We had planned to do some climbing for a few days, using the meadows in Garnet Canyon as our basecamp, but the late summer weather in the Tetons changed our plans. Instead, we decided to backpack to Alaska Basin, located in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Since Alaska Basin is not located within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park, we wouldn't need a permit to stay there.

I left the 4x5 at home and instead brought along my Mamiya 7, a medium format rangefinder that produces a 6x7 cm negative. Weighing only 2 pounds, with another 2 for my tripod, I was saving roughly 15 pounds by not carrying my 4x5 system. Though smaller than a 4x5 negative, the 6x7 cm format is an excellent compromise between weight and quality.

Hiking throughout the day under heavily overcast skies, the cloud cover finally dissipated just as the sun was setting. Sunset on Buck Mountain reveals Buck Mountain (11,938 ft, in Grand Teton National Park) and some of the many small ponds in Alaska Basin.

After months of work (and procrastinating), I am proud to present my collection of images of Iceland. It was indeed a challenge to photograph the landscape of Iceland, mainly due to typical Icelandic weather.

Jökulsárlón Lagoon

Though temperatures remained relatively moderate (35–50° F), the wind, rain and snow of the Iceland springtime were a constant challenge. When the weather did clear however, we were presented with some of the most remarkable light I have ever witnessed. The golden light at sunrise and sunset lasted hours, rather than just a few minutes at lower latitudes. Near the end of our trip, we enjoyed 20 hours of daylight per day (when the sun chose to come out from behind the clouds).

Skaftafellsjökull

We recently returned from a very successful photography expedition to Iceland. Over the course of a month, we circumnavigated the entire island on the ring road and visited many other out of the way locations. Unfortunately, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano forced us to cut the expedition short due to new lava flows and ash on the Laugavegur trail, of which we intended to trek. We are in the process of scanning and archiving the film taken in Iceland and will publish the images to a new Iceland Gallery soon.

The image below are the remnants of icebergs, cleaved off the glacial tongue of the Vatnajökull glacier into the Jökulsarlon glacial lagoon. The icebergs then melt and are swept out to sea where they are battered about and occasionally come to rest back on the black sand beach.

A new photograph in the Black and White Collection is now available. Horse Ridge Panorama showcases the vast Horse Ridge and the jagged peaks of the Continental Divide in the Wind River Mountains. Shown center is Gannett Peak, the highest point in Wyoming.

For more information, please see Horse Ridge Panorama in the Black and White Landscape Photography Collection.

On August 29, 2009 we embarked on a photography expedition to Horse Ridge in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. The ultimate goal was to photograph Gannett Peak (Wyoming's highest at 13,804 feet) at sunrise from near the summit of Mount Febbas (13,468 feet). 

We entered the Wind River Mountains from Crowheart, on the east side of the range via Cold Springs at the end of the Gannett Peak Road. This entrance traverses the Shoshone-Arapahoe Indian Reservation so permits and a guide are required. For this trip we were lucky enough to have pack mules and horses to assist in carrying the load of photography and camping equipment.

On day 1, we rode from Cold Springs over Scenic Pass and down to the Inkwell Lakes, so called for their dark inky color when viewed from Horse Ridge above. We made camp at one of the lakes and Anna and I scouted for potential sunrise photographs. We found a remarkable spot looking south down the Dinwoody Basin toward Gannett Peak.

Early the next morning, we found the sun obscurred by clouds, prohibiting the photograph I was hoping to make. As we patiently waited and hoped for a break, the sun pierced through the cloud cover and illumniated Gannett and the surrounding peaks. Our planning and waiting paid off and I was able to make the image shown below.

Jansen Gunderson Fine Art photography is proud to announce Four Seasons at Oxbow Bend, a special edition portfolio over one year in the making. Four Seasons at Oxbow Bend, consists of 4 photographs all taken from the exact same location during the ideal moments in each of the 4 seasons. Jansen actually returned to this spot more than 4 times (probably a dozen or more) to make these images. 

"Winter time was the toughest," said Jansen, "I remember one morning the temperature read 20 below zero Fahrenheit." Luckily, Jansen's large format view camera functions without the need for batteries and so photographing in the cold presented few technical problems. "The two major issues for photographing the landscape in the early hours of winter, are dealing with frost on the lens and condensation from your breath on the ground glass", said Mr. Gunderson regarding some of the difficulties faced in this committing project. When asked about any other challenges, he said: "Photographing in the Summer time can be difficult. The early sunrise requires one to be en route to his location sometimes as early as 4 o'clock in the morning." 

Photographing with the large format view camera also came with its benefits. The ground glass viewing screen allowed Jansen to use a chrome shot from a previous season to line up the images perfectly for each season. A feature not available to digital photographers.

We are happy to present this unique portfolio for only $150. Each print measures 10x10 inches and comes signed by the artist, with a certificate of authenticity, inside a protective portfolio.

Jansen Gunderson Fine Art Photography is pleased to announce updates to the website. Due to feedback from out visitors, you are now able to purchase fine art prints through the site. Shipping within the United States is free and prices have even been reduced!

The print sizes of 11x14 inches and 16x20 inches have now become open editions and are now priced at only $75 for 11x14 and $150 for 16x20. These are the same Chromogenic Photographic prints, processed in traditional chemistry, as before and not inkjet prints.

 We have some exciting new products to offer soon so check back often or subscribe to our RSS Feed for more information. 

Jansen Gunderson Fine Art Photography is proud to announce the release of 9 new images of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawai'i. These images were made on during a rainy week-long stay at Hanalei Bay, on the northernmost region of Kauai.

Jansen was excited to be photographing along the coast of Kauai and the Pacific ocean, given that the majority of his photographs are of the mountains and deserts of the mainland. See the newest collection of Kauai images at www.jansengunderson.com.

The installation of the Pinnacle Performance exhibition has been completed. The exhibition showcases 11 of Jansen's original limited edition fine art prints. Ten of the prints are 24x30 inches and there is a single 40x50 inch showcase print.

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Jansen Gunderson Fine Art Photography is pleased to announce a new image in the Colorado Plateau Collection. The new photograph is titled Towers of the Virgin. This photograph was created in early February, 2009 during a winter storm in Zion National Park. The striking sandstone pillars comprise the Towers of the Virgin. On the left is the West Temple, the highest point in Zion National Park. On the right, breaking out of the shadows, is the Altar of Sacrifice. Jansen notes that upon arriving at this location before sunrise, it was doubtful that the sunlight would pierce through the dense storm clouds, but for just a few lucky seconds at sunrise, the clouds parted and illuminated the towers.

See a larger version in the Colorado Plateau Collection and contact us if you'd like to purchase this extraordinary print.