I have wanted to get seasonal photos of Denali from this location for a long time. My first attempt was in March when everything was covered with snow. While the winter scenery was dramatic, it was too monochrome. So, I planned to return in autumn when the landscape would be more colorful.
Autumn in Alaska is a brief transition season lasting only two to three weeks. Furthermore, a mountain this big makes its own weather and is only visible for about 30% of the time. A high-pressure system brought clear skies in mid-September, and I knew my opportunity had arrived. I used the Windy app for cloud cover and Photo Ephemeris to determine the sun’s location in the sky; everything aligned for this brief moment. So, I drove one hundred miles to this location, hoping high clouds would not obscure the mountains by the time I got there.
This panoramic composite was created from eight photos taken with a DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone. While FAA regulations allow me to fly my drone up to 400 feet above ground level in uncontrolled airspace, I’ve learned that lower altitudes provide a more intimate and three-dimensional quality to the landscape. This shot was taken at about 100 feet.
I like the contrast of snow on Denali and other tall mountains of the Alaska Range (where it’s perpetually winter) with the crisp blue sky, warm foliage, and rich, earthy tones of the ground cover. This area is characterized by bogs, marsh, and ponds and is extremely difficult to travel by foot. Reds in the alpine foothills of the Alaska Range are a combination of blueberry, bearberry, and bunchberry. For me, this photo captures the transitory nature of autumn in Alaska. Carpe diem!
