dj.tigersprout's photoblog
Luminescent Dawn, Anaktuvuk, Alaska (repost)
Posted by dj.tigersprout (New York City, United States) on 14 August 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
**note -- some of you saw this as an original post back in mid-june... however, now that i have posted a near complete set of chronological photos from my 21 hour arctic circle trip, this one fittingly comes next... (!) :D
on december 31st, 2007, i snapped this photo just before the 10AM arctic dawn while waiting for a small cargo plane to arrive and take me back to Fairbanks, central Alaska. in total, i spent 21 gloriously cold hours in the northern and very small Eskimo / Inuit town of Anaktuvuk -- successfully making a journey into one of the coldest winter regions on the planet, while at the same time consummating my highest latitude adventure to date. hidden among the icy Brooks Mountains and lying well above the arctic circle on a flat plateau that is basically described as an 'ice desert', Anaktuvuk is a completely isolated Eskimo / Inuit town of just under 300 native peoples. it is one of Alaska's completely dry towns -- alcohol is not permitted to be sold, and it would be ill-advised to try and smuggle it in as the fines / punishments are rather steep.
according to the meta data, this was a 10 second exposure... however my memory strongly remembers it being a lot longer... of course, when it is ranging -20 degrees (plus) fahrenheit below, time to the rational mind does seem to move incredibly slow! i used a remote release to minimize the shaking of my hands -- yet ironically also had to hold the tripod steady from the early morning windy gusts. to do this successfully, i would have to hold my breath and shut my eyes while counting down. after a few shots of remaining as still as possible, i would then need to jump around and shake my hands wildly to keep the blood flowing. it was an incredible mind-over-matter experience...
all work protected by Creative Commons
bluechameleon from Vancouver, Canada
Brilliant in colour and composition. What I find interesting about this is how the ground seems to have the feeling of movement. as of a fine mist is finding it way through your frame.
18 Jun 2008 5:37am
@bluechameleon: Hello and yes -- that movement / mist is probably the fine snow particles blowing along the ground!! It is usually hard to see in most of my photos... but because of the flood lights from the airport runway, the particles catch the light while moving causing the faint blurring at the bottom of the picture. Thanks for the comment! :)
fcofont from Valencia, Spain
Just beautiful!. You got a great photo even though the weather conditions. The long exposure and the lighting make this image magic!
18 Jun 2008 5:52am
@fcofont: Thank you kindly! It kinda makes it all worth it... the beauty was there all around me, but i had to venture out and have the patience to endure the elements to get it! Thanks again! :)
@Saeed: Cheers mate!
@MahGol: Thank you!!
@Alun Lambert: Cheers mate -- thank you! :)
saeed from ahwaz, Iran
Great shot and really wonderful!! These colours are stunning indeed!
is any volcano there!? Lava flow everywhere!! ;) well done
18 Jun 2008 8:01am
@saeed: Thanks Saeed!! Hmm... don't know about volcanoes... although would not be surprised... so many mountains there! I did see tons of volcanoes and lava in Iceland which is at the same latitude... :) Thanks!
@Paco Díaz: The vivid and eerie blue light of the sky reminds me of the displays of the Aurora Borealis seen very often in Alaska in the wintertime... something i was unlucky to miss while i was there... However, this pic kind of makes up for all of that! :) Thanks for the comment!
@Agnes: Thank you Agnes! Thank you for all your comments and for dropping by! :)
@Inés: Merci a toi Ines! Thanks for the comment!
Jeffster from Long Island, United States
Beautiful in an abstract sense. Nature is amazing!
18 Jun 2008 1:49pm
@Jeffster: It surely is! Thanks for the comments!
yiannis krikis from thessaloniki, Greece
I like the atmosphere and the colors very much
18 Jun 2008 3:14pm
@yiannis krikis: Cheers mate! I am very happy with how this came out... Quite abstract... but with enough detail for me to remember clearly what the experience was like! :)
dobbino from Cape Town, South Africa
Agent DJ- what can I say? The truth is out there friend - great shot.
