off like some kind of photo-destination checklist. And I do it too. I've got the shot of Denali from Reflection Pond and the Grand Canyon and now the bear and salmon from Katmai. These images aren't marketable, there are thousands of them already out there with stock agencies, and publishers have seen the image so many times they are bored. Rightfully so too. Of the hundreds of images of bears I have from Katmai, this isn't my favorite. I like it OK, but I like it because it gets a rise from viewers. It always gets a wow, or a gasp. I think it gets this response because they've seen the image before and think it must take some great skill to get it. Trust me it doesn't. It's damn easy in fact. Set up your tripod, adjust exposure, compose, and shoot when the salmon jumps. Click, click, click. Done. No long glass required. This, as you can see in the photo information above was only at 155mm. But its what people think it takes that matters. Ah yes, the magic of photography.

I suppose we try for these shots because someone else did the thinking for us. We didn't have to come up with the composition on our own, we just had to frame and execute. Same with the great landscape shots, we just copy and click. This of course, is also why none of the copies are as good as the original. I know quite well that this is far from the best image made of of a Katmai Bear and its prey. The light ain't that great, the sharpness isn't exactly perfect, there is some motion blur... Like a tape that has been copied a dozen times, it doesn't retain the same depth or freshness of the original. Still, I'm glad I've got it. It gets the "wow"s at slideshows, and makes everyone think I must be some kind of expert. And I'm happy to perpetuate that particular myth.

Prince William Sound

Black-legged Kittiwakes flushed from calving glacier
Canon EOS 40D, 70-200 f2.8 L, 1/4000th, f6.3, ISO 160, handheld

Continuing the series of summer catch-up images, today we have this shot of an enormous flock of Black-legged Kittiwakes taking off in front of a calving glacier. I made this image during a day-cruise of the northwestern portion of Prince William Sound. This was in early July and I was guiding a group as the National Geographic "Expert". I've visited PWS numerous times, but I'd never seen it under the bluebird skies like this particular day. The glacier was active and I was able to get numerous shots of seracs dropping into the water. This one however, was my favorite. There were thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes foraging at the base of the glacier and when this particular block dropped into the sea they all lifted into the air. I like how they provide some perspective on the size of the glacier.

The trick to an image like this is timing. Have your camera ready, listen and watch the glacier. After missing the first few calving events you'll start to develop a eye for the active parts of the glacier, and that is where you have to pay attention.

Of course then you have to hope that there are a few thousand kittiwakes ready to fly off when the wave hits them.

Denali in Black and White

Denali from the McKinley River, Black and White.
Canon 40d, 1/13th sec, f22, ISO 100, handheld while sitting.
17-40mm f4.0 L at 17mm.

One of the nicest aspects of wide-angle lenses is the ability to handhold at VERY slow shutter speeds. If, that is, you've got a steady hand and the right technique. For this image I sat down cross-legged on the gravel bar and propped my elbows on my knees to provide some extra support. 1/13th, the speed this image was made is about my limit for sharp images, but it was sufficient to smooth the glacial water in the foreground.

This was mid-day and very bright. The original image has washed out colors, but I liked the composition so I converted to black and white, then did a fair amount of post-processing in Lightroom to optimize the contrast. It probably could still use a bit of work, I'd like to bring those clouds a bit closer to true white.

I made this image after about a 3 mile walk from Wonder Lake. It is a nice easy hike, that on days like these has one of the best views in Denali National Park. Click on it for a bigger version.

Denali over Wonder Lake

Denali, early morning from Wonder Lake. Canon 40d, 17-40 f4 L.
1/80 sec, f6.3, ISO 200, handheld from a bus window.
(Click for a larger version)

During both National Geographic trips that I led this summer, we had spectacular luck with the weather. During both trips we stayed at a lodge in the historic Kantishna Mining District which lies at the far western end of the Denali Park Road. The lodge is about five miles from Wonder Lake. If you've seen an image of Denali, there is a good chance it was made from somewhere within a few miles of where I made the above image.

This particular image has a message: Make the shot even if the conditions are not ideal. I made this from a bus window on our way out of the park on the last morning. I wanted desperately to stop and get out, set up the tripod and make the most of what promised to be a spectacular morning. Unfortunately there was no time for such luxuries, and my job was not to make images but to keep my clients happy and well informed. But at least I was there, and for that I'm grateful.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Brown Bear, Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska.
Canon 40d, 500mm f4, tripod. Minimal post-processing in Lightroom. Full frame.

From the very beginning, the first entry of this edition of the blog actually, I noted that I am an inconsistent blogger. And the last several months were proof. So here is to turning over a new leaf. .

There is a lot to catch up on since April. The whole summer has rolled by, I've packrafted Beaver Creek, led two National Geographic Expeditions tours and an Arctic Wild Polar Bear watching trip. I've written three or four new articles for Birds and Blooms, enjoyed a visit from my parents, am in the process of renovating the cabin and creating a studio/office space from the workshop. And there went the summer. Now its autumn, the leaves are falling and winter seems all too close. Oh, and I'm running a marathon a week from tomorrow.

So that should catch everyone up on where things stand from my end. I'm going to start putting up some select images from the summer's adventures. Starting with the one above from Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park. Brooks is THE place to watch brown bears fishing for salmon. This visit was early July, prime-time for bears and there were around a dozen at the falls. The visit was far too short, and I was guiding a group of tourists and so couldn't dedicate myself entirely to photography. Still I came back with several shots I'm very happy with. Keep your eyes open for a how-to shoot bears at Katmai essay, sometime in the not too distant feature.

More to come...hopefully.