(Photographer David W Shaw has recently returned from an expeditions to
(Photographer David W Shaw has recently returned from an expeditions to Alaska's remote Brooks Range where he made this image of a lake in Gates of the Arctic National Park.) About 6:30 in the morning, the first sunlight of the day managed to slip through the clouds to touch the mountains as rain showers slid through the tributary valleys. Lake Macharak was calm and glassy, the clear water creating the faintest shimmer on the gravel bottom. When experiencing these quiet moments, I always take a few minutes between photos to really experience the place, listen to the sounds, and watch as the light changes over the landscape. The photographs help me be present, but they are only one part of the wilderness photography experience. The rest is more intangible, impossible to capture in an image, but just as important to my process.
