Good morning, afternoon, evening, wherever you are!
In case you haven't figured it out already from my fanfic, Alaska (U.S.) is my home. Photography is another one of the hodgepodge of artsy hobbies of mine, so I'll share this photo I took.
This is Anchorage, the largest (but still quite small) city in Alaska. This was taken at 2:00 AM with a view to the north! This time of year, like other arctic places in the Northern Hemisphere (looking at you, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia) we experience the "midnight sun."
Anchorage is a bit too far south to get 24 hours of sunlight a day, but we're far enough north to get 24 hours of twilight in the weeks surrounding the Solstice! For night owls like me, it's quite the rejuvenating experience.
Not present in this photo, but it is my dream to photograph, the distant haze in this picture hides Denali (namesake of my fanfic region), the tallest mountain (6,190 m / 20,310 ft.) in the continent of North America. I've lived here for decades and have seen Denali many times. But this time of year, it's special.
In clear weather, the silhouette of the mountain is backlit by the Midnight Sun far to the north, under the horizon. This produces a vista that, for lack of a better description, is life-touching. The sky glows orange behind a behemoth on the horizon 240 km (150 mi) away. I know at that instant I am viewing the midnight sun and feel a connection to the far north. I've seen this a handful of times in my life.
Someday, I'm going to get that picture and I have all the camera settings ready to go for the location. I just need good weather, which here in Alaska is infamous for not cooperating.
Until next time
J
