The weather was perfect in Tracy Arm Fjord as we sailed in. Just a sample of the beautiful light. many more to follow... (1100+... I promise not to post em all)



Pentax K10D, DA 50-200mm (at 200mm), ISO 200
Camera JPG resized for the web.
The RAW file looks even better but I havn't had time to process it yet.

[MRRiley]

Mike: Yeah, I did that when we went to Yellowstone last year, it worked OK, I was just thinking of saving the weight in my carry-on (I never check photo or laptops, carry-on only).

We're going on (if I remember rightly) Royal Caribbean on the Serenade of the Seas, leaving Vancouver and stopping at Icy Strait, Skagway and Juneau. This is a big family trip, both our mothers and my wife's sister are going along as well (I'm nicknaming this the Estrogen Excursion I think...), so I think most of my time will not be taking photos, but I'll certainly get whatever I can

At a minimum, do a tour of Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and ride the White Pass Scenic Railroad in Skagway. On the train, try to get in the first or last car. You'll get better views of the rest of the train as it rounds the curves. When the train gets to the top, they move the engines to the other end of the cars so if you are in the last car going up, you will be in the first car going back. The left side is best going up and the right side is best going down (unless you have a fear of heights anyway).

[Peter Zack]

Excellent shot Mike, I really like the angle with the tree standing straight. It gives the shot the right perspective. Very good use of the light and a great exposure. Looking forward to many more.

[Jester_rm]

Mike: Thanks for the advice! The railroad was the first on our list of excursions, the wife has always wanted to do that one, so knowing which side to be on is great. I know we're doing the glacier as well, but I don't remember which excursion we're actually doing (there's a huge number of individual and como excursions there). I think at Icy Point we're doing one of the cultural trips...one where they don't allow photography during the event but have staged photos afterward. Money being tight we're limiting it to one excursion per port and trying to do something that interests everyone at some point.

[simonkit]

I'd second what Mike says about the rail trip from Skagway, great scenery... even better though is the "glacier flightseeing" from Skagway, if the weather is good the flight really is something special, jaw-dropping scenery !!

simon

[MRRiley]

I'd second what Mike says about the rail trip from Skagway, great scenery... even better though is the "glacier flightseeing" from Skagway, if the weather is good the flight really is something special, jaw-dropping scenery !!

simon

from the White Pass Scenic Railroad... The dedicated and slightly crazy among us spent the entire ride standing on the platforms between the cars. It was just a little chilly...

Also, here is another shot from Tracy Arm Fjord.

[NaClH2O]

This is #1 or #2 on my "bucket list" the other being the Great Barrier Reef in Oz. Great shot Mike and I'm just a "mite bit" jealous!

NaCl(but I will get there someday)H2O

[vievetrick]

INteresting. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Tom S.]

Mike,

My wife and I took nearly the same cruise in 1996 during a break in GM negotiations. It is fantastic and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. We enjoyed it so much that we pledged to return, which we did last summer after we both retired. This time we drove, a total of 9,500+ miles. Northern Canada (northern British Columbia, Yukon) and Alaska offer some of the most breath taking scenery and wild life opportunities you can imagine.

You took some great shots, and I look forward to seeing more of them.

[boren]

MRRiley,

I've driven into Skagway several times. The part you see when you get off the cruise ship is setup for tourists, which is half the reason the towns exist anyways.

Given the size of the most of the coastal towns, ~ 1000 people they aren't going to support any local good camera store like you're used to in the lower 48. There just isn't the population to support such a shop.

[MRRiley]

MRRiley,

I've driven into Skagway several times. The part you see when you get off the cruise ship is setup for tourists, which is half the reason the towns exist anyways.

Given the size of the most of the coastal towns, ~ 1000 people they aren't going to support any local good camera store like you're used to in the lower 48. There just isn't the population to support such a shop.

LOL Boren... I realize that. Just pointing out that if you need any gear you better bring it with you.

[smf]

Thanks very much for posting the Alaskan photo and for the information you added. Please count me among those eager to see more photos and any additional tips — site-specific or general — for those of us who might eventually get there.

[Matthew Roberts]

from the White Pass Scenic Railroad... The dedicated and slightly crazy among us spent the entire ride standing on the platforms between the cars. It was just a little chilly...

Also, here is another shot from Tracy Arm Fjord.

Mike sounds like what the crazy among us do on the Cumbres & Toltec (in New Mex) do too.

Nice pictures, I especially like the angle on the fijords.

[rmtagg]

Speechless! These are amazing and I have wanted to go to AK for a long time.

[dws1117]

Speechless! These are amazing and I have wanted to go to AK for a long time.

Ditto. I can't wait to see many, many more.

[Jonson PL]

Great shots, looking forward to more