Thank goodness for all the new WB features. That is so important when shooting RAW. I plan on getting one and mating it to my new Gitzo motorized tripod. Then I can just ask Nikki to go out and take some photos.

I have not heard of any tripod prohibitions on ships and have taken mine before. Only use it when the ship is docked which is only needed in unique situations which may preclude you from wanting to haul it around in the first place. Usually a bean bag or towel on the rail is enough to stabilize a longer lens and isolate the ship vibrations. I used that technique at sunrise to capture the NYC skyline and statue of liberty. Usually you are shooting landscapes so a good lens will be fast enough unless shooting in the twilight.

Very nice set. I respect the extra challenge of shooting through the falling snow. Always like to add one more variable in the equation to keep things interesting. Normally it means you humped your gear out in the weather to suffer a little for the craft - in this case you had the best of both worlds while being inside.

Alaska is shockingly vast in size. You will see a tiny fraction of it. Your land tour likely includes the train on either side of the Denali stop. Most of the shots will be of landscapes. 24-70 is most useful. Around June 21 you get tremendous length of day and will have a lot of low light opportunities. Know how to shoot it beforehand. Must use manual mode. Midnight is civil twilight. Though it is unspoiled and natural the shots you get within Denali of wildlife will likely be long distance. I had a crop sensor camera and 300mm reach when I did the bus trip through Denali years ago and the shots are okay but not superb. Thinking back it seemed that 50-75 yards was the usual depth from the roadway for the grizzlies, coyotes, elk. The landscape shots with the 24-70 are show stoppers. Glacier Bay is top notch. The other small towns are great for culture. The White Pass and Yukon rail trip is a good excursion but I like trains. Eagles everywhere so be ready. They will fly right overhead with a fish even while you are just standing in line somewhere. Get in a whale watch outing - maybe Juneau. I always like to freelance the tours and not rely on the ship excursions. Do your homework before hand and you can get a local guide to do a private much better tour for the same cost as the ship cattle call. And the guide gets the full amount. Be ready to shoot some video. The glaciers will calve ice blocks. Though I have continuous still frames of the event video does it more justice. I would make sure to have a point and shoot camera also as you will be on social travel and not a hardcore photo tour. It is a vacation so have fun first and foremost of course and just be ready when the opportunities come. If you get to Talkeetna take the Summit Flight OVER Denali. Over $300 and worth every penny.

What is unsettling to note is that on a year to year basis revenue has declined due to the interchangeable lens camera sales being down 110,000 units, lens sales being down 30,000 units and point and shoot units being
down 40,000 units. Then they brag how the net profit is better than the prior year due to their ability to focus on "high value add products". This is forked tongue speak for "we found a way to sell things for much much more than they cost us to make". Since that changed markedly from the Aug 3 projection of net income it can likely be solely attributed to the strong D850 sales. Though I am buying one because it is a remarkable camera - it does not sit well that they are likely making them for slightly more than the D810 per their own figures. I love Nikon but come on. If all the manufacturers get in a race to see who can charge the most for their cameras and have the largest markup it will not end well.

Nice set. The wind really makes the shots stand out. Great job on the exposure, white birds are a challenge with strong light.

Still too spry to be in daily contention but after a few nights of hard partying I have read the morning obituaries to see if I got an Honorable Mention.

Fantastic set of photos !! Nicely done.

If I do not learn something new here every day it is solely due to my own lack of effort. I still am not sure I can quickly tell the difference in the field between a red shouldered and a red tail - but it seems the tail and legs are key. I will copy your response for reference and I thank you. They became active here in VA this week last year. A pair were out yesterday but I have not seen any twig gathering yet. They mostly use the oaks around here. Is last years brood banished? Only one of the 2 survived - I thought it was fratricide. Not a great shot but it is the last one I have of the smaller chick on the left getting ready to tomahawk the bigger brother for stealing the vole. The next day only the big one was in the nest and a lot of insect activity in the air above. The birders I know were not sure if fratricide is common or if the bigger would consume the remains of the smaller. I felt a little melancholy the day he fledged. Though he returned the next day and hung around the nest area most of the summer. Best of luck and light for everyone this nesting season.

My wife believes .... A very expensive vice.

The issue is all resolved by software updates. I rented the D850 last fall just before a trip and had the same issue on my laptop. Leaving the next AM and in a panic had to come back to the office where I had viewed test shots earlier that day just fine. Updated LR, updated windows, and updated a few other things and by 2AM it was all working.
Mostly use the D810 and now have ordered the D850 as it is just so much better in almost all aspects.
Take your time and do the upgrades. It is likely not a camera issue, just the NEF files are somehow different on the D850 and the upgrades are needed. If I remember mine opened corrupted (vari-colored lines).

[quote=Wingpilot]One bit of advice regarding the plane tour of Denali...
I was pretty lucky I surmise. The pilots daughter lived in the county I live in and those are pretty long odds that got us off on a good note... he flew with everything on the right hand side all the way so I got a steady gap between the prop and wing. It was a twin engine and I have an artsy shot when I caught some propeller disk in one photo and the sun off the top of Denali. The wing is an issue if you are past and try to get one more frame.
Wasilla AK !! Gods country.

I use a WimberleyWH200. Had many thoughts to go with a carbon fiber Induro gimbal but ultimately did not. The WH200 is a solid piece of equipment. Smooth and well built. It is not light but I don't emphasize weight. Most people do so consider how important it is to you. Wimberley is more expensive also. You should take time to maybe test a couple using your D800 and 200-500 lens. Do what feels best for you. Just like better glass the tripod and head are important weapons.

I am also heading back for 17 days this July. Not sure how your group is traveling and you may have a set itinerary but I will relay the best advice I ever received about AK. If you get the chance do a Summit flight over Mt. Denali. They have many flights, take the one that actually flies over the Summit. Not inexpensive. Go solo if need be. Departs from Talkeetna which is on the train route. Funky little town. Solo may get you in the co pilot seat with a group in the back. Your photos will be absolute show stoppers. Use a CPL, wear black/dark you will still get tossers due to window reflections. For the flight you will not need much reach but if you take your 18-300 you will definitely get close ups of the base camps on Denali and maybe see some climbers en route. Always sunny at the top so ignore the weather on the ground.
The weight issue is impactful once you arrive in Anchorage. I carry on a pelican and pack another 50 of gear in it including the 600mm and never let it out of my sight. The interior flights are usually 50 LBs TOTAL weight and no carry on. And they have to weigh the passengers too for load purposes. Strap a camera around your neck as your gear will be out of reach. Air operators may let you pay $1lb for extra weight for baggage. Oh you will see plenty of bald eagles. They sit on the telephone poles/lines up there like crows in the lower 48. The trick will be getting them to do something behavioral.
One of the most amazingly unspoiled places on earth and so vast you will not see even a fraction of it. Hope you get to see some whales bubble up! Never seen it but am told it always happens the day before I was there. And twice the day after.