Icy Eklutna Lake with some intentional camera movement:
Fog and Snow
On the day after Christmas we woke to a thick blanket of fog obscuring our view of the houses and snowy hills. The fog lingered until nine or ten, when the blue sky and sun broke through.
Eklutna Lake- Two Ways
Our son-in-law took us for a drive over to Eklutna Lake, which was not yet completely frozen. The icy shoreline proved irresistible to kids and dog who immediately were running and sliding and having a great time.
I realized I haven’t posted as many black and whites as usual- and I do love black and white. So I converted today’s image into a monochrome, although I think I like it better in color.
Alaska Sunshine
This photo was taken as direct morning sunshine backlit this little orange leaf on the deck railing.
Icy Sunset
Another view of sunset at the Eagle River Nature Center
Five
This row of trees seems to stand guard at the gap in the mountains at the nature center. In browsing through other photos of this area, I noticed everyone seems to take a photo of these same trees. They are somewhat ragtag and gawky looking, but there is just something about them!
At sunset, everything seemed to have a rosy glow.
I did another edit in black and white, but couldn’t seem to get the effect I wanted. Then I added a teal color layer and a texture, which gives it a snowy look. Just playing!
Aurora!
We have just returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving visit with our daughter’s family in Alaska- our first trip there in winter (I know it is technically fall, but it was WINTER there!). There was no snow, but the ground and many of the trees were covered with icy hoar frost. Daylight was limited, and the weather averaged in the low teens. Brrrr!
I was hoping to see the northern lights, but Caitlin had warned me that most nights had cloud covered skies, which blocked the view. I think it was the second morning we were there that she woke us up to tell us that she could see the aurora from the front deck. We staggered sleepily outside (it was not really that early- 7 a.m.- but it was dark, of course), and, after a few minutes of allowing our eyes to be accustomed to the darkness, we were treated to the sight of a faint aurora dancing around the dark skies. I grabbed my camera and set up the tripod for a long exposure. I hadn’t prepared for this and didn’t think anything was showing up on the LCD monitor. Caitlin offered to drive us a few miles down the road toward the state park, where she thought we would be able to see more. We pulled over in a likely spot, but alas, we could only see stars. I set up the tripod anyway and took three 15 second exposures anyway, stopping when I kept hearing rustling in the bushes. It wasn’t until I looked at the images on the computer that I realized that there was indeed a very small part of the aurora visible. My images were underexposed at 15 seconds- perhaps I needed to increase ISO or use a longer exposure. Next time, I will be more prepared!
Below is my favorite view, although the aurora is mini. This was taken from a pullout on the road.
Wise?
This eagle owl may be wise, but he is also pretty stern looking!
Beach Yoga
Observed practicing a one-legged standing pose (yes, he did have 2 legs)
By the Creek
Two more Oak Creek photos. . .
Details Diptych
I always seem to enjoy taking the detail shots more than the BIG PICTURE. Here are two detail shots from our weekend along Oak Creek.
Summer’s End
Coneflower
Shadow Play
As this leaf skittered around on the glass tabletop in the fall breeze, I took several photos with the plain glass as backdrop. But there was something about the juxtaposition of the leaf, its shadow, and the tabletop pattern that caught my eye. I added some textures and tones in Photoshop to create this little piece of photo art.
First Fall Leaf
We spent last weekend in Oak Creek Canyon (just out of Sedona), and I was delighted to see that my favorite season has begun!
Home for Elves?
My Alaska family (especially Miles) has become fascinated with the mushrooms and toadstools that abound in this wet climate. According to Wikipedia, this amanita is classified as poisonous and is noted for its hallucinogenic properties. I just think it looks like the perfect setting for a fairy tale!
melinda anderson photography 