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off to Alaska


framer
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Well in two days I head to Alaska for my 4th trip there in 9 years. 1st trip I'd just gotten a D3s and it was a game changer. By my 3rd trip I took the D3s and a D810 which was a great match up. Got some great BIF & whale photos with that combo. I also was using a 400 2.8 with the D3s. Well time moves on and I'm not going to lug that beast around this trip. Picked up a D500 and am using it with a 300mm f4 Nikkor. It really packs a punch. I swear it's better than my D3s with the 400 and 1/4 the weight. I'm also taking my D810 with an assortment of lenses.

 

 

 

So 1st time no tripod, no tripod head, no 400, no D3s, no pano head. I don't know if I feel naked or just lighter? Well wish me good light, fair weather and calm seas.

 

 

 

I've never gotten a bear in the wild yet, maybe this trip.

 

 

framer

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Well in two days I head to Alaska for my 4th trip there in 9 years. 1st trip I'd just gotten a D3s and it was a game changer. By my 3rd trip I took the D3s and a D810 which was a great match up. Got some great BIF & whale photos with that combo. I also was using a 400 2.8 with the D3s. Well time moves on and I'm not going to lug that beast around this trip. Picked up a D500 and am using it with a 300mm f4 Nikkor. It really packs a punch. I swear it's better than my D3s with the 400 and 1/4 the weight. I'm also taking my D810 with an assortment of lenses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So 1st time no tripod, no tripod head, no 400, no D3s, no pano head. I don't know if I feel naked or just lighter? Well wish me good light, fair weather and calm seas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've never gotten a bear in the wild yet, maybe this trip.

 

 

 

 

 

framer

 

 

 

6594ca0b0186ee6afaeb4157696b48f9.jpg8c02e13bbb68cb4f6031029b4b87487e.jpg In the Last three weeks we have had 2 different bears in our yard that our wildlife camera has captured. I was so excited to see them in Alaska, but not too excited to have them in our yard

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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Sitting at Sea-Tec boarded...

 

 

1st photo, took a seaplane in Ketchican to a special place in the mountains.

 

 

 

cc4.jpg

 

 

cc3.jpg

 

 

 

 

Just about to land about 1 foot above the water.

cc1.jpg

 

Taxiing to shore.

cc2.jpg

 

 

More later

 

 

framer

 

 

These taken with a D810 w/nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 I could only take one camera one lens.

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No bears again... I guess I have to go back a 5th time. Weather was not great, lots of rain, wind and cold. Got one nice day.

 

 

 

framer

 

Fifth time's the charm. That's when we saw our first bears.

 

 

Dave

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framer,

Your pictures demonstrate something that I like ... and something that ND filters and long exposures can't replicate. There's a world of difference between a photo where the water looks smooth (due to a ND filter) versus one where the water is smooth (like your photos).

 

If we go back to Alaska, we'll have to consider taking an excursion like that.

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framer,

Your pictures demonstrate something that I like ... and something that ND filters and long exposures can't replicate. There's a world of difference between a photo where the water looks smooth (due to a ND filter) versus one where the water is smooth (like your photos).

 

If we go back to Alaska, we'll have to consider taking an excursion like that.

 

The problem is a 4 letter word, LUCK.

 

I had not planned going flying this trip. When we docked @ 7AM the weather was crystal clear 100 mile visibility, light wind. We were at dock 4 right by Island Wings which I had used in 2010. I gave them a call and they had two seat open. After the flight I asked how luck we were to get the seats. Their reply was they were booked for the season and just that day they had two seats.

 

 

You do make your own luck by taking advantage of conditions when you find them. This could not have been planned. It was good that I had nothing else planned for that day.

 

 

framer

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This one I'm considering to be in my window background images.

Click for full size file, then click to see full size or right click to save to your computer.

 

This one I'm considering to be in my window background images.

Click for full size file, then click to see full size or right click to save to your computer.

 

cc20t.jpg

 

framer

Edited by framer
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Click for full size screen image @ 72 dpi 3MB , original is same size but @ 300dpi 1GB.

 

 

pano5-72t.jpg

 

 

Then click again to expanf to full size.

 

framer

 

That full size shot is amazing - fantastic detail.

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Great shots! First Farmer want thank you for all the advice, was a big help and I was able to get some great shots. Just wish our weather the first week, ok there is rain, then then there is RAIN, like standing under a waterfall kind, at this point I found out the difference between "waterproof and water resistant" I had waterproof paints, jacket and shoes, but 'water resistant gloves' they did not dry until I returned home. Second week was great; even had a couple of hours of sun in Ketchikan which I am told is like a drought for them.

 

I also feel fortunate in that did get 1 bear in the 'wild' and was very luck to get it. We were on the 26 Glacier tour in Whittier and spotted this one on the shore, but as luck would have it did not have my 500mm with me, was breaking my back. So this is with a 200mm and heavy crop from the D850 with heavy cloud cover (ie light rain). Not a great shot but was the only bear in the wild we saw the entire trip. Did see a grizzly that was in 'captivity' for some nice shots. I did get my eagle, whale tail, seals, otter and walrus shots, even a goat on the mountain as we came out of GNP but even with a 500mm and 1.4 tele-converter is only a little bigger than a white dot. I did learn from a Park Ranger that the best viewing of bears is Pack Creek in mid to late June when the salmon start running. (average cost of a day trip is $699-$799 each and limited number of people can go per day, so maybe next time???).

 

40904546840_de91e14a8b_o.jpg

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