Mark Kelley’s 2012 Southeast Alaska Calendar Cover – Image 2749

The field of fireweed in front of the distant Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau’s Brotherhood Bridge Park has to be one of the most photographed locations in Alaska. I have published this location in the calendars many times. The issue becomes how do I shoot it differently than before. A good rule of thumb in photography is to shoot an image no one has seen before or shoot an image better than it has ever been shot. I am not sure if this shot is done better than ever before, but it is an unique angle. I have always wanted to shoot this field of fireweed from the middle of the field. The problem is when you stand in the field, the fireweed is six to seven feet tall, and all you see is wall of green stalks. I solved this dilemma by carrying my 13-food ladder into the middle of the field and shooting from the top of the ladder. The images gives me the feeling of a bird flying over the field. I am not sure how many other photographers have carried a giant ladder into the field, but I can not imagine many others have. I have not seen another shot showing this perspective. Enjoy the photo and thanks for visiting. Camera body: Nikon F5, Lens: Nikkor 20-35mm f/22 , 35mm velvia slide film, polarized© Mark Kelley