Archive for the ‘Sunsets’ Category
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
A bald eagle headshot, silhouetted against a glowing sunset, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska. Click the image to view a larger version of the photo.
Hey Folks,
I read a great blog on art yesterday, by Paul Grecian. The subject was a play on the aural equivalent of the old adage, ‘if a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it does it make a sound’. Paul takes the viewpoint that art is a human pursuit, and exists only when it has a human audience. “If there is no human to perceive it and translate the experience into an emotion, then there is no art” - I’m not so sure I subscribe to that idea, for a number of reasons.
I think art is a verb; art is something we do. The results of that process might be nice to look at, or not, or nice to listen to, but the essence of art is creating. The act of creating is where art lies, not the products of that process. And we are not at all the sole creators. An American Tree Sparrow calling the tune of the alpine country is as artful as Joshua Bell playing a Beethoven concerto. The dance of the Japanese Red Crowned Crane is glorious. A Bower bird’s building her nest? The song of the wolf pack over the frozen night air is as spell-binding as Aretha or Stevie on a good day, no? What distinguishes human art from the performances of our fellow creatures, other than our own ability (and endeavours) to relate to it?
Art is essentially play. (more…)
Tags: Alaska, Art, bald eagle, Birds, Carl Donohue, humans, nature, silhouette, Skolai Images, Wildlife
Posted in Abstracts, Alaska, Art, Birds, Musings, Photography, Sunsets | 13 Comments »
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
Winter landscape of sunset over Mt. Wrangell and the Copper River Basin. Mount Wrangell, Mount Zanetti and snow covered boreal forest of the Copper River Basin, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Click the image to view larger version.
Hey Folks,
“We had a remarkable sunset one day last November .. It was such a light as we could not have imagined a moment before, and the air also was so warm and serene that nothing was wanting to make a paradise of that meadow. When we reflected that this was not a solitary phenomenon, never to happen again, but that it would happen forever and ever an infinite number of evenings, and cheer and reassure the latest child that walked there, it was more glorious still.
The sun sets on some retired meadow, where no house is visible, with all the glory and splendor that it lavishes on cities, and, perchance, as it has never set before, …. so pure and bright a light, …. so softly and serenely bright, I thought I had never bathed in such a golden flood, without a ripple or murmur to it.” – Henry David Thoreau, “Walking”.
For those of you perhaps unfamiliar with this essay, my advice is to read it carefully; those who’ve read it previously will do well to re-read the piece; it’s a classic. (more…)
Tags: Alaska, alpenglow, Carl Donohue, Copper River, Landscape features, Mount Wrangell, Mt Wrangell, national parks, scenics, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Alaska, Forests, Landscape features, Mountains, Musings, Reviews, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 6 Comments »
Friday, September 18th, 2009
Hey Folks,
Here’s another in the long line of ‘Name That Mountain’ posts. I’ll give you a hint; it’s huge. Really, really, really big. Bigger than Mt. Blackburn. Bigger than Mt Foraker. Bigger than Mt St. Elias. Quite a massif. The mountain is NOT in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, but the photo was taken from inside Wrangell – St. Elias National Park.
I’ll be gone as of today (friday, the 18th), and will be back in October. I’ll post more about that trip later .. check back in a week or so for a scheduled post that’s a mustelid .. way cool.
After that, well, we’ll see what the next 2 weeks brings.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: AK, Alaska, Canada, Carl Donohue, images, Landscape features, Logan, Mount Logan, Mountains, Mt Logan, photos, scenics, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Aerial Photos, Alaska, Canada, Landscape features, Mountains, Sunsets, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Yukon Territory | 6 Comments »
Monday, May 25th, 2009
Larger Image.
Hey Folks,
Here’s another shot of the Wrangell Mountains from my recent trip to the north side of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park. The 2 main peaks are Mt. Drum towards the right, and the broad based mound of Mt Wrangell on the left. The small cone shaped dome on the left, touching Mt Wrangell, is Mt. Zanetti. This is a panoramic composition, produced by stitching several tighter frames together using Photoshop – a pretty neat little tool that allows a variety of compositional options not as readily available to a standard 35mm SLR. Cool stuff.