18 Jun 2008 4:18pm
@dobbino: Cheers Rob! Funny you should mention 'X Files'... the night before i was in Anaktuvuk, the entire town witnessed a unforgettable 'UFO' incident... 3 huge orange globes descended over the town 100 feet above the surface, paused for a minute or so and slowly moved off to the horizon. So many of the residents witnessed the event it was officially being followed up by the FBI -- in fact the town residents originally thought i might be an FBI agent... as i came up unannounced and stayed in a contractors hotel... Some of the friendly and outgoing residents, after meeting me on the icy streets in the middle of the night (photographing the sky of course), filled me in on the details. Supposedly no-one goes up to Anaktuvak as a visitor -- especially in the winter... only pipeline contractors and government representatives. Pretty crazy stuff... and these people were serious... i mean DEAD serious!
Florence from Paris, France
That's so... beautiful, the colours are stunning, truly gorgeous. It really looks like the most beautil abstract I've ever seen. 20/20 !
A magnificent picture ! Yes !
18 Jun 2008 6:17pm
@Florence: Many sincere thanks for the marvelous comment Florence! :) I am very glad you like this picture too -- i admit i am very fond of this one -- but for me the experience of living through it and then trying my best to 'capture' the feeling really adds to the visual itself. Many thanks again! Cheers. :)
vu@granby from Granby, Québec, Canada
Beautiful shot and great narrative!
PS: In Canada the natives from the far northern reaches prefer to be called Inuit, in the singular Inuk, as the for them offensive "Eskimo" is from the Cree word for "eaters of raw flesh". But the natives in the far north of Alaska are not of the same origin, they are more closely related tho the natives of northern Siberia.
18 Jun 2008 6:20pm
@vu@granby: Hello and thank you Gilles! Yes, actually, Inuit is probably the correct term for some of the northern Alaskan's too. I believe both terms are used -- but i should really check into that so as not to offend anyone by mistake! :) Thanks for the great feedback and kind comments!
DrAW! from lagos, Nigeria
lovely complementary colours
that's an awesome, pre-sunrise sky
18 Jun 2008 6:55pm
@DrAW!: Thank you! I am very happy with how the colors came out... I certainly didn't 'plan' it that way... had no choice in the matter! Time lapse and low lighting makes for some amazing spectral displays! :) Thanks again!
Stephen Phillips from San Francisco, United States
DJ - thanks for the image - and for detailing the story behind it. Amazing. If you were to return - what photographic equipment or clothing would you add or change to make a difference?
18 Jun 2008 7:03pm
@Stephen Phillips: Well clothing wise i was pretty well off -- i found that there was only so many layers you could fit on the body and still move!! :) I just got used to the cold and could do it again if i needed to. As far as equipment -- i had only the basics and they seemed to suit me pretty well. There was no need for filters as there always dim lighting... To combat the wind -- a weight might have been nice for the tripod -- but then i would have had to carry it around... so don't know if that would have made it easier or not! An assistant would have been awesome though! :) Someone to talk to all night long... help keep spirits up in such cold weather... to help with carrying the equipment... but for sure i will have a better lens next time! I want that sigma wide angle lens! so much more detail and sharpness... and i love the 'expansion' of space that is possible with wide angle lens... oh -- and i definitely would have stayed above the arctic circle for a week next time as opposed to only 21 hours! for sure!
Observing from Chester, United Kingdom
Hi DJ, that is a unique experience and interesting narrative, did you have any problems bringing your camera from the extreme cold back into the warm building?
Also, I noticed that you told dobbino about the UFO.. wow, right up my street.!
18 Jun 2008 8:05pm
@Observing: hey mike -- yes actually. no problems per say, but there was a good deal of condensation inside the lens. many of the shots are slightly 'warped' around the edges from moisture... frozen or otherwise. I would take off the lens every once in a while (while inside) to allow it to air... i took the camera in for a sensor cleaning after i got back... it did need it -- there was evidence of moisture staining. but all in all nothing to complain about. :)
as for the UFO -- I was already disappointed in not seeing the mystical Aurora Borealis... but if i could have seen (and captured) evidence of the UFOs instead... wow -- now that would have just topped everything! I think i may need to go back for a visit! :)
@HoMo: thanks mate! cheers!
