Jason Soza Photography

Exhibit: December 2, 2011 @ 2nd Street Heritage Coffee Company

It’s been a long, long time since my last photo exhibit, but I’m proud and very excited to announce that I will have a collection of glacier cave photos on display at the Heritage Coffee Company’s location at 216 2nd Street in downtown Juneau.

The exhibit will open for Gallery Walk, this Friday, December 2nd, and will remain up for the remainder of the month.

If you are interested in purchasing a print you see on the wall, the large rectangular (16×20) and large panoramic (10×30) prints are $60/ea, and the square (12×12) and small panoramic (10×20) prints are $40/ea.

Here’s the official show blurb:

“Beneath the Mendenhall”

Glacier caves are formed when water runs through or under a glacier, the warmth of which melts the glacial ice to form an air-filled cavity. Having the Mendenhall Glacier right in our backyard provides a unique opportunity to discover and explore these deep-blue voids, provided you are willing to take the risks associated with wandering around underneath a massive, constantly shifting slab of ice and snow. This show presents photos taken over two trips to the same glacier cave this summer and highlights the cerulean glow and patterns that make glacier caves so mesmerizing.

So if you’re out and about in the downtown area for Gallery Walk this Friday, stop by the 2nd Street Heritage and say hi!

Posted 2 months, 1 week ago at 12:05 pm. Add a comment

Mendenhall Glacier Cave, Juneau, AK, October 2011

A crisp, clear October morning turned into another hike out West Glacier Trail to the face of the Mendenhall Glacier, then on and under the glacier for a repeat visit to a glacier cave I was last at this past July. The interior of the cave has opened up and is much wider and taller at points, while the arch at the entrance looks significantly less substantial than it did – I have a feeling that this winter’s snow will be too much weight and it may collapse at some point. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

In any case, the cave was just as exhilarating as it was three months ago: the colors, the sound of the water echoing off the walls, the temperature, everything. I definitely noticed that upon exiting the cave, my heart rate was up and I had a bit of an adrenaline rush going! All in all, this was an awesome way to spend a sunny October Sunday.

Posted 4 months ago at 1:00 pm. Add a comment

Flooding @ Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK, July 2011

Strange happenings at the Mendenhall Glacier! Apparently a lake in/on the glacier burst and released a lot of water into the lake and caused a lot of flooding. Read more here.

Enjoy the photos!

Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago at 11:03 pm. Add a comment

A Day Around, On, & Under the Mendenhall, Juneau, AK, July 2011

All I have to say is, “WOW.”

I’ve been to the face of the Mendenhall Glacier, but I’ve never been lucky enough to discover a glacier cave until now and I definitely understand why people get so excited about them.

It was amazingly bright no matter how far from the entrance you got. Light somehow found its way through the mass of ice above, which filtered out all but the blue light and gave an eerie glow everywhere you looked. I had a field day snapping photos and constructing makeshift camera platforms from rocks. These are the best in my opinion – enjoy!

Posted 7 months ago at 1:38 pm. 2 comments

A Day on the Water, Juneau, AK, June 2011

Juneau is an incredible place.

Some people can become claustrophobic given the fact that due to the mountains and water surrounding us, you can’t easily just pick up and leave. However, those same mountains and water provide such an incredible array of things to do and see, with most things being within a 20 minute drive from wherever you are.

Case in point: a halibut fishing trip. Not only did everyone come home with plenty of halibut and enough shrimp for a great dinner, but we saw whales, eagles, beautiful scenery and… a snailfish. It was a completely awesome day. Enjoy the photos!

Posted 7 months ago at 12:46 pm. Add a comment

Skinner Building Fire, Juneau, AK, August 2004

Anyone else remember where they were when the Skinner Building in downtown Juneau, Alaska, became The Pit?

I remember I’d been out on a hike to Windfall Lake – it was a hot, clear, sunny summer day, with temperatures pushing 80. It was awesome. Then I got home and had a weird message on my answering machine (who uses those anymore?) saying to come downtown. I had no idea what was going on, but as I rounded Norway Point, I noticed a strange haze and starting picking up the smell of smoke. Then I got past the high school and found out really quick what was going on. Luckily, I had my camera with me, so I parked and started taking photos.

It was a weird scene. People gathered anywhere you could see anything, passing rumors about how the entire downtown area was going to burn down because everything is connected by underground wooden pilings, etc. Luckily, that didn’t happen. The Juneau-Douglas Fire Department did a great job of preventing the fire from spreading even to the next building, which was physically connected to the Skinner Building. So while a bad deal, it could have been worse!

Posted 11 months, 2 weeks ago at 6:45 pm. Add a comment

Summer 2010

It was a beautiful summer in Southeast Alaska!

To show you just how beautiful it was, here are some random photos taken in Juneau and Haines this year. We had a ton of sunshine, warm weather, and awesome sunsets. There were a few rainy days in there too, of course. We are in a rainforest, after all.

Posted 1 year, 3 months ago at 4:52 pm. Add a comment

Mt. Roberts, Juneau, AK, June 2010

On Sunday, June 6, 2010, it was sunny and warm here in Juneau and I decided to hike up Mt. Roberts and stop at the tram. I made it to the tram and neither felt like stopping nor going back down the mountain, so I kept going. I made it to the cross (if you’re not familiar with Mt. Roberts, there’s a large cross planted in the ground a decent hike away from the tram) and still neither felt like stopping nor returning to the bottom. This cycle continued until I found myself first on top of Gastineau Peak and then finally, legs burning, on Roberts Peak, 3,819 feet above the world around me. 500 photos and couple of sore legs later, I present the 23 best of the pack below. Enjoy!

Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 9:48 pm. Add a comment

Gastineau Channel, Juneau, AK, June 2010

A panoramic view of Gastineau Channel and Douglas Island as seen from from Mt. Roberts.

Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 9:23 pm. Add a comment

Roberts Peak 360°, Juneau, AK, June 2010

360 degree view from the very top of Mt. Roberts at 3,819 feet. Gastineau Channel, Gastineau Peak, Last Chance Basin, and Sheep Mountain are visible.

Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 9:21 pm. Add a comment