Kaj Bune Photography Blog
Recording the adventurous life.
I'll try to post my most recent work, published writing and imagery, older favorites, and thoughts on the game of photography here. Check back once in a while and have a look.
Kaj Bio
I live near Seattle, Washington in the foothills of my home mountain range of the Cascades with my wife and son. Fortunate enough to be introduced to human powered adventure as a kid, I discovered a lifelong passion early. Not long after this introduction to adventure sport came another lasting love in the form of photography. In the early 80’s I began to combine the two and found I could express my love of wild places and endeavors through the lens. Along the way I began to express this love through the written word as well.
I have been fortunate to have family and friends willing to share adventures with me to truly wild places. From exquisitely remote ski mountaineering trips in the St. Elias mountains of Canada to exploring the Patagonian Icecap to secret spots an hour from home, my friends have given these adventures life. These special people populate my imagery, lending their unique personalities and passions to my art.
Motion:Emotion - they are entwined for me, one initiates the other in a kind of symbiotic relationship. When I am in motion in the wild world it never fails to produce an emotional response, which in turn encourages me to seek wild motion yet again.
But I’ve found that my photographic curiosity is not limited to the wild. It is, quite simply, a way for me to “let the art out.” So my lens often turns to a variety of subjects, looking for a clear pathway to the human heart.
Be well and ski well.
Kaj
All Images Copyright Kaj Bune Photography
Please do not copy these images for any reason without permission from the copyright owner. If you wish to use an image please contact me at kajbune(at)gmail.com.

Bill Hartlieb on the north ridge of Mt. Strickland.

The cradle of mountaineering.


It's very simple. I believe the universe is balanced. You know, Yin and Yang. And so it is with bicycles. This weekend was an excellent example of how it works.
Yesterday I rode hills on my Italian road bike and had a great time going fast and cranking up the hills. Today, I had an equally good time doing the opposite in nearly every way. I rode my Dad's old Schwinn Varsity and went as slowly as I could. I stopped at a local winery (Woodinville is famous for wine, actually), tasted a few of their wines, and bought a bottle of syrah. Then I poked along the bike trail and up the hill back to my home. Slowly. No jersey, no bike computer, no lycra, no carbon, and no speed.
Yesterday was a Yang day, today was reserved for Yin.
I raise my glass to balance.




...and I am reminded that the great circle of life carries on, one season to the next, regardless of whether we want it to or not. Life is bursting out all around and it only requires a short walk and an open mind to experience it first hand. The fuzziness turns to clarity when those seeds take root and the next generation carries on with the business of life.
My recommendation? Take a walk. Today. Now.
Don't be too busy to feel the pulse.

And the spring cleaning continues. This is me and my friend Doug Barlow on the summit of Mt. Bona in the Alaskan St. Elias range in June of 1993. Doug did the first telemark ski descent of Bona just a few minutes after this photo was taken. When we got back to our high camp, which we had dug into a crevasse, we debated about the weather and finally packed up and skied down to a lower camp. The 5,000 foot descent was almost all extremely ugly breakable crust and not even Doug could ski it. Full packs, crevasses, and trap crust - oh what a recipe for fun kick turns! Sure enough, the next couple of days were bitterly cold and stormy and kept us close to camp.

Fun what spring cleaning brings to the surface. That's me and my pal Elsa. She was a good friend for many years. And my Dad was behind the camera - an influence that effects me every single day right up to this very moment. Something about the camera that I just can't seem to shake...

From a trip to the Enchantments with my Dad in 1985. This was taken at Aasgard Pass near the top looking down to Colchuck Lake. We had an amazing trip watching storms roll in from the east, climbing to summits, birdwatching, and just simply buddying around in the wilds. The great thing is that I can say the same thing about our trips together these days.
I liked those mountain glasses...

This time on the back window screen. Gotta love these guys...


A little lift skiing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, pub fare, trail running, and good company add up to an outstanding weekend of fun - and even a little bit of work thrown in.

One simply cannot help but be in the moment when on a rope swing.

OK. It's not that secret, but I can pretend.

...continues.

...of friends on a beach.