dog – My Life As a Photographer

Remembering the Age of my Snow Camera

I was wondering yesterday, is it possible to walk outside, without a coat, into 32f, and say it is warm out?

For us Alaskans, I suppose it is, as we are seeing signs of spring! The snow is melting, ice is falling from the roofs like cannon shots; rivers are filling to their brims and all the roads are sopping wet. The grey days of winter are slowly fading into hide for next year, and spring’s sun is jumping up!

I wanted to remember my very first year of official photography and all the snowy scenes I’ve learned to capture in a trillion different ways; and share them with ya’ll!

Get ready for a major Winter Blowout!

This picture reminds me of C.S Lesis’ book, Till We Have Faces. Except I think of it as, Bald Face!

Soft, wet snow was gently dripping from branches and dear’s antlers. (Okay, I didn’t see the antler part… but, hey!)

Some of you’ll remember this beauty from an earlier blog post, “Winter photography (and funny stories!)”

Snowflakes from the ears.

Trying a mystical perspective, but I think we need hair extensions!

Trees really do make the best props!

Soft hair swinging with an equally soft breeze.

I found a gold mine

Golden cuties 🙂

Deciding whether I should eat this one as well or not.

This one is from earlier in 2018, when the snow was just starting to decend down to us.

Whistling winter tunes.

You might remember these from my very first blog post, “Backyard Winter Photo shoot.”

For Christmas, my sisters and I took some of the younger kids out to do a red-hatted and red-lipped photo shoot.

Light is often very dark during winter, so I had to borrow some from the iPad…

**No sisters were hurt in the making of this photo**

Tak’in on the world like…

This broken windo is the only remaining thing of a once house or shack on a wooden slab. It is embedded on a little sand barrier out in the middle of the river. During the winter, when all the water freezes or disintegrates, we’re bake to walk out on to it… and take pictures!!

Facing the unknown while others watch through a lense.

Faces of winter, that you can find in other blog posts of mine for the whole stories. 🙂

Ice coming down from the mountains, causing the rivers to freeze earlier in the year.

Thank you to Glorianna (left) for being my main model, and bearing with me in all my crazy ideas! Thank you so much Joy (right) (The Art of Life) for taking all the pictures of me and encouraging all my crazy looks and bad modeling!

Well, if you made it down this far, congratulations!! That was almost EIGHTY pictures of mine. I hope you enjoyed, and can now look foreword to some spring photography!

Thank you to The Eclectic Contrarian for this WINDERFUL IDEA!

Joy’s blog on WordPress at: https://life15.art.blog/

Thank you to ://bythemightymumford.wordpress.com ,for re-blogging so many of my posts so that others can experience Christ’s light! You hilarious personality and zeal for Christ makes your blogs an extream read and epic adventure worth every letter!

Thank you to Vanessa Williams for nominating me over and over for contests and challenges! You don’t know how sweet it is. https://livinglikeagreenolivetree.wordpress.com/

People of the Iditarod

Every photographer, no matter what their main passion is, has at least once tried street photography. March 2nd, was the day I actually first tried this approach. And I have to say, I absolutely LOVED it!! All the emotions, actions, bonds (etc) that you can capture through the lense is just amazing! You hardly think or notice anything else that is going on around you, while you became a real people watcher!

I was a bit hesitant at first, which is only natural. But then, there are cameras everywhere! We live in a time where phones are carried everywhere and the media is like a second world. People all over are constantly being captured on lenses. Besides, if you are at an event, people are going to be more focused on that than who’s videoing or snapping them!

Here are some cute moments I caught:

Some carry cameras, others hold phones; so long as we all get a shot at the dogs! 😀

Cheers from Japan! A lot of the mushers weren’t actually from Alaska, or even the lower forty-eight; the Iditarod bonds us al from all over the world!

My kind of person! I know we Photographers will do plenty of crazy things for the photo, but just be careful on the turns girl!

The free ears weren’t the only thing causing smiles all around. 🙂

One of the angles I really enjoyed shooting were the helpers who held the dogs, and their expressions on what they thought. A lot of the teams were families; so I think this is probably was the musher’s daughter here, doing a good job.

The opening ceremony, the official start, and the entire race are covered by small news companies.

Media shall unite us! #Filters

The VIP Grandma taking advantage of her tag to get her little girl an up-close view of the doggies 😀

I believe we are supposed to be holding the dogs so they do not run away…

Much thanks to the CANADIAN military for coming out to keep the tracks well shoveled for us all!

If you would like to know the history of the Iditarod, the routes, fun facts; how the dogs are treated, more pictures, and much more, be sure to check out my other blogs along with videos and links I inserted.

God Bless ya’ll and thank you so much for reading!

Dogs of the 2019 Iditarod

It is a common belief amongst those who do not know the Iditarod well enough, that the mushing dogs are abused. I wish to prove you wrong through my writing and photography. 🙂

If you’ve heard that the dog’s paws get cut, bruises, torn apart (etc), you can lay your worries to rest! The mushers make sure that each of their dogs are wearing botties, that keep the pads warm and protected. Also, these dogs aren’t running over sharp terrain; mostly snow or else the musher’s sled wouldn’t be able to stand the ride either. 🙂 The dog’s paws are continually checked and massaged and sometimes even bathed to assure they are comfortable and well taken care of.

“The dogs are forced to run!” If you have watched, or been to, the Iditarod, you’ll know that these dogs are BARKING like crazy!! You can barely keep them FROM running! In fact, it is the people who hold the dogs who are forced to run!