@Ekaputra Tupamahu: Cheers! Thank you very much! All i can say is 'location', patience and 'luck'... i just snapped the pic! :)
Line Lamarre from Chambly, Québec, Canada
Very spécial and beautiful light and colors.
I love this picture
19 Jun 2008 12:29am
@Line Lamarre: Cheers mate! Thank you kindly!
Nicholas from Shah Alam, Malaysia
Fantastic! Love the colours. Very good capture :)
19 Jun 2008 1:51am
@Nicholas: Thank you mate! :)
astrise from Shunfu, Singapore
Wonderful colors showing the transition to dawn. Nice!
19 Jun 2008 2:07am
@astrise: Hello and thank you Astrise! :)
Jen from Alpharetta, United States
wow this is lovely...I just love the pre-dawn colors and mystery
19 Jun 2008 2:38am
@Jen: Thanks Jen! Have yourself a wonderful evening! :)
akarui from Kagoshima, Japan
A great experience you are sharing with us. Certainly very difficult conditions to keep thinking taking pictures. Beautiful result, the blue and orange combination is wonderful.
19 Jun 2008 3:24am
@akarui: Cheers and thank you! It was difficult to be in such cold weather... I was born in Saigon and have a natural preference for hot and humid weather... I was certainly out of my element! However, that said, i have always wondered how people lived in dramatically harsh and inclement weather... and now having spent 10 days in this type of climate, i know that if i needed to, i could do this too. It was an amazing realization for me. Thanks for the comment! :)
Persian King from Tehran, Iran
Great shot with mesmerizing effect. Is it steel cold in Alaska or little warmer in summer, remember global warming and all...
19 Jun 2008 3:32am
@Persian King: Hey mate -- the winter is very cold, however locals say that the winters are mild nowadays compared to how they used to be... (makes me shiver just thinking about their use of the term 'mild') :) Summer gets up to 85 degrees in most of central Alaska... so it is very pleasant for walking, camping, hiking -- any outdoor sports. If you are interested in visiting, i would say it was well worth the trip. The landscapes are simply pristine! Cheers for the comment! :)
DarkElf from Perth, Australia
this has come out very well indeed! love the contrast between the ground and the mountains and sky - there is a nice little transition happening as well... thanks for your story as well - must have been bloody cold out there!
19 Jun 2008 4:00am
@DarkElf: cheers mate -- it was bloody cold, yes siree! but i thankfully still have all my fingers and toes! yee-haw! :)
Death from Mashhad, Iran
great image and the harmony of warm and cold colors is very nice!
19 Jun 2008 4:02am
@Death: cheers mate! thank you kindly! :)
@Zing: Cheers mate! Thank you!
@Marie: Thank you! I think i love pre-sunrise colors the best! (Sunset is wonderful too of course!) :)
Stephen Skok from ASCOT VALE, Australia
Great pic. But what were you doing here in the first place?
19 Jun 2008 7:27pm
@Stephen Skok: thanks mate! hehe -- call me crazy (my american friends certainly do) but i wanted to know what winter felt like in a very cold place... so i figured i would go to the one place no one else would go for christmas and new years... northern alaska! :) and of course, aside from the fact of deciding that i would travel into extremely harsh weather, i also wanted to get up as high on the globe as possible... i had just missed crossing the arctic circle when i was in Iceland last year... so i knew i had to at least cross it in Alaska! After i made these 2, integral decisions... the rest of my itinerary somehow seemed to determine itself... and it turned out to be such a wonderful and memorable trip! :)
Daroru from Amagasaki, Japan
An amazing story... what a location, sounds fascinating.
19 Jun 2008 11:09pm
@Daroru: Thanks Daroru! It was simply amazing... The adaptive powers of the human spirit are amazing. The people i met were so comfortable in that weather...! :)
Eric Fry from Houston, TX, United States
Beautiful colors and tones in the photo, and a great commentary!
19 Jun 2008 11:49pm
@Eric Fry: Hello and thank you! Cheers for the comment! :)
ghorse from Shenzhen, China
Love the color of the sky. But the foreground is too light to me.
