Des' Alaska/Canada Trip #15 - Off the Bow

[losfp]

I apologise in advance for the large number of images in this post (as I have already been cautioned by the image count police!!) - however I think this is best seen as one big series. Out of consideration for those who are not blessed with broadband, I have only used small images in this compilation - I daresay in total rather smaller in filesize than 4 large photos

May I first introduce you to a recent but dear friend



This is one of Cruise West's small ships, the Spirit of '98. As you can see, she is not much in size compared to the normal behemoths that normally cruise these waters. After 8 wonderful days on board, I cannot imagine going back to the impersonal glitz and glamour of the big ships. Every now and then, I made sure I snapped a photo at the front of the ship, so that I could assemble them all here Gives you a quick snapshot of the vast variety of sights that we saw off the bow.

[georgie]

Really like the compliation - some fantastic photos allround

[gstark]

I apologise in advance for the large number of images in this post (as I have already been cautioned by the image count police!!) -

No, I don't think that's an appropriate way to describe an instance of a moderator, correctly, pointing out to you that you're stretching the friendship in terms of where you've been taking the image count in some recent posts.

however I think this is best seen as one big series.

Perhaps.

But not in the "Image Review and Critique Section".

Posting 9 images in the one post in that section, I would expect to be seeing a technique explained and illustrated, or some sort of problem that you're experiencing being illustrated by those images.

Here, we're seeing some great images from your recent trip. That's great, and wonderful, but you're hardly asking (or expecting, I daresay) serious critique of these images.

If I'm wrong, then these images are simply not best seen as one big series, because we simply don't know what to look at first, nor what to critique.

If I'm right, then the correct, the more appropriate place for these fine images from your trip (and I can fully appreciate your excitement and desire to share them) is surely within the "Photographic Journeys" section, where there are no strict restrictions on your image per post counts, and it seems, to me, the ideal vehicle for you to describe and display these images from your trip.

Please note though that for this journey you should confine yourself to just the one thread - this one - so please, any further images from this trip should either be serious requests for critique, or posted as additional posts within this thread.

So ... I've moved the thread ... and your future cooperation in observing our rules will be appreciated.

[losfp]

I must have been really out of it for a while Gary, because I didn't even know about that forum!!!

Completely agree though, a lot of my posts were intended to share images with the community here. I do have certain shots that I am keen for feedback on though, and I will post them as usual in the critiques section. I assure you I would have mass-posted all my "holiday snaps" in the journeys forum had I been aware of it.

If I PM you the list of threads containing similar images for sharing, can you merge into this one?

[gstark]

Des,

Please do.

And thanx.

[gstark]

One observation if I may, and this is not directed at anyone in particular, but I just want to clarify something that might be misunderstood .....

I assure you I would have mass-posted all my "holiday snaps" in the journeys forum had I been aware of it.

This secton - the Personal Photographic Journeys section - is not about holiday snaps. And neither is this forum. If it's holiday snaps that are being posted, then please, keep them within your personal webspace or gallery space.

By all means, post a small sampler, with a link for those who may be so interested to follow up.

But this section is about your photgraphic journeys, not your holiday snaps.

To clarify further: I basically see that there may be two types of photographic journey. On the one hand there's the personal journey through life, how one came to be interested in photography, and how one's photography has developed over time.

That is the primary focus of this section.

But I accept that there may be times when we embark upon some actual travels, a true journey, from one place to another, and that journey reasonably entails an avid amount of photography. Holiday snaps do not form a part of that sort of category.

And I accept that, from time to time, those journeys will also fit within the context of this section.

Des, I see this trip, and the number of images that you've shot on the trip, as fitting within this second category.

HTH.

[losfp]

That's fair enough Gary. Suffice to say that I'm only interested in sharing a select number of the photos I took on this trip ("select number" in this case means probably 40-50, a mere sliver of the total amount took), with the intention of giving others who share the photography and travel bugs a little look at what I saw from a photographer's perspective. If that inspires others to also go and travel to those spots, so much the better.

[gstark]

If that inspires others to also go and travel to those spots, so much the better.

We're on the same page.

I just needed to clarify the point because you used the term "holiday snaps", which I felt was not appropriate to either this section, nor to your work, and I didn't want others to be misled.


Cheers.

[losfp]

To save the pain of trawling through plenty of posts... Here are the rest of the more interesting shots taken



Just for a bit of perspective, there are two shots taken from a helicopter. Luckily it was very overcast so there were minimal problems with reflections, at least nothing that couldn't be dealt with using a CPL.

It really gives you a sense of scale when looking at glaciers (compare these to the earlier shots I posted that were taken at close to sea level)






Johnston Canyon is a short (45 min?) drive from Banff, Alberta. Absolutely stunning, and the trail is in excellent condition with many railings, stairs etc. Very popular, when we visited, the carpark was PACKED. Takes probably a 1.5 hour return hike to go to the upper falls, past the lower falls and various cascade along the way.










Had enough of the Canadian lakes? I didn't think so.

Here are the lakes "rejects" that I didn't post before. I still particularly like the 4th one though

Vermillion Lakes


Lake Agnes


Mirror Lake


Boats at Lake Minnewanka





Of course, I wasn't going to drag a 3kg tripod halfway across the world without using it a few times!! Thankfully I got that chance...

These are all taken with a 6-stop ND filter

Waterfall at lake Agnes


Sunwapta Falls


Athabasca Falls


Bow Falls



Maligne Canyon is near the beautiful Maligne Lake. It has 5 bridges, but we only went and did the popular tourist walk down to bridge #2 as it was raining. Amazingly deep in places, and as usual, very pretty.






On the move

Taken out of the window of the train between Denali and Fairbanks. I've tried to do a slow shutter speed shot here, I'm not exactly sure how successful it was.


This was snapped out of the front windscreen of our rental car as we were driving back to Jasper from Maligne Lake. The scenery you encounter is just amazing.




I wasn't sure how to categorise this one. It's not quite a waterfall. It's not quite a lake shot. But I like it anyway.

Pissing down rain, but that probably adds to the atmosphere.

Water flowing out of Moraine Lake


If anyone is interested in viewing the complete collection...

Gallery - http://losfp.smugmug.com/Holidays/343805

Travel Blog - http://blog.thesystemisdown.com