Alaska Range Sunrise

Man, that is some gorgeous country up there, id love to get up there this fall. Great scene, especially like the sunstar. WIsh there was a hint of the sun on the bright side of ther horizon, which would have required a strong grad or blend, but thats a minor nit. Very nice, thanks for sharing!

Epic scene, David! It doesn't get better than this. Funny story to go with it. I had a very similar experience, so I know what you've been through.

Stunning image, Dave!
Fall color photo tour around Alaska is an experience of a lifetime. How fortunate you are to be able to do it annually!

Guy

I love the small red bushes and how they mimic the cloud color. Beautiful scene.

Very nice landscape David! The sky is stunning.

Wow. This is awesome. I love the cloud pattern with its colors in the sky. Great comp and the sunstar is a nice supplement. thanks for sharing this.

You have some good layers goin on here.

Beautiful country there David. For my own tastes, I would be tempted to choose a normal lens to give the grandeur of the mountains more prominence, or move lower to the ground to emphasize the foregound a bit more. Its either that or print this image to wall size so you can appreciate the scale.

I completely agree Mel. I wish I had taken more time to scout this particular area where I set up camp. I had arrived the night before, in the dark - so I didn't get much of a view of my surroundings. I stumbled out of my tent that morning, frozen for some reason. It had gotten pretty cold that night and I couldn't stay warm enough to sleep soundly. But, I've revisited this area several times since then and have several comps planned - just need the right light
I have a vertical comp for this as well but without the sun and starburst, just before it broke the "horizon"/summit line. Thanks for the constructive critique - I appreciate your (and everyone's) input.

Very pretty. I like how the color in the sky and the ground cover sort of mirror each other.

You should get a pickup with a camper shell. Not sure if it's shrew-proof, but sure can be comfortable sleeping.

Incredible!

Thanks Tony - with my new vehicle (a mid-sized SUV, perhaps an Element or a Xterra), I'm going to be adding a car top camper. It's a rail mounted crank-up shell with a full sized mattress. Very comfortably sleeps 2. Just cranks up in about 15 seconds, there's an all season fabric on the outside (between the two shells) that can be rolled up or folded back along with an inner mesh layer (like a summer tent) that has tent-like zip doors. Takes a full thickness full mattress (one of the standard sizes, a little larger than a double) and your bed is "always made". Get tired and need a nap or got a place to camp for the night? Just pull in your spot, attach the side ladder, crank the shell open, unzip the doors and crawl in. Whole thing takes less than 2 minutes to open and climb in. Should be great.
Of course, that doesn't help my backcountry hikes, but the Shrewosaurus Rex should be unable to get in while I'm camping on the road.

Gorgeous expansive image Dave. The color in the clouds is super and I always love the tundra in autumn splendor. Love the story about your experience with some of Alaska's wildlife. Beautiful work.