Some media has said, “The dogs are starving for attention.” Well, this is just not true! The mushers get so attached to their dogs, that if one very gets hurt or dies, they are heart broken and say that “…it’s just not the same if you don’t cross the line with all the dogs.” The mushers know all their dog’s names, even if their is over fifty; and before the race, they take time to whisper to and let each dog. At the check-points, the dogs are massaged until they are sleepy! All of the mushers and dogs are extrealmy attached— that includes mouth-to-mouth licking! And we all know, an animal will do whatever they can to make you pet them more, right?

The mushers never push their dogs, letting them run at their own pace and resting if that is what is needed. A few years ago, on guy was coming in first; but his dogs were just not able to keep up the past, so he didn’t push them…settling in for third. Their dogs are MUCH more important than the race. A lot of the mushers just do the race for the beauty of Alaska and the thrill of the solitude and bonding with the dogs.

Most people are used to seeing 20 pounds over weight house dogs. Mushing dogs are just very fit, just as Olympic athletes are; and the dogs are purposely bred small so they can run faster. A lot of them are also bred with greyhound, which are actually very thin dogs.

Now that we have those out of the way, shall we just enjoy a few pictures of these gloriously happy dogs? 😀

This mushing team chose green bibs for their team ‘decor’ this year.

Love it when I tip the camera on an angle; the picture has more action in it.

Panting from excitement and frustration at being held still; the very thought!

Adorable eyes for his musher. The lead dog (s) are often bond most closely with the musher, and he/she with them.

I would highly recommend this documentary on the history of the Iditarod. I watched it this week, and the stories behind are very interesting! Be ready to have tissues and a table to slam your fist on;

Iditarod 2019

Saturday, March 2 was the 111th Iditarod held in Anchorage Alaska. Well, the opening ceremony that is; all the racers assemble in downtown Anchorage for the opening ceremony and then one-by-one mush to the airport where the dogs get put away until Sunday where the race officially starts in Willow AK.

This year was an “odd year” where the mushers will take the southern route, skipping Fairbanks.

On “normal years”, the mushers would use the northern route.

I had a lot of fun being there, and expeshually because I had a camera! I really enjoyed searching the crowds for emotions and styles (etc) and interactions between the mushers and their dogs; as well as how the dogs were feeling. I could explain everything to you in words, but I feel pictures may be able to tell you this story a bit better this time. 🙂

While taking a corner, quite a few of the mushers fell because they didn’t know how to ‘take the turn’. This team here, however, knows you have to slow the dogs down by using the brake and slide the left foot out to balance yourself and the sled.

The black sled and the rider in the front sled (sitting) are only for show here. During the real race, it will only be the mushers and his dogs.

Musher touching noses with one of his dogs and checking in them before being called for introduction and the ceremonial mush.

For each of the sixteen/ twelve dogs, (sets of six or eight) somone of the mushing family or friends would stand and (try) to keep the dogs calm and from trying to run before it is their time. The easiest way is to attach an external harness, show here, to get a good, big grip and plant your feet in solid.

Each team had their dog team “decorated” in a different way that expressed them. Bins here, could it be any cutier??

You’ve probably heard the way mushing dogs BARK while waiting to run! These two were yawning for stress and barking from anticipation. 😄

My favorite team; due to the utter softness and cuteness!!

Musher putting booties on one of his dogs to keep the paws protected from sharp objects (I.e gravel and ice) and to keep the pads somewhat warm, though these dogs are bred for frigid temperatures. (The mushers are not)

Each tram received much cheering and and clapping all the way to their airport. Thankfully there was enough snow this year that not much had to be added to the streets.

The CANADIAN military was stationed here to, well, mostly shovel. Lol

A perfect combination of dog, musher, mountain, light and snow.

I will be writing several more blog posts on different elements of my Iditarod experience. You can be sure there will be many, many more pictures for me and adorable dogs!

If you would like to know more information and get more in-depth about the routes (etc), I found this website most helpful-https://iditarod.com/about/the-iditarod-trail/

Hope you can join us in Alaska next year for the 112th Iditarod race! 🙂

https://iditarod.com/about/the-iditarod-trail/

Capturing Alaska’s Mountains in Pictures

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
-Isaiah 54:10

Pictures can canpture a thousand words, as the saying goes. Words can transporting us to different times and worlds; bringing nations together, or tearing them apart. Words are powerful; but a picture can sometimes speak more than all the words in the world can.

Pictures capture an art; the art of the person in front of the lense, their feelings. It can capture the feel of mystic lakes and mountains. Tell a story through eyes. Pictures speak where words cannot.

Just like photos, mountains are a thing to be seen and marveled at. They “ask us to ponder our inner being.” As Jane Kirkpatrick said in her book “Everything she didn’t say.” Mountains also draw us to find their creator—God. Through mountains, people, sense the dawn of time, have found consoles in them. That is why I wish to share a glimpse of the mountains I breath under with you…

As the mountains reflect themselves in the puddles, so one can reflect and see oneself here; in the quite with God.

Nature, animals, and people all in one breathtaking scene.

Sometimes, to capture a photo, you must look at it from a different angle.

I really like how this captured a feeling~ that is every photographer’s wish; to capture the feelings of whatever is on the other side of the lense.

No face will sometimes tell a better story.

“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing — to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from…”
– C.S Lewis, Till We Have Faces

Sun, mountains and a dog—-some of the best happinesses in the whole world!

Ice from the glaciers breaks loose as more snow falls in the mountains. The ice flows through the rivers, freezing them into solid ice-packs

Often, non-purposeful posinging is the very best kind of posing.

Laying on the ice is always worth it-unless you break through of course!

His face tells the story; The object stands out.

“It was when I was happiest that I longed most…The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing…to find the place where all the beauty came from.”
― **C.S. Lewis,** Till We Have Faces

In the darkest season of the year, a splash of sunshine!

The calming…the peace…the joy…the beauty…the light

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

― **Albert Camus**

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” -Isaiah 52:7