Parks, refuges, preserves & special places.
If you have watched bears along the coast of Alaska in the summer, it is clear that they have busy days filled with eating. This is particularly true when salmon are not available and their intake consists of the ubiquitous flora that fills the lush meadows. While photographing this particular bear for hours, or rather…
After a rainy night along the Katmai National Park coast, I was startled by a brown bear when walking from my sleep tent to the cook tent. Both tents were encircled with a portable, battery powered electric fence. The bear curiously walked around the cook tent and I took this shot after quickly grabbing the…
During a rare moment of sunshine, at 5:59 AM along Alaska’s Katmai Coast, a rainbow arced over the Aleutian mountains as the narrow band of clear sky let the sun peak through for a short while. The clouds obscured the sun soon following, and dominated the sky during my stay along the coast. There was…
The coastal landscapes along Katmai National Park look out towards the Shelikof Strait, a tumultuous body of water that passes between the Island of Kodiak and the mainland Alaska Peninsula. While camped along this beach, above the storm berm, the rare sight of blue sky during my trip inspired me to run to the shore…
Describing the infusion of color found in Alaska’s summer fields of wildflowers requires a word not found in the English dictionary. There is a powerful feeling that emanate from these intense swaths of color, and I’ve often sensed that it is something more than just observation. The coast of Katmai National Park in July is…
I’ve had a few exceptional grizzly bear photo encounters in Denali Park over the years, and the session I recently had with this bear ranks up there with them. There are many factors that play into what distinguishes an interesting and enjoyable wildlife sighting between a good photographic one. While I’ve photographed countless bears, they…
Gray wolf portrait, Denali National Park, Alaska Generally, getting too close to a wild wolf is not a problem I encounter often when photographing. However, in this case, a wolf from the Grant Creek pack in Denali National Park walked directly towards the vehicle I was traveling in late one evening. They often travel down…
My experience photographing grizzly bears in Denali National park has been mixed over the years. I’ve observed lots of interesting behaviour, and had many fortunate opportunities to make some great photos. On my recent trip into the park, following a rainy night and misty morning, the wet tundra grasses glowed under the bright overcast skies.…
As soon as the snow melts, the tundra comes alive with spring blooming wildflowers. This spring in Denali National Park, the lapland rosebay, a brilliant pink, early blooming tundra plant, seemed more abundant than usual. The colorful patches are often mixed with mountain aven, and a few other early blooming flowers. I saw this particular…
The lime green tundra and newly budding leafs of a poplar tree along the Denali Park road are tell-tale signs of spring. This young grizzly bear takes a break from foraging on the new grass shoots and vegetation along the roadside by scratching its back on the bark of a balsam poplar tree on a…