On a clear day, there are few grander sites in North America than the Wrangell Mountains. This was taken right at sunset.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, Carl Donohue, images, Landscape features, Mount Drum, Mount Wrangell, Mountains, national parks, panoramics, photos, scenery, scenes, scenics, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Alaska, Landscape features, Mountains, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
hey folks,
I’ll be out for a while now, and won’t be able to post for a bit – maybe a week or 2, I think. In the meantime, here’s a photo from the Kuskulana Bridge over the Kuskulana River, taken back in the winter one evening. This is the bridge on which my van broke down the previous winter, the beginning of a time that lives in infamy.
Til I see ya again, be well.
Cheers
Carl
Posted in Alaska, Forests, Landscape features, Mountains, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 2 Comments »
Saturday, April 11th, 2009
Hey Folks
Here’s what fifty five thousand feet of mountains looks like. From right to left: Mount Drum (12 010′), Mount Wrangell (14 163′), Mount Zanetti (13 009′), and Mount Sanford (16 237′). This photo is from the northern edge of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, overlooking the Copper River basin. The Wrangell mountains come to life as the sun sinks beneath the horizon. Here’s another photo I took of these mountains a year ago, from much further south and west.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, alpenglow, Carl Donohue, Copper River, Drum, Landscape features, Mount Drum, Mount Sanford, Mount Wrangell, Mount Zanetti, photos, Sanford, scenics, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias, Zanetti
Posted in Alaska, Forests, Landscape features, Mountains, Sunsets, Travel, Trees, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | No Comments »
Monday, December 29th, 2008
Hey folks,
Here’s a quick one, from a few mornings back. Mount Blackburn, from across the Root Glacier and the Donoho Basin. Really cold.
The mountain’s been out pretty often, which means clear sunny skies, which means – wear your long underwear. I’m still getting used to allowing myself an extra 30 minutes to get dressed to go outside to take photos.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, Carl Donohue, Landscape features, Mountains, Mt Blackburn, photos, Winter, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Alaska, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
Hey Folks,
Fireweed mountain, near McCarthy.
Just a quick note to say all’s well, happy holidays to you and yours, and stay warm.
A week of minus 30˚Fahrenheit weather here lately! This was from one my first afternoons out, a couple of weeks ago.
Happy holidays, and all the best to everyone for the new year.
Cheers
Carl
Posted in Alaska, Landscape features, Mountains, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 6 Comments »
Thursday, October 30th, 2008
Hey Folks,
Here’s another from the summer, from our Bremner to Tebay trip. Brings back some nice memories.
Oh, and please add my name after Colin Powell’s in the list of those who officially announce their endorsement of Barack Obama for pres. Or his name after mine, whichever order works best. 
Cheers
Carl
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Lakes, Landscape features, Mountains, Summertime, Sunsets, Travel, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 9 Comments »
Monday, October 6th, 2008
hey Folks,
Here’s another image from a few years ago – on a trip to Wolverine, a ridge high above the Chittistone River in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, Alaska. The Twaharpies Mountains lie south of the ridge, across the river, and came out late this evening with some gorgeous light. The peaks are pretty cool – classic alps. Just east of this peak lie the University Range, home to Mount Bona and Mount Churchill. Wolverine is a local name for the (officially) unnamed ridge on the north side of the Chittistone River, and a great spot for a basecamp or a point to point hike – I usually hike from Skolai Pass west to Wolverine, but some folks like to do it in the other direction. It’s a classic alpine walk, through some of the most magnificent scenery I’ve ever stumbled my way through. There’s a crazy butte on the north side of the ridge, like something out of the desert southwest, but all around are jagged craggy peaks, like the Twaharpies.
Maybe I’ll continue on with a short series of images from years gone by, rather than continually posting new photos. This counts as 2.
Cheers
Carl
Posted in Abstracts, Alaska, Landscape features, Mountains, Sunsets, Travel, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | No Comments »
