Here is another in my series of impressions of the Turnagain Arm from our Alaska trip in July.
Glacial Swoop
115
We go down to “the valley” fairly often. When we moved here, I was puzzled by people referring to “the valley” until I finally asked- it means the Phoenix area. The elevation there is about 1000 feet, compared to Prescott, which is a mile high. We get snow- Phoenix does not. Phoenix has saguaro cacti and paloverde trees; we do not. Summer temperatures in Phoenix are often well over 110 degrees. That doesn’t happen up here in the high country.
A month ago when we drove to the airport for our flight to Alaska, it was 115 degrees in Phoenix. Today’s abstract is a tribute to the blistering heat of the valley.
Turnagain Again and Again
We return to the same spots along the Seward Highway every year- mostly for me to take photos of the Turnagain Arm. I’m fascinated by the mountains and glaciers- and am always looking for beluga whales at Beluga Point (no, not yet…). The last couple years I’ve spent time taking ICM images- each one turning out different from the others.
Lakeside
Ahhh the lazy days of summer, just hanging out by a lake- in this case, at our daughter’s cabin at Crooked Lake in Alaska. The sunlight shimmering on the water behind the fireweed caught my eye, and I tried to capture the dreamy feeling using multiple exposures and a slow shutter.
Flour Mill
I can’t pass a silo, a mill, a grain elevator or an old barn without stopping to take a photo. This shot is from our hour spent in Talmadge, Kansas, where the huge grain elevator dominates the downtown.
Flowers of Alaska
I always take lots of photos of flowers at our daughter’s house and cabin when we visit. This is a collection of just a very few- plus a special appearance by our granddog, Penny. Enjoy!
In the Forest
We’ve just returned from a visit with our daughter’s family in Alaska. My camera got a workout taking dozens of senior photos of our oldest grandson, and lots of ICM photos of places we’ve visited many times, trying to capture them in a different way. The photos here taken on a short hike to a spot we had never visited before- Barbara Falls in Eagle River. I took the photo above as we walked along and the more traditional photo below of the falls themselves. Quite a contrast to Arizona!
Sunset Silhouette
Not my usual Beach Lady photography- but it was a photo that just asked to be taken.
Checking the Boxes
I won’t say where this is, because someone lives here. But… I will say that this old house checks a lot of my photography boxes: it’s old, it has seen better days, it has peeling paint, it’s surrounded by trees, and there’s a bicycle parked outside. My husband spotted it and drove me there- how could I resist?
Weathered and Distressed
Whatever, wherever, and however the road trip, I always have my camera or iPhone ready to take photos out the window as we drive along. This old barn and damaged windmill caught my eye as we drove on Kansas backroads last month.
Uprising
I had some fun with intentional camera movement with still life the other day…
Untethered Reality
or Distorted Memory or Free Spirit or When Ravens Dream or …… ? Coming up with a title is so much fun….
Downtown Squares
A couple months ago I went on a photo walk with 3 other members of my Monday photo group. We walked around Cortez Street and the alleyway taking photos of whatever caught our fancy. I remembered what fun it was the other day and created a little grid of some of the details.
Solitary Sentinel
Another impression of the fields of Manchester, with the iconic water tower overlooking what was once a bustling farm community.
Colors of Kansas
We visited the tiny family cemetery when we were in Kansas a few weeks ago. After taking time to look at the graves of so many members of Lonnie’s family- ones I knew and those whose names I knew only from genealogy research- I stood and looked down at the fields and trees of Manchester, the tiny community where Lonnie’s grandparents lived, trying to sear it all into my brain, as this was probably our last visit. I love the varying hues and tones of the fields and composed a quick ICM image to remember these last moments.
melinda anderson photography 