I have long said that if I were conducting job interviews for any position in Southeast Alaska, my first question would be, “Do you like black and white photography or black and white movies?”

These art forms are not stark black and white; what makes black and white movies and photos so striking is the interplay of gray. Seeing and celebrating the variety, contrasts and beauty in the range of the gray tones is critical for appreciating life in Southeast.

Last week, I sat on a bench overlooking the water, and the bright, flat expanse of nickel-gray sky met the steely, hard gunmetal-gray surface...