“Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






Revisiting


 
   I hope that everyone had a very wonderful and warm Christmas and that you’re enjoying a break from the every day working world!
   My kids and I had been craving an adventure – and my wife, some quiet time alone at home- so I decided to take my son Jack (8), and daughter Claire (4), down to Seward for a couple of days. There is a Holiday Inn Express that has an indoor, heated, swimming pool that overlooks the harbor and its’ snow covered boats and docks. Combine that with cable tv and stunning views of Resurrection Bay and you’ve got a mini winter paradise just two hours south of Anchorage.
   While I truly love spending time with my children, I have to admit that I had ulterior motives of my own. If you drive along the coast just two miles south of downtown Seward you end up at Lowell Point. Though you’re close to town you can walk the shale- laden beach here and feel like you’re worlds away. The unobscured views of Resurrection Bay and the jagged mountains and forest that line its’ shores are breathtaking. I had explored the area several times over the summer but was thinking it would be an exciting place to revisit in the winter.
   So, after a full day in the pool, I announced on the second day that we were going to go explore the beach. My daughter cheered, my son groaned (he loved the hotel), and we went.
   My instincts didn’t fail me. It turned out to be one of the greatest times ever. Snow covered everything up to the tide line and the temperature was comfortable. Within seconds Jack and Claire were chasing incoming waves, collecting shells, and pointing out the sea lions off shore. If you could overlook the snow gear you’d think you were watching the kids on a beach in Hawaii!
   I was free to break out my camera and tripod for an hour or so of guilt free photography!
   It took a while to get here but what I wanted to emphasize is that it always pays to revisit favorite places over and over again. Every season, every type of weather, can offer a wide variety of colors, light quality, number of people, etc. And, once you know a place fairly well you know just where to go and you don’t spend as much time trying to find that great spot to photograph from.
   All the images here were taken in less than an hour and were very close to one another. One thing I like to do is take in the entire scene, look for wide-angle shots, then tighter mid-range shots and finally close up detail shots. By varying my position and lenses I was able to capture a wide variety of images in a short period of time.
   If you have a spot that is exciting to you photographically, keep going back. Odds are your images will keep getting better and better as you learn from previous mistakes.
   You might even make it an unforgettable place for others as well. My groaning son who wanted to luxuriate in front of the cartoon network at the hotel- I had to drag him off the beach in the early winter darkness.
  
 

“Capturing Alaska”
with Wayde Carroll






It’s All in the Details!



One of the most exciting aspects of photography to me is being able to create art out of my surroundings. With photography I’m not inventing, or recreating, a world like a painter or sculptor, but making one view of reality into something interesting. I love scanning over a scene and pulling out something visually striking weather it be as obvious as a patch on a multi colored hillside, or as minute as the reflection in water droplets on a leaf.
Usually when I go out shooting I am either on assignment trying to capture specific subject matter or trying to build up my stock image files by capturing several preconceived ideas. This is exciting and fulfilling and the opportunities to be creative are endless but I still have a need to feed my souls’ desire to create art for the sake of art. One way I do this is by paying close attention to the details. On their own textures, colors, unique lighting, reflections, and patterns, can be used to create interesting photos.
It isn’t often that I get to just go out to play and experiment with my cameras so I get my art fix wherever I find it. No matter what I’m out for my eye is always searching out that visually exciting detail. One thing I’ve learned is this: Always carry your camera and if you see something that excites you, shoot it! Too many times I said to myself “ I’ll come back and get that when I’m done” only to find that the lighting is no longer interesting or I simply never get back to that spot due to time constraints. Now, I take the photo!
It surprises me and makes me very happy that I can look at an image, say a detail of ice, and no matter how abstract, I know exactly when and where I took that image. The details usually have more of an impact on me than the typical views.
So, even if you have preconceived notions of what you’re going out to shoot, keep an eye open for that interesting detail that will tell a story in itself. I have many favorite images that were taken while I was out shooting something else. If you see something you like, don’t save it for later. You may never see it the same again.

    “Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






Sense of Place


 
       One of the main goals in outdoor photography is to try and relate our experience to our viewer. We want to share with them the intimate details that were so exciting to us at that moment. With various techniques we try to attract the viewer’s eye, lead it into and around our image, and keep it there. If we can accomplish this, then we have created a truly compelling image. We can achieve this through various techniques, and combinations thereof, such as the use of “s” curves, color, patterns, negative space, and unique subject matter.
   When photographing outdoors one can choose to focus on details with a long zoom lens or an up close macro lens. Many superb images are created using these lenses but most of us tend to use wide- angle lenses to capture the grandeur of the scene in its entirety. It seems like common sense to try and include as much of the incredible scene before us as we can. Often though, this leads to disappointment when, as we’re editing our photos on the computer at home, we get a diminished sense of the true experience we remember. Because we used such a wide- angle lens, all of the important elements that drew us to a scene now appear small and so much less dramatic.
   One of my favorite ways to combat this is to make sure I have an interesting foreground subject that not only highlights some of the character of the area but also serves to lead the viewer into my image. When taking a photo where all of the subject matter off in the distance the image can appear flat and uninteresting. By placing objects in the foreground my photo becomes more dimensional. By having objects that clearly define the foreground, middle ground, and background, I can draw the viewers eye deep in to my image and a real sense of place is obtained.
   Next time you’re out shooting keep this in mind and see if it helps you to create images that are more visually striking and give the viewer a better sense of what it was like to be there at that place and time!

