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Wednesday, December 19, 2018

2018: A Year in Review

I made my first trip to the Ogilvie Mountains in 2012, and for the first time photographed (and watched) the aurora borealis dance across the sky, above some of the most impressive peaks and spires I have ever seen. A still photograph can never capture the dynamic nature of the northern lights. On a good night, one is treated to a 360 degree view of dancing green, red, and magenta hues, all beneath a clear, starry sky. It was fall then, with a beautiful blanket of autumn tundra across the ground. For over 5 years, I had planned to return in winter, when the fall colors had faded, and fresh snow, frozen lakes, and white peaks imported a distinctly different character to the landscape. The area was barely recognizable from what I remember, but it was beautiful. The nights were cold. Very cold. The rivers, streams and lakes were frozen, requiring several hours a day boiling snow for drinking water. I spent 7 nights on a helicopter-in, helicopter out backpacking trip through the range. I stayed up at night in wind chill conditions of -15 watching the most breathtaking natural phenomena display right in front of me. I camped at the base of some of the world’s most visually impressive peaks. I slept through blizzards and hiked through knee deep snow, over slippery talus rock, across frozen rivers and through dense brush. I captured photographs I consider some of my most visually appealing, but that are also more meaningful to me then most I have ever taken. My top ten photos for 2018 are all from my expedition to this area ... a rarely seen landscape dressed in snow, lit by the eruption of the aurora, all while the earth sleeps. 

Number 10: "Apparition"
The blowing snow on the frozen surface of Talus Lake, with soft light on Mt. Monolith, shot on a very windy winter day.




Number 9: "Arctic Eruption"
Interesting patterns just under the translucent surface of this frozen lake wind around the landscape while the northern lights dance in the sky.




Number 8: "Etched in Time"
An interesting array of methane gas bubbles trapped in a frozen lake, complemented by a colorful sky and reflected peaks in Yukon’s Ogilvie Mountains.




Number 7: "Frozen in Time"
Icicles and a frozen landscape frame the aurora exploding in the sky, shot from the base of Mt. Monolith in the Tombstone Mountains.




Number 6: "Subzero"
These leading lines created by freezing conditions and snowdrift just under the surface of a frozen lakeshore provide the perfect foreground to an explosive display of aurora in the sky.  With wind chill, the temperature was near -15F at night.




Number 5: "Total Eclipse of the Night"
A small stream leads through the otherwise frozen landscape, punctuated with icicles and ice bells, towards this unnamed peak in Canada’s far north.




Number 4: "Resurgence"
A natural S-curve created by ice and blowing snow lead to a beautiful sunstar and colorful sky behind Shark’s Tooth, reflected in a frozen lake beneath.




Number 3: "While the Earth Sleeps"
An unforgettable moment as the aurora borealis lit the night sky over this frozen lake in the early morning hours in Canada's far north.




Number 2: "Cold Light of Night"
One of many unforgettable auroral displays over the a frozen lake and majestic peaks of the Yukon Territory in early winter.




Number 1: "Vortex"
In over ten years of photographing the world's most breathtaking and wild landscapes, some moments I will never forget.  This is one of them.




I hope you enjoy.  Find more at ExploringLight.com

Best for 2019,
Chris

Monday, June 12, 2017

New Release: VISIONS OF THE NORTHWEST



"Doesn’t it seem to you," asked Madame Bovary, "that the mind moves more freely in the presence of that boundless expanse, that the sight of it elevates the soul and gives rise to thoughts of the infinite and the ideal?" - Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

 The Pacific Northwest is one of very few places in the continental US where, within close proximity, one can observe the endless waterfalls and streams through old growth forests in the serene rainforest environment of central Oregon, eastern Washington, and surrounding Cascade Mountain Range; the dynamic, energetic, and rugged western coastlines of Oregon and the Olympic Peninsula; and the uniquely beautiful Hoh and Quinault rainforests of the southern Olympics.

 My latest new work release showcases the diversity of one of my favorite areas of the United States, and each photograph captures one small facet of its grand landscape. Prints are being made in exclusive limited editions of 50 - 200. As a special thank you for being a loyal collector, please use coupon code NORTHWEST for a 20% discount on any print product through July 12.




I hope you enjoy!
slogan, explore, imagine, inspire