The main regions of Alaska divided up, and special places
Aerial of Mount Augustine volcano Alaska’s southwest coast is a well known region of the Pacific rim of fire, dotted by active volcanoes and rugged mountains. In 2006, this volcano, Mt Augustine erupted and I photographed it from the Kenai Peninsula (see below). On my recent trip to the coastal region of Katmai National Park,…
Some of the first hints of color on the tundra are the wooly lousewort flowers. They are early bloomers, and the bright pink color really pops out along the brown tundra. For anyone who has hiked across this kind of terrain, you know what I’m talking about when I say it is difficult travel. It’s…
Muskox and baby Baby muskox rank up there with the cutest of all little creatures. There were four young ones in this herd of ancient and odd looking animals. Like many wild animals that I’ve spent time with, the younger the accompanying offspring, the more wary they behave – for obvious reasons when one considers…
Bull caribou in the midnight sun Photographