The pre-dawn skies on February 2nd were clear and cold with a line of clouds to the southeast. The temperature in Talkeetna hung around -20°f, give or take a few degrees. It took almost forty minutes to get off the runway and on the way north, continually scraping ice off the inside windows as our breath and moisture from shoveling snow quickly formed frost. Finally a bit of warmth was coming off the engine and began clearing the view. Steadily ascending to 13,000 feet, the cloud front loomed larger than life in the distance, effectively blocking the very first light of dawn’s alpenglow from blanketing the Alaska Range. Before long the low winter sun climbed above the cloud line and began to strike the massive summits of Denali, Mt. Hunter & Mt. Foraker, making long shadows extend away into the northwestern atmosphere. The first sunlight was soft and rose-colored, but as it swept down the steep slopes, rich orange hues played amid the high-contrast light and shadow in the peaks and valleys.With the outside temperature at -25°f and flying along at about 130 knots, photographing through an open window was challenging but necessary for crisp, clear images. This stunning scene covers approximately 180 degrees of view, accenting the vivid lighting of a winter’s dawn.

 

(This high-quality 8”x 53” Custom Color Print is printed on archival Fuji® Premium Papers and is designed to be framed.

It is within the maximum specifications for matting, foam core & frame moldings.)