Autumn in Alaska - changing leaves and a shifting perspective
As the cooler air arrives in Juneau, Alaska, I can sense the urgency of the sun setting. Each day the darkness lingers a bit longer, the sunshine feels less intense and the wildlife seems to know winter is coming.
Unlike the east coast, the tree leaf colors tend to be yellow instead of the brilliant reds and oranges. The boats in the harbor have slowed down, many of them will stay put for the rest of the season instead of cruising back and forth. The cruise ships and tourists have slowed and the seasonal restaurants are now closed.
“Winter is a slow heartbeat; an aged murmur of lifelong love”
There’s a calmness and energy in the air. Yet I find myself in a place with more focus. Perhaps it is because the structure of the upcoming holidays begin to loom over our heads or the shorter days force us to be more productive in a shorter amount of time.
Witnessing the beauty of Autumn around us
I always find the transition from the summer months to the autumn months to be fast. Faster than the summer itself. One day, I’m out on the water fishing for bright silver cohos and the next day, the mountain tops have been kissed with the upcoming winter’s snow. The leaves on the trees turn yellow in the blink of an eye and the winds consistently pick up with their whispers.
While the hectic summer days are filled with guests, fishing, and laughter, the change of the season comes with a sense of ‘battening down the hatches’ and getting outside any chance it is not raining too hard. Each day may be the ‘last good day’ of the year.
There’s a scent in the air that is a mix of damp forest, ripened berries that are now scattered along the forest floor and light wafts of fire places burning somewhere in the distance.
I urge myself to stand still. To feel the temperature change and to witness nature’s transition between warm and cool, light and dark, abundance and scarceness. To be still in such a large-scale transformation so that I do not miss the forces behind it.
How do you find beauty in nature’s evolution?
Just as the weather started to turn, I captured this photo with my drone high above the autumn leaves
Photography in Autumn and a fresh perspective
The seasonal change provides a beautiful opportunity to reinvigorate our passion for photography. New colors, different lighting and cooler conditions often provide a different lens to the Alaska landscapes that surround us. The mountains begin to have snow at the very top of them, cascading down towards sea-level with each cooler day. What a beautiful opportunity to reground ourselves and soak in nature’s change around us.
There are two noticeable differences that impact my photography work: weather conditions and wildlife. These two things alone are a forcing mechanism for how I set up my shots, what gear I use, what time of day I shoot and the subject of my shots. Here is a breakdown of how Autumn gives us an opportunity to apply a fresh perspective to our camera work:
Weather Conditions:
Lower light conditions require us to manually change our cameras to let more light in by bumping up the ISO, slowing our shutter speed or increasing our aperture. Fog is often abundant around the lakes and streams during this time of year providing a delicate backdrop while also hiding some of nature’s best kept secrets. It moves quickly so be light on your feet and don’t give up hope if the shot you’ve imagined is hidden; find a way to leverage it to claim a new point-of-view.
Rain can settle in for days so consider a descent set of rain gear for yourself and for your camera. We can use the longer nights to photograph the northern lights which tend to dance a little stronger during this time of year.
Northern Lights:
While you can absolutely photograph the northern lights here in Juneau, some of my best shots have been taken in Fairbanks. I may be bias but here is a quick rundown of why I choose to travel to Fairbanks to capture the Aurora Borealis:
Visibility: You have a better chance of seeing the northern lights in Fairbanks because the weather is clearer meaning you do not have the low laying clouds or rain that Juneau often has. The clouds/fog can block your view of the lights.
Scenery: While Juneau gets snow, Fairbanks REALLY gets snow. The softness of the ground, the white, puffy landscape and the snow capped trees add dimension to the foreground of your shots.
Vibrancy: When I compare the northern lights shots that I have taken in Juneau vs. Fairbanks, the vibrancy of the lights and the colors are more impactful in the shots that I’ve captured in Fairbanks (when comparing the same camera settings from both locations).
“Be kind to every kind. Not just mankind.”
2. Wildlife:
Moose and caribou have incredible antler racks during this time of year. As salmon move up the streams and complete their journey of life, eagles and bears tend to follow them deep into the woods. The blueberries and salmon berries are done for the season and the air is filled with flocks of birds heading further south in their V-shaped formations. The humpback whales head that way as well to the warmer waters to mate and give birth.
Personally, I try to find time to photograph the on-land animals during this time of season leading with moose. Juneau, Alaska is not known for moose and to be honest, I have never seen one in the area (although others have). A moose sighting is rare in our neck of the woods so I head to the mainland.
My goal is to capture the beauty of the majestic moose - the bulls often sporting an incredibly large rack. As the season wears on, they shed their velvet giving way to the brighter white antlers that we’re used to seeing in pictures.
Photographing moose reminds you of how small humans truly are - an adult moose stands anywhere between 4 - 7 feet tall at the shoulder. Their heads and racks reaching even higher skywards.
Embracing autumn and winding down
As we witness nature’s transformation around us, how will we embrace the fluidity it demands of us? Will we hunker down inside or will we stand outside and witness even the slightest changes around us? What new opportunities does the shifting daylight, unique weather conditions and wildlife changes provide us?
May you have your best autumn yet.