Fireweed, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2731

Fireweed season in Southeast Alaska is July through mid-August. This field of wild flowers at Brotherhood Bridge is just off the highway going out the road about 8 miles from downtown Juneau. It is probably one of the most photographed scenes in Alaska as it should be—a glacier, mountains, and a field of wild flowers. It is a photographer’s dream. Since this place is photographed so often, I wanted a different angle. Fireweed grows to over six feet tall (2 meters). If you stand in the middle of the field you can not see anything but flowers and stalks. I wanted to give the perspective of just hovering above the field. My solution was to carry my 13 foot ladder out to the field of flowers and shoot from the top of the ladder for this bird’s eye view. The image illustrates the cover of my 2012 Southeast Alaska Calendar. Enjoy the photo and thanks for visiting. Camera body: Nikon f5, Lens: Nikkor 20-35, Fuji Velvia Slide film, ASA 50, polarized© Mark Kelley