IMAGE OF THE MONTH FOR JUNE, 2005 (Scroll down for previous months)

HARBINGER OF SPRING Windflower (Anemone parviflora), Denali National Park As the snow slowly melts in early May, certain species of flowers are always the first to appear -- heralding the return of spring and the promise of warmer weather to come. The Windflower, also known as the Northern Anemone, is one of the first, but can be found all the way into early August. The plant is a perennial, growing from buried rootstock, but each flower will form globular heads of small seeds attached to a wooly carrier for aerial dispersal. Canon D60 digital camera, EF 50mm f2.5 lens, handheld. Exposure of 1/45 second at f9.5, ISO 100.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH FOR MAY, 2005

COCK OF THE WILLOWS Male Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus), Denali National Park Spring is a busy time for a male Willow Ptarmigan--up at the crack of dawn in the nearest tree, loudly proclaiming to his ptarmigan neighbors (some say it sounds like go back, go back) that he claims this tiny peice of the world, and that they better stay away from his intended mate. Should another male approach his territory or mate, he quickly and noisely defends his territory. More of the sounds (bordering on a cacophony) of spring in Alaska. Canon EOS-1D Mark II digital camera, EF 100-400mm f5.6L lens @ 400mm, handheld with Image Stabilization. Exposure of 1/500 second @ f8, ISO 100.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL, 2005

FRACTURED ABSTRACTS Ice Fractures, Savage River, Denali National Park April usually brings above freezing air temperatures during the daytime, but well below freezing temperatures at night. Warming causes the ice to expand, while cooling causes contractions--such fluctuations cause fractures throught the thickness of the ice, but are more evident on the surface. Spend any time on river ice and you will hear a symphony of cracks and pops. Another example of natural abstracts--more transitory works of art only obvious to those who go looking for them. Canon EOS-1N camera, EF 50mm f2.5 macro lens, Gitzo 220 tripod. Exposure on Fuji Sensia 100 film not recorded.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH FOR MARCH, 2005

WINTER'S SPOOR Snow Layers and Blocks, Sable Pass, Denali National Park The term "spoor" usually refers to the track or trail of a wild animal, but here is an example of the tracks (well, maybe a history) left by the ravages of winter. Winter in the Interior of Alaska is a series of cold spells interspersed with warmer storms, usually accompanied by high winds. Cross-sections of the drifted snow in the spring reveal a history of the past winter--layers of dirty snow deposited by the winds and even ice layers from rare rains, sandwiched between clean snow layers deposited during the snowstorms. Nikon FM camera, Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, handheld. Fujichrome 100 film, exposure not recorded.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY, 2005

BALANCED ROCK & WINDOWS SECTION Arches National Park, Utah Arches National Park, like innumerable places in the American Southwest, has many vistas that are near impossible to contain in a single image. I've included single Balanced Rock and Windows Arches images in my New Images Portfolio, but here is a panoramic view of the whole Windows Section. This is a composite of 5 images, stitched together into a single image. For a larger view, click here. For those of you who have Quicktime Player installed in your computer, click here for an interactive version that allows you to navigate through the much larger panorama (Caution: Huge file, for those with a broadband connection). Canon EOS-1D Mark II digital camera, EF 28-70mm f2.8L lens @ 70mm, Arca B-1 Ballhead on Bogen 3021 tripod. Exposure of 1/160 second @ f13, ISO 100.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY, 2005

TRANSITORY WORKS OF ART Dried Mud, Toklat River Bar, Denali National Park One of the consequences of a hot summer in Denali National Park is the increased snow melt in the Alaska Range Mountains. The run-off causes higher water levels in the rivers, and as the channels shift within the river bed, new channels are formed and others are cut-off. As once flooded channels dry up, deposited silt ("glacial flour") quickly solidifies, and cracks are formed in the drying process. The result is a nearly infinite variety of patterns and textures--transitory natural works of art, lasting only until the next rainfall or shift in channels. Canon D60 digital camera, EF 50mm f2.5 lens, handheld. Exposure of 1/50 second at f8, ISO 100.

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