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PHOTOGRAPHER
OF THE HEAVENS
Dave Parkhurst is recognized by his peers
as one of the world's leading natural phenomenon photographers, wholly dedicated
to the pursuit of filming the awesome Aurora Borealis. Since 1980, he has photographed
the best auroral displays Alaska has to offer through solar cycles numbers 21,
22, and 23. A solar cycle usually lasts about eleven and one half years, but
it is unpredictable. Solar cycles have been known to last for fourteen
years, and have been as brief as four years. Dave has spent countless thousands
of hours capturing the rarest scenes, and working in sub-zero temperatures.
He 'chases' the great auroras and uses Alaska's grand scenery as backdrops.
His 'one-of-a-kind' photographs have been selected for numerous publications
worldwide.
"The sun will do what it wants to do, and when it wants to do it"
explains Dave. "The only exact science about the Aurora is: it's NOT an
exact science. One thing I have learned from over twenty years of chasing auroras
across Alaska is to have the utmost patience. The auroras often appear abruptly
across the stars, and just as quickly, they disappear." For example, on
February 5th., 1981, after an eleven hour vigil in the Copper River Delta near
Cordova, Dave successfully photographed his first all-red aurora. the
entire display lasted four and one half minutes and covered the whole night
sky like an umbrella, leaving Dave anxious to see such a sight again. It just
so happens, he found out later, that all-red auroras are very rare indeed, and
only occur six to ten times every ten years.
Although he was born in New Orleans, Dave grew up on the Islands of Sumatra
and Java in Indonesia, and the Republic of Singapore for a period of thirteen
years. He had lived in Hawaii for four more years when some friends invited
him to come to Alaska to visit them in the Alaskan town of Cordova in March
1979. Alaska has held him captive ever since (not to mention a wife and twin
daughters !) Dave's passion is his profession: photographing the Aurora Borealis
and other magnificent Alaskan phenomenon.
To try out another "Alaskan Phenomenon" Click on the
"Surprise" button
below. This is also a common occurrence in Alaska, and one that Dave and family
experience now and then !
All
genuine Aurora Collection photographs are personally signed in gold ink by Dave.
If you do not see the signature on the Aurora Photograph, it is not a genuine
photograph of the Aurora Collection (TM)
IN
MEMORIAM
The
picture below was taken on the eve of the Memorial of the death of Dave's
Mother In Law, Julie, the Mother of his wife Jamie, and the
Grandmother of his twin daughters Kori and Michele. Jim Okonek,
Julie's husband, still lives in Talkeetna, Alaska and joins the
family members mentioned below in this memorial to the MOST IMPORTANT LADY in all their
lives.
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“…On the eve of Julie’s memorial service in the great little
Alaskan town of Talkeetna, skywatchers across the earth were treated to one of
the largest and most colorful auroras ever seen. The entire sky was brimmed with rainbow colors just after sunset
and throughout the night. Here, in the
early evening, Rose, Greg & Shari and Ginni are enjoying the wonderful
multi-colored corona of aurora with the moon amid the rare scene, outside the
‘Eye of Denali’ Bed & Breakfast. It
was, without a doubt, a message to all of us from Julie that all is well &
that God does do great work. It is a
sign we will all remember for our lifetimes…”
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