We chased the Waxwings around Palmer a short while ago and they posed up for us in some Mountain Ash trees. They are pretty easy to find if you just park and watch the sky for the swarm. The other great thing about these birds is they always graciously serve up their classic berry pose. They are certainly beautiful and fun to be with.
The winter sunrises in Seward are absolutely wonderful. The sun is low in the sky and the mountains catch the light just beautifully. There were several dozen mergansers out on the shore and they took to the water and complied nicely with my desire for this composition. The sea otters were playing up the shore line and there was a cormorant or two in the mix. The weather was definitely warm for Alaska standards but we get our share of warm winds that blow in and take the edge off the winter.
The ice fog often flows and ebbs throughout the day and as the light catches here and there on the frosted branches the fog really contributes to the atmosphere of the scene. The sun just really arcs across the sky this time of year, staying very low so the landscape gets painted with the most beautiful light.
I may still be cold but after turning the corner on the solstice we are gaining light very rapidly. This of course means some great winter sports opportunities are priming up…now if it would just get back to minus twenty…
The town park, downtown Anchorage has several ice sculptures on display currently. There is a nice path shoveled among them for your viewing pleasure. I enjoyed the walk but can attest that the rink area, although not roped off, is way to slick for walking. I have on my schedule a trip up to Fairbanks for this years Ice sculpting competition and I wanted to get a feel for the challenges of making photographs of them. Big One: backgrounds. very hard to make a photograph of the sculpture without some serious background intrusions. It is going to be difficult. Next is the light. Which of course gets compounded by trying to change angles to avoid backgrounds. Next is depth or shape. If you don’t get the light it merges flat. Interesting problems.
It truly is a winter wonderland here in Alaska more so than anywhere I have ever been. The snow sparkles in the low light, the ice fog plants crystals everywhere, the arctic temperatures give the air a real crisp snap to it. On a mid afternoon with no wind the silence is golden and views are incredible.
New Print of the Month. Watchful King Eider. From the North Slope. Alaska. FallRiverPho
I am sure most of you are aware of the northern boundary water canoe trails up on the Minnesota-Cana