   “Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






The Human Factor


 
    
  This week I wanted to bring up something obvious but often overlooked. People. Portraits of interesting characters you meet on your travels to be more precise.
   I see a lot of people who love to get out and take photos and love to talk to interesting locals who can add some flavor, laughter, and life to their travels. They might even get a great tip on where some great images might be found. But one thing a lot of photographers overlook is the wonderful photo possibilities in the people themselves. You don’t have to be photographing tribesmen in Africa to come up with compelling portraits!
   It took me a while to realize this and even when I finally did it took me even longer to get the courage to start asking permission to photograph people. I used to try and “steal” shots of people when they didn’t know it and that, typically, was unsatisfying. I usually didn’t get a decent shot at all and even if I did it usually felt sort of weird to be sneaking images. Also, if I was ever going to try and license these shots they were very limited without a signed modeling release. If a person is recognizable you need to have a release. So, if I got some good images without the subject knowing it they might be pleasing to me but useless in terms of my business.
   After taking all these factors in I finally realized that I needed to ask permission to take peoples photos. It was very uncomfortable at first and I’d take a photo or two and be done. But the more I tried it the more I realized that it brought me closer to my subject in a personal way- we were creating together. So far most people don’t mind and if someone refuses I politely say I understand and thank you anyway and move on. Even though you think you could have gotten an incredible photo it is more important to respect people’s wishes.
   I find that people open up a bit more after we’ve “worked together” and are often willing to give further insights to an area and sometimes even become your personal tour guide.
   After years of asking people for permission I am now quite comfortable and have no problem asking people to reposition themselves for a better background, lighting etc.. and my people photos have improved dramatically because of it.
   In some cases parts of a person are worthwhile subject matter and can say almost as much as the face. (See close up image of hands taken in Petersburg.)
   So, the next time you’re off on a photo excursion hoping to get great wildlife images, grand scenics, or macro shots of the tundra, don’t forget the people that were part of the journey. Many times they are one of the highlights of the trip. Bring them to life in your work. Let’s see the bus driver who took you out to Kantishna with all the great stories and humor, the elderly gentleman who still makes a living with his hands, the USFA interpreter on your ferry ride, and, of course, the fellow pouring your beer at the Alaskan Brewing Co. in Juneau!

  “Capturing Alaska”
    with Wayde Carroll






Alaska Sea Life Center


 
    
   Remember all the “decent snow” we were getting last week? Well, over the last several days we’ve had warm winds and rain and we’ve lost just about all of the snow accumulation!
   Due to the miserable conditions, I decided to concentrate on indoor photo projects and one of my favorite “indoor” locations immediately came to mind; the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward. Just a two- hour drive south of Anchorage, this non-profit marine science facility is a wonderful place to hone your photographic skills , especially when the weather outside has nothing to offer photographically.
   The center offers up close and personal wildlife opportunities in naturalistic settings. There you can capture kittiwakes, eiders, and puffins with your 300mm lens or look for interesting underwater scenes involving Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and a myriad of underwater sea life to capture with a wider angle lens. I’ll share a few things I’ve learned from several trips to this wonderful facility.
   Patience is the number one tool required here. Weather you are trying to capture kittiwake mid-flight or trying to capture a harbor seal swimming, with his face towards you, in just the right location, you need to be willing to stay put for a bit. You may also have to stand aside for a while to make sure you’re not hogging a prime spot for other visitors. We should always be aware of others and share the space.
   As far as gear, I usually have my 24-70mm and my 70-200mm. There aren’t too many situations where a super wide angle works well, except for an overall interior shot etc..
As always, a tripod is very useful. Also, I’ve used my flash, off- camera, to add some color to the blue cast found underwater.
 When photographing the birds, the 200mm works well and if you have a longer lens-even better! The birds are well lit by the ambient daylight so you can stay within 100 or 200 ISO. You want to make sure you are using a fast shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second when you want to freeze motion. You can also experiment by using slower shutter speeds to get a creative blur and perhaps add a bit of fill flash to have a bit of sharpness  and a pop of color. A wide open aperture will blur the background and highlight your subject. Often I will select a focus point in my viewfinder and set the auto focus to one of the servo tracking modes. This will allow your cameras’ auto focus to track your subject as it moves around.
   When photographing some of the smaller, stationary, creatures in one of the aquariums, such as starfish, anemones etc.. I will set up a tripod so I can concentrate on composition and attain maximum depth of field via the smallest aperture the subject will allow. For some of the darker tanks I’ll push my ISO up to 400 or 8oo. One thing to keep an eye out for when shooting through glass is to look for reflections. It’s easy to get so caught up in your subject as you look at them through the glass that you completely miss the glaring reflection of the overhead lights or a display behind you. Also, if you decide to try some fill flash you want to make sure you are either shooting at an angle to the glass or you are holding the flash at an angle out of sight of your view-finder. A direct flash will bounce of the tank and add a huge bright spot to your image. Luckily, with digital photography, it’s much easier to catch this problem with a quick glance at the back of your camera.
   Also, keep an eye out for interesting light patterns coming through the water from the top surface. Some of the light patterns make interesting photos in themselves.
   When trying to capture the swift moving seals, otters, and sea lions, I use the fastest shutter speed I can and vary between panning to hold my subject in focus and render the background in a blur, and using a tripod to incorporate the over all environment in sharp detail. This later method requires patience but if you hold out you will usually find a moment when your animal slows down and models for you for a brief time.
 Lastly, I really like to incorporate people into these scenes as well. You can capture children playing in the tide pool display or get wonderful silhouettes of onlookers in front of the large viewing windows. To do this just set your camera to manual, expose properly for the underwater scene, and start shooting. The people in the foreground will be rendered as silhouettes.
 So if you find yourself itching to shoot and the weather is not cooperating, take a drive down to Seward and have fun experimenting and honing your skills at the Alaska Sea Life Center. It’s a great environment to practice many techniques  you would use in an outdoor wildlife situation. The more you practice, the better you’ll know your camera, the more likely you’ll be able to capture that once in a life time image when it suddenly appears on you next outdoor safari!