Nine-Years Ago (01-September-2009) — Alaska

Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 11: Haines, Alaska.

I completed the ferry voyage to Alaska aboard the Alaska Marine Highway ferry MV Columbia the previous afternoon. Rather than starting the drive to Anchorage right away, I checked into a local B&B and spent the night in Haines. My room on the 2nd floor looked over the harbor across to the mountains. I set up a camera to record the night sky (Nikon D3x camera and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens). When reviewing the images in the morning, found that during the night there was a display of northern lights which I had not been expecting. With faster computers and new software, I have been able to re-process the night sky star trails with the full high-resolution raw images, and create a time-lapse video. In the past I could only process the lower resolution jpg images.


Individual images from the slide show can be viewed here.

Nine-Years Ago (29-August-2009) — At Sea

Gone to See North America 2009 Road Trip. Day 08: Alaska Marine Highway on the MV Columbia.

Somewhere in British Columbia, Canada traveling from Bellingham, Washington to Haines, Alaska. The day started out foggy. During the night there was a bit of rain and wind. I felt sorry for the folks living rough on deck, but they seemed to be warm and cheerful once they moved under the covered Solarium. We saw a few Orcas during the day. Later in the afternoon, the sun came out and folks living rough moved their chairs back out on the open deck.

Lone Deck Chair on Misty Morning. Solarium Deck on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 50mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Lone Deck Chair on Misty Morning. Solarium Deck on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 50mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Seagull Fishing with an Orca. Viewed from the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/8, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Seagull Fishing with an Orca. Viewed from the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/8, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Jonathan and Christine Sleeping in the Afternoon Sun. Solarium Deck on the M/V Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 50mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Jonathan and Christine Sleeping in the Afternoon Sun. Solarium Deck on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 50mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Christine Chimping on the Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and a 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 195 mm, f/8, 1/500 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Christine Chimping on the Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and a 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 195 mm, f/8, 1/500 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Silhouette, Shadow, and Sunburst on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska -- Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia - Canada. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/22, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Silhouette, Shadow, and Sunburst on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska — Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia – Canada. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/22, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (29-August-2014) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey: Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Late Summer Blackberries. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014,

Late Summer Blackberries, Sourland Mountain Preserve in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014, (David J Mathre)
Late Summer Blackberries, Sourland Mountain Preserve in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014, (David J Mathre)

Eight-Years Ago (28-August-2010) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey: Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth on a Thistle Bloom. Sourland Mountain Preserve, Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200 mm f/2 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC.

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth on Thistle Bloom. Sourland Mountain Preserve, Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200 mm f/2 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)
Clearwing Hummingbird Moth on Thistle Bloom. Sourland Mountain Preserve, Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200 mm f/2 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)

Nine-Years Ago (28-August-2009) — Washington

Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 07: Bellingham, Washington – Alaska Marine Highway on the MV Columbia.

Everyone boarded and we were on our way on the Alaska Marine Highway from Bellingham, Washington to Haines, Alaska. My RV “White Ram” was in the hold, and I had a cabin on one of the upper decks. We had a Coast Guard escort as we left port. The American Flag was at half-mast because Senator Kennedy passed away a few days earlier.  I was surprised to see how many folks camped out on the Solarium deck for the trip to Alaska. Including the German woman with the wistful gaze in the first image.

Leaving Bellingham to Alaska on the M/V Columbia - Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D300. (David J. Mathre)
Leaving Bellingham to Alaska on the M/V Columbia – Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera. (David J. Mathre)
US Coast Guard Escort for the Alaska Marine Highway M/V Columbia leaving Bellingham Washington for Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 18-200 VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7, 1/160 sec). (David J. Mathre)
US Coast Guard Escort for the Alaska Marine Highway MV Columbia leaving Bellingham Washington for Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7, 1/160 sec). (David J. Mathre)
US Coast Guard Escort for the Alaska Marine Highway M/V Columbia leaving Bellingham Washington for Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 18-200 VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7, 1/160 sec). (David J. Mathre)
US Coast Guard Escort for the Alaska Marine Highway MV Columbia leaving Bellingham Washington for Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7, 1/160 sec). (David J. Mathre)
"The Other Boleyn Girl" Solarium Deck on the M/V Columbia Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 50 mm f/1.4D lens (ISO 1600, 50 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
“The Other Boleyn Girl” Solarium Deck on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 50 mm f/1.4D lens (ISO 1600, 50 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)