Alaska - The Outfitters Camp & Moose Bottoms

Alaska Kobuk Outfitters Camp

Part 2 of the Alaska Series.  Click here to read Part 1: Above the Arctic Circle

Prior to leaving on our Alaskan Adventure, Steve built a slider for my camera so I could pan smoothly while videoing.  The whole thing disassembles and fits neatly into a tube for storage and travel.  The mistake we made before catching our flight is that we didn't have the TSA folks open it, check the contents and seal it with "TSA Inspected" tape.  After all, it was a whole bunch of metal rods and hunting knives stuffed into a 3ft PVC pipe...

We arrived into Kotzebue with all our bags except for the one containing the slider tube.  A search by the helpful airport folks found it in Seattle and one of the local pilots brought it out to me at camp that evening (yay for fantastic customer service - thanks Alaska Airlines and Eric!).  The whole bag was thoroughly inspected, including my apparently suspicious-looking bag of woolly socks.  I do wish the TSA people would learn to repack stuff nicely.  It all fit in once upon a time; it can do it again.

But while waiting for the bag to arrive we realised that my sleeping bag was with it.  It's not much fun in Alaska without a warm sleeping bag and not knowing if it would arrive that day (if ever), I was in a bind.  Camp guide Cecil came to the rescue with a -40deg sleeping bag.  I was Toasty (see that capital T?!) and kept it for the whole time we were there.  I even had to take my socks off.  Best. Bag. Ever. (Thanks, Cecil!)

Wayne and his Alaska Kobuk Outfitters crew really treat you well.  There is a woodburner in your tent to keep the cold out and trust me, you stay warm with that going, as well as drying your clothes when it rains.  And it rained.  We were in a four-man tent (with Steve's brother and sister) and there was plenty of room.  The cots (stretchers in Kiwi-lingo) are comfortable and have enough clearance to store bags under them.

The first full day in camp brought a lot of rain.  Did I mention before that it rained?  September is definitely rainy season in Alaska.  But that (along with a snowfall the previous week) dealt to the bugs, so I was okay with it - mostly because I wouldn't need to wear my BCHN (this is comparable to a pair of BCGs, but is a hairnet instead of glasses).  We spent time getting to know the other folks in camp then suddenly word came in that a moose and calf had been spotted nearby.  Steve and I took off after them, but those long-legged beasties are speedy even when walking.

We climbed up a small rise and waited for a while, finally seeing the pair as they broke cover and headed for the hills.  I only had a chance to photograph their backsides as they quickly moved away from us.  But hey - I snagged a photo of a moose.  Next time it'll be up close and personal.

Next up:  Food, Glorious Food & Pitching In

Alaska - Above the Arctic Circle

Alaska - a land of wolves, bears and cute arctic foxes; rugged wilderness and breathtaking scenery.  A land where one mistake can make the difference between life or death and a land that will take hold of your heart and not let go.

Two weeks ago Steve and I boarded a plane for a part of the world where I never dreamed I'd actually set foot.  Three flights and 19 hours' travel time later, we arrived in Kotzebue - 53km (33mi) north of the Arctic Circle (if you're really interested, the coordinates are 66°53′50″N 162°35′8″W.  Trust me - it's waaaay up there).  But this wasn't an ordinary tourist excursion to the top of the world; we were there to hunt caribou and rough it - as far as you can call it that with a gas stove in camp.

Kotzebue gave us a welcome that was a far cry from the Hotalanta summer we'd just left: cold, windy and a misty drizzle.  Arriving at 9:40am local time, we had a few hours to kill while we waited for the weather to clear for the flight out to the camp run by Alaska Kobuk Outfitters.

One thing we noticed while exploring Kotzebue is that the satellite dishes don't point up; they point to the horizon.  Yet another clue that you're in a completely different part of the world.

At around 3pm local time we finally received word that the cloud layer had lifted sufficiently at camp for us to land out there - and we were off again; even further north and inland.  I've piloted a Cessna once, a long time ago (and have one hour clocked in a pilot's logbook to prove it) but that was on a sunny, windless day and this was not.  I'll freely admit I'm not the happiest flyer, but once I got the courage up to ignore the bumps and look out the window, I was in for a treat.

Our pilot was ever on the lookout for wildlife and thanks to him we saw a group of musk oxen and a rather large-ish moose, which glared up at the plane with a "what?!" attitude.  After a sweet landing on the riverbed (much smoother than the wind-blown thriller landing into Kotzebue), the pilot took off back to Kotz, leaving me to catch this shot of the plane heading for the cloudy sky.

This truly was an adventure to remember - and one that will always be among the best I've ever had the privilege of experiencing.

Next up: the Alaska Kobuk Outfitters Camp and Moose Bottoms.

Morgan | Playing with Light

Sometimes I ask someone to step in front of my camera just for the fun of it and for this shoot I wanted to play with different lighting setups.

The photo above was made on a bright sunny day, inside my garage.  The natural 2pm daylight is reflected off the concrete driveway straight onto Morgan's face, resulting in Flat Light: a low contrast look that gives very little detail to the face, emphasising the eyes and mouth.

Compare this with the photo below, which I made using my studio lighting setup.  The main light is a softbox just in front of, and very close to, her left shoulder (camera right) but not aimed directly at her.  Instead, the light which 'spills' off the edge of the softbox is what reaches Morgan's face, creating a much softer look.  This technique is called 'feathering' the light.  

In addition, I placed a diffuser between the softbox and Morgan's face to soften the light even further.  Finally, there's a second light behind Morgan on her right, which serves to separate her from the background a little, often called a 'kicker' light.   You can see the effect of this light in the hair on the right side of her head (camera left).

The angle I'm shooting from produces what's called Short Light on Morgan's face.  The fully-lit side of her face is turned slightly away from the camera, leaving the shaded side toward me.  This creates a little shadow in the outside curve of her nostril called Loop Lighting, as well as giving definition to her right cheek bone.

So which is best?  It all depends on your taste and why you're photographing the model.  What story are you wanting to create with your image?

These photos of Morgan were taken just after she'd graduated as a high school senior and not long before she headed off to university, to study photography.  I've seen some of her work and she's definitely someone to watch.  Thanks, Morgan - and best wishes!