21 Jun 2008 12:32am
@ghorse: Cheers mate for the feedback -- yeah, the foreground was lit up by a headlight from a snowmobile... and to capture the sky i needed at least 10 seconds as it was still quite dark. I am hoping i can do some dodging in photo shop once i get the program and learn how to use it! Thanks for the comment! :)
@Jessica: thank you! i am very fond of this one myself! :)
Andrew Gould from Sydney, Australia
This is a really striking image. Gorgeous colours and a great composition.... and what you had to go through to get it!
22 Jun 2008 2:52am
@Andrew Gould: hehe -- yes, i think if i had lost a finger or toe (which was my biggest fear the time) it still would have been worth it! :)
Hooman from Mashhad, Iran
beautiful...beautiful...beautiful...Beautiful....Beautiful....Beautiful..............Beautiful....
tnxxxxx a lot
23 Jun 2008 3:27am
@Hooman: cheers mate -- thanks a bunch! i am glad you like it! :)
@Twelvebit: Cheers mate -- I am not entirely sure where all the color came from -- must have been refracted from the glow of the airport flood lights. :)
@Stefan: Cheers Stefan! Thanks for all the comments! :)
@bm: Thanks mate! Yes -- i have a soft spot in my heart for this photo. :)
Angelene from Sydney, Australia
this has a very surreal, x files feel to it........very trippy, i like it!
24 Jul 2008 7:42am
@Angelene: Hey darling! :) So great to hear from you! i hope you are well! Thanks for leaving the comments! Lets chat soon! xx
Michael Skorulski from Cigel, Slovakia
An excellent photo to illustrate a very interesting adventure.
14 Aug 2008 5:28am
jamesy from christchurch, New Zealand
It was worth the effort. Must have been quit a trip
14 Aug 2008 5:37am
Mirko Herzner from Mühlheim am Main, Germany
Not many words to say today, DJ! This series of your trip is just superior and presents such a great picture of your unusual holidays. Why do they have prohibition up there?
14 Aug 2008 7:32am
akarui from Kagoshima, Japan
I love the gradation of colors from blue to orange. Beautiful.
14 Aug 2008 8:02am
marianne from Toulouse, from France, France
comme la vie qui jaillit de la Terre , communion entre les éléments, terre-air, ni début ni fin ...
juste l'infini au bout des yeux ... loin devant soi...
ces couleurs sont extraordinaires, la neige semble en feu ...
je suis sous le charme , bravo !
14 Aug 2008 9:41am
shahab from Qazvin, Iran
Wow!Both shot & comments!;)I love the colors,specially the blue!Very well done!
14 Aug 2008 9:46am
Namaki from Bordeaux, France
what else to say after so many comments .... you have a real talent for photogrpahy and narrating too !!!
are you planing on writing a book with pictures ??? that would be great !
14 Aug 2008 10:22am
António Pires from Lisbon, Portugal
It seems that in that cold the tripod was also shaking a bit.
14 Aug 2008 10:25am
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
There is incredible, fiery views in cold towns, oh you did well Dj ;)
14 Aug 2008 11:43am
Kylie Greenan from Richmond, Australia
Stunning image DJ, the colours are totally out of this world, it is truly magical, beautiful contrast of cold and warm tones, as always such a joy to read the narrative that went with it. Thank you DJ!
14 Aug 2008 11:52am
Eric Fry from Houston, TX, United States
I've really enjoyed this series, DJ! Your travels, photos, and stories make me think of the lyrics of a Rush song - "Chase the light around the world, I want to look at life...In the Available Light."
14 Aug 2008 11:55am
Tracey from White Hall, United States
Stunning! What a trip of a lifetime. And this photo wraps it all up in one image!
14 Aug 2008 12:15pm
Fliss from Melbourne Beach, United States
Yeah... now Mike saw the photos of Alaska and is starting to get ideas of wanting to go up there to visit... I think the cold is scaring him off... I will admit that I want to go now... hehehehe
14 Aug 2008 12:44pm
Francesc B. from région parisienne, France
Incredible colors... I admire these pics taken in these extreme conditions... I hate cold!! Not for me...
14 Aug 2008 12:46pm
dobbino from Cape Town, South Africa
I stand by my original comment - especially after reading the whole story! Superb! And maybe the second shadow in a previous pic didn't come from a second orange light.....
14 Aug 2008 12:56pm
willow from Chelsea, United States
Beautiful! And a lovely closing for the series. I admire your ability to take on the cold and still get your shutter finger to work for all these awesome photos.
14 Aug 2008 1:27pm
Jeffster from Long Island, United States
Beautiful colors. I like the overall simplicity of the image.
14 Aug 2008 1:53pm
hugo poon from hong kong, Hong Kong
May I add my praise to your long list! I haven't seen such a spectacular scape for a long long time.:-)
14 Aug 2008 3:58pm
Graham Russon from Cape Town, South Africa
Awesome shot, I can only echo the previous 70 comments. Your work is really great.
14 Aug 2008 4:15pm
lucie from san francisco, United States
wow what a great shot!! the colors are wonderful
14 Aug 2008 4:45pm
Marhilde from Geraardsbergen, Belgium
Amazing ! Congratulations to endure the cold and solitude !
14 Aug 2008 7:09pm
Observing from West Cheshire, United Kingdom
DJ, it was good then, still is now ;)
14 Aug 2008 7:23pm
bluechameleon from Vancouver, Canada
...just to let you know, DJ, I am in awe of this just as much now as I was the first time :)
14 Aug 2008 8:22pm
Thomas Griffioen from Bocas del Toro, Panama
Great abstract landscape and beautiful colors dj! And a good story as well.
14 Aug 2008 8:28pm
Marion from Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Gorgeous, although by the time I got down to the 78th post I forgot what I had looked at. I am kidding. I really like the processing that you did here.
14 Aug 2008 8:37pm
Rui from Leiria, Portugal
But this image sure worth the effort. Simply fantastic!
14 Aug 2008 9:36pm
Linerberry from Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand
Stunning colours dj! Great shot...you just keep em coming:-))
14 Aug 2008 11:01pm
amy from Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Holy c**p DJ!!! After 81 comments what more can I add?
I have some shots in my portfolio from my last winter in Alberta... I've only just recently moved to Nanaimo... and some of them were shot when it was -30 something celsius of the birds outside my house... I was in because I know what cold is and didn't need to go outside LOL!!! So I do applaud you for your trip to the Arctic in the dead of winter. And high praise for getting your image to the spotlight today!!!!
15 Aug 2008 2:39am
Teresa from Mountain View, United States
I'm thinkin' maybe you know how to take a photo. Once again, awesome. :-)
15 Aug 2008 4:16am
Michael Rawluk from Prince George, Canada
The colour gives it a very alien look. Other worldly.
15 Aug 2008 4:42am
Twelvebit from Victoria, United States
Ethereal. But 87 comments --man, that's wild. I get 15 comments a photo and I'm struggling to keep up.
15 Aug 2008 7:57pm
Nini Pixel from Savigny (Suisse), Switzerland
Splendid colors.. gorgeous... well done
15 Aug 2008 8:02pm
Mala from Newcastle- upon- Tyne, United Kingdom
The range in colour from cold to warm is awesome. :)
15 Aug 2008 8:26pm
Howard F. from South Pasadena, Calif., United States
Beautiful color! The time between dark and light is a magical for photographs.
16 Aug 2008 1:24am
@Sandrine: Thanks Sandrine! :)
@Magda: Thanks Magda! :)
paulski from Muncie, IN, United States
great colors; an awesome image. 94 comments?!? wow!
17 Aug 2008 3:57pm
Terre Mavix Chartrand from Kitchener, Canada
Magical shot with surreal colours. I do understand cold impairing thoughts and memories... heh ;)
18 Aug 2008 3:12am
Laurie from New Jersey, United States
Beautiful.
I imagine the perception of time becomes quite skewed under those conditions.
18 Aug 2008 4:47pm
Canon EOS REBEL XT
10 second
F/22.0
ISO 1600
21 mm