Juneau

Serenity NOW!

April 4, 2011 by Justin Balog 5 Comments

HDR Alaska

I had a heck of a Sunday. I really planned on debuting my new movie today, but after spending 4 hours battling my Drobo, I threw in the towel. To calm myself down, I counted to 10 and processed this image of a serene pond in the forest near Juneau Alaska. Shortly after our guide instructed us what to do if we encountered a bear, and suggested we stay together, I snuck (sneaked) off into the woods to make this image. If I were a bear, this is where I would go to get a drink of water and reflect on the day’s events. Good thing I didn’t run into a thirsty contemplative bear.

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Filed Under: Alaska, Gitzo Traveler, HDR, Juneau, Nik Software, Nikon 17-35 2.8 AFS, Nikon D700, Photomatix, Processing Notes, Travel

From The Sea To The Sky

January 31, 2011 by Justin Balog 1 Comment

We didn’t know it until we visited Juneau , but the only way you can reach Juneau is by air or sea. There isn’t a single road you drive to reach Alaska’s capital. Nope, not even the tram pictured here will get you there. It will get you up to a very scenic overlook from the summit of Mt. Roberts, but that’s as far as you go! Oh yeah, ignore the glare from the widow. I was doing my best to stay out of the rain.

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Filed Under: Alaska, Juneau, Nik Software, Nikon 17-35 2.8 AFS, Nikon D700, Photomatix, Processing Notes, Topaz Software, Travel

King Of The Buoy

January 10, 2011 by Justin Balog 2 Comments

I guess if you are a sea lion, and all you really do all day is eat and sleep, it makes sense you would challenge each other to games of ‘King of the Buoy’. Between chasing fish and coming up to our boat to check us out, these guys and gals would spend their time wrestling one another off the harbor buoys. If you are ever in Juneau Alaska, make sure to look up Brandon Hasuer. He is a local photographer/guide and will make sure you get to where you need to be. You can find him here:

http://brandonhauser.photoshelter.com/

Tip: I find that when I am shooting wildlife, or anything where I need a faster shutter, I will put my camera in Aperture Priority mode and set a fairly small aperture (wide opening like f2.8 or f3.5). That way, I know my camera is going to set the shutter as fast as it can because it is getting the most light that my lens will allow.

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Filed Under: Alaska, Juneau, Nikon 70-300 VR, Nikon D5000, Tips, Travel

The Tram To Endor

October 5, 2010 by Justin Balog 7 Comments

It was one of those viewfinder moments. You know, the images you don’t envision until you bring the camera to your eye. The tram was quickly approaching this Endoresque tram station, and I wanted to document it for travel’s sake. However, after my 700′s autofocus was hunting around because of the raindrops, I realized that the tram station was far more interesting slightly out of focus. I then decided to make it an imposing backdrop to a sheet of raindrops. I quickly turned the shutter over as we pulled up to the dock. Unfortunately, there weren’t any Ewoks……

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Filed Under: Alaska, HDR, Juneau, Nikon 17-35 2.8 AFS, Nikon D700, One Click, Photomatix, Processing Notes, Tips, Topaz Software, Travel

The One That Didn’t Get Away

September 2, 2010 by Justin Balog 4 Comments

A Humpback Whale Captured With A Nikon D5000

Over the last month or so I have been testing out the Nikon D5000. For me, it is a great back-up camera as well as a light travel companion. If you are looking to upgrade to a digital SLR, or wanting to get started in photography, this camera is a great option. In order to complete the review I thought it would be interesting to hand it off to my wife for a trip up to Alaska. She has the eye of a photographer, but lacks the patience to deal with all the various dials and settings. So I put the camera in program mode, set the auto ISO, and put her in front of grizzlies, glaciers, whales, moose, and mountains. You will see other images from her portfolio in the final review. For now I thought I would share this one. No question about it, she didn’t let this one get away!

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