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'North Slope' detail
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'North Slope' detail

by Igor Doncov

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 31, 2016309 views12 comments
Here in Alaska the North Slope is the land north of the Brooks Range, the northernest range of mountains in Alaska. The land gently slopes from these mountains for 200 miles to the Arctic Ocean. There isn't a bush higher than 2 feet in the entire area. It looks like a desert covered with with blueberry bushes and an assortment of other scrub which were alien to me. The leaves turn blood red in the fall. For whatever reason intimate compositions did not come easily for me up there. Often I would come back excited from a day's shoot, upload them to the laptop, and found myself disappointed.

It's mostly about color up there. If you're good with it you can come back with some gems.

Canon 6D, 24-105mm@70mm, F8.0, ISO100 

Please feel free with your criticism. I'm working from a 15" laptop so I can't see it in the size most of you will be looking at it, but if I don't post now new interest will replace this image and it will not get the attention it deserves.

Please see LARGE version. The small looks a bit blurry to me but that could be this apple laptop which expands all images for your convenience.

Comments

12 comments
Comment posted by Tom Falley on August 31, 2016 at 12:33 PM
Images in the North often revolve on either distance or close, not much in between. Love the color and texture here.  Surprisingly along some of the North flowing streams there are fairly tall Cottonwood trees, a real surprise if one is flying along at low level!  

My only suggestion is a minor crop on the right.  

Cheers:   Tom
Registered on November 21, 2014, 189 Posts, 454 Comments
Comment posted by Ronald Murphy on August 31, 2016 at 1:10 PM
The large image on a large display looks great. Rich colors, good detail and a well-balanced composition.
Registered on March 13, 2012, 279 Posts, 975 Comments
Comment posted by Igor Doncov on August 31, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Oh, thank you for confirming that, Ronald.

Yes you could crop some from the right but I sort of fell in love with those reds and couldn't bear to part with them. Besides, I sort of like that branch in the urc.
Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments
Comment posted by gary phillips on August 31, 2016 at 3:55 PM
Nice intimate image, Igor.  I think it fits together very well.  Love the reds in the upper left.  No nits from me. Very well done.
Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments
Comment posted by Vance Gese on August 31, 2016 at 6:47 PM
Love this image, Igor.  The beauty of the tiny labrador tea, with the greens and oranges, the always gorgeous reds of the bearberry in autumn, and the lovely lichens and rocks make this a fine intimate landscape.  Autumn comes early to the North Slope and the last week in August was always my favorite time for being up there.  Beautiful image, Igor. I am envious.
Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments
Comment posted by Igor Doncov on August 31, 2016 at 9:40 PM
Come on up. But be sure to bring your warm clothes. It's brrrrrrrr cold up here now. 

Oh, and thanks for naming some of the shrubbery. I don't know what I'm looking at.

last night I saw the Aurora boreal for the first time in my life. But that's another story. 
Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on September 1, 2016 at 7:32 AM
Nicely composed, Igor. I'd love to get up there some year. 
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Alberto Patiño on September 1, 2016 at 10:38 AM
I love the colors - I think that you got a great balance between intensity and "solemnity" or "elegance". My only minor comment is that perhaps the big rock is too big and distracts a bit too much from the vegetation colors?
Registered on December 2, 2014, 278 Posts, 1736 Comments
Comment posted by Nick Bristol on September 1, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Igor, This image looks wonderful to me. The large version comes across beautifully on my 25" Dell Ultra Sharp. I like the composition just as you have it here and the colors look great. To me an image like this needs really nice detail and texture...this one has it all. Beautiful work!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.
Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments
Comment posted by Bill Chambers on September 1, 2016 at 2:27 PM
Beautiful Igor - love the lichen splattered rocks.  Nice intimate landscape.
Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments
Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on September 1, 2016 at 3:44 PM
Nice color and detail, Igor. I like the boulders, the splash of yellow, and the red vegetation. You might consider a crop from the right so that the large rock is little more off-center. Also, there is a horizontal grass stalk left that is catching my eye. This has a peaceful mood to it.
--P
Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on September 16, 2016 at 1:38 PM
Love the different textures, colours, and juxtaposition of the rocks. IMO, the wide white frame detracts a bit.
Congrats on a fine WP!
Sandy
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments