Denali 2015 :)

[IPT]

So Denali this year was good. Not the best trip, but not the worst either. Saw some cool stuff but also had a bus driver in a rush so cruised by some cool stuff too .

None the less here's the start of some pics. Lots of rain this year. Usually it's overcast but this year it rained, a lot. None the less, even dark clouds eventually move on or break up and some beautiful stuff is left in the light .

Clouds....



must break up....



and if you look closer there's some spectacular stuff!




Keep an eye out for Camp robbers though - they'll dive bomb in and take the food right off your plate!

 

[noy]

great shots!

 

[jroovers]

Very nice! Like the first one especially, and the whiskeyjack. Any bears?

 

[IPT]

great shots!

Thnaks

Very nice! Like the first one especially, and the whiskeyjack. Any bears?

whiskeyjack? Never heard them called that before? Is that a local term for them? I've always known them as Canadian Jays or camprobbers. This dude was fearless. Literally would fly right at you and when you ducked he'd swoop in for the grab.

There were bears . Quite a few actually. Some were too far off, some too close and then trying to manhandle a 500mm lens out of a bus window is, well, less then ideal. Haven't quite got to the bears yet. Still weeding through most of the landscape stuff.

Grab shot from the moving bus window! One of my favs from the trip. Wish we would have biked that morning so we could have been on our own time frames.



Early morning. The "Mountain" makes an appearance .

 

[oldbones]

Dang-o man, that's some VERY nice work!

Too bad I'm a talentless hack, always been a fan of quality photography.

 

[jroovers]

Thnaks
whiskeyjack? Never heard them called that before? Is that a local term for them? I've always known them as Canadian Jays or camprobbers. This dude was fearless. Literally would fly right at you and when you ducked he'd swoop in for the grab.

There were bears . Quite a few actually. Some were too far off, some too close and then trying to manhandle a 500mm lens out of a bus window is, well, less then ideal. Haven't quite got to the bears yet. Still weeding through most of the landscape stuff.

I'm not sure that it is local, but most people in Ontario call them gray jays (maybe to distinguish from blue jays, which are really common here in the province), or whiskeyjacks. They are very trusting and will generally take nuts, trail mix, etc. out of your hand. Sounds/looks like the same bird!

Looking forward to the bruins when you get around to it!

 

[Reef Bass]

Well done again Louis!

 

[IPT]

This picture says it all to me. THIS, is why I go out here every year! Sometimes things just come together just right . I was taking landscape images and heard the tell tale grunt of a bll moose. Knew he had to be somewhere near by. After looking over the ridge I fond him, and he was HUGE! He was mostly in the shadows. I did manage to pull off a few images of him but the best happened when he walked over to a pond. The stark contrast provided the perfect silhouette. To have it all come together with the Alaska Range including Denali out, and a monster bull moose in the foreground, photographer bliss . You just cannot imagine the scale and immensity of this place but you might, just be able to grasp a touch of it from this image. Those mountains are close to 30 miles away!



He was quite the specimen.



WOnder how big they are? Here's one on the front side of the park crossing the road. As luck would have it (NOT!) I was on the wrong side of him (backlit, ugh). WHen we saw him he was already on the move and I didn't have time to get on the other side. Oh well.



Not spectacular, but certainly a beautiful morning sunrise. The water drops from the nighttime rain add contrast to the foreground.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Absolutely stunning photos! Thanks so much!

 

[Reef Bass]

To have it all come together with the Alaska Range including Denali out, and a monster bull moose in the foreground, photographer bliss .

I totally get that. For me also, those are the kind of things that make a particular image more memorable. And yes, the scale and beauty are massive.

I enjoy knowing the moose was there in the puddle, and not photoshopped in. Great job with your timing there.

I kinda like the backlit moose, but I'm fond of backlight.

Thanks very much for sharing such beautiful photos.

 

[jroovers]

Fantastic photos of the moose, what a rack! I still can't believe they drop those every winter and regrow them each summer, boggles my mind

 

[plantastic]

Spectacular work, Louis! The silhouette of the moose in the landscape image is a definite wall hanger...is that something you will do?

I always expect to be inspired when I click on your posts, and once again, I am not let down!

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Misled]

OK Louis, my turn. While I agree, the shot with the moose is excellent!!! This is a shot that should make those with inferior equipment understand what can be done with good stuff by someone that knows what they are doing. The moose part would look like the bush reflection in the upper pond. That's another part, the reflection of the bush makes the photo so much more interesting. Having all that come together is quite the shot.
That being said, I love the sunrise pic. The blue of the mountains, the evergreens, the shrubs in the foreground. I'm guessing that's dew on the shrubs. Man, IMO that's one beautiful shot!!!

 

[IPT]

Absolutely stunning photos! Thanks so much!

thanks.

I totally get that. For me also, those are the kind of things that make a particular image more memorable. And yes, the scale and beauty are massive.

I enjoy knowing the moose was there in the puddle, and not photoshopped in. Great job with your timing there.

I kinda like the backlit moose, but I'm fond of backlight.

Thanks very much for sharing such beautiful photos.

Thanks, yeah I like Backlight photos too but I just do not have many full frontal lit images of nice bull moose! This, was a rare opportunity, and I missed it (well the frontal lit part!). Its so often cloudy and over cast, plus they're more active and dusk and dawn. Well i guess I'll just have to go back again next year and try again :0

Yeah I'm pretty proficient with PS but this is the real deal. I think a disclaimer should be used when adding elements and I fear many don't do that . Here was another image of cow reflecting herself as well . You can see the bull off to the left of her. We spent probably close to an hour at that spot watching things evolve.

Fantastic photos of the moose, what a rack! I still can't believe they drop those every winter and regrow them each summer, boggles my mind

Crazy right?! At some points I think they grow an inch or more a DAY! They can weight 75# or more a piece and they just walk around in the forest like it's a lightweight bennie or something .

Spectacular work, Louis! The silhouette of the moose in the landscape image is a definite wall hanger...is that something you will do?

I always expect to be inspired when I click on your posts, and once again, I am not let down!

Thank you for sharing!

Thanks! Not sure if that will make it to a wall. It might, but my wall space is limited . I'll probably make some prints up to sell if I do an art show this year. I'm sure people will like them. Sometimes I use the prints for donations too when they are trying to do fund raisers.

OK Louis, my turn. While I agree, the shot with the moose is excellent!!! This is a shot that should make those with inferior equipment understand what can be done with good stuff by someone that knows what they are doing. The moose part would look like the bush reflection in the upper pond. That's another part, the reflection of the bush makes the photo so much more interesting. Having all that come together is quite the shot.
That being said, I love the sunrise pic. The blue of the mountains, the evergreens, the shrubs in the foreground. I'm guessing that's dew on the shrubs. Man, IMO that's one beautiful shot!!!

Yes, so true. Guess my wife got bored of just standing around when i take pictures. Always looking , anticipating, moving around to get "the shot". When i got my new rig she laid claim to my old 7D and has been taking pics with me. As a novice I see her (and remember myself) being so excited to take the picture I was just focused on the subject. I'm trying to teach her to think of the overall image and how just moving a few inches left or right can create an entirely different image!

Oh, and it was probably some dew but also lingering water from all the rain the day/night before.

 

[IPT]

Biking that morning after taking those moose/landscape pictures.



Went to reflection pond even though it was windy. Surprisingly, was rewarded for the effort .

 

[BeachVacationer]

Love that shot of mirror lake! You must have stayed at North Face Lodge, brings back memories. Thanks!

 

[IPT]

Love that shot of mirror lake! You must have stayed at North Face Lodge, brings back memories. Thanks!

You've been out there huh? Spectacular isn't it?

No, no Lodge for us. We were camping at Wonder Lake. They have running water though so it's sort of luxury camping considering were 85 miles back on a dirt road . Those lodges are pretty expensive and conversely we can camp on the cheep. Plus the lodges don't have good views of Denali and from campground, when the mountain is out, it's literally in your face huge .

My first trip up to AK we did a fly in backcountry lodge. it was spindy but worth every dollar. Of course back then i thought Alaska would be a the trip of a lifetime and little did I know I'd end up living here .

 

[IPT]

if I was at the Lodge I probably would not have stepped outside to take a leak at around 1am, and missed this .

 

[woodnaquanut]

I'm really impressed. You even have great luck when you get up in the middle of the night to pee!

Beautiful shots of a spectacular place.

 

[lanshark]

Awesome! Northern lights and stars with light reflecting off tent ... In my humble life, not seen better pics ... Thanks for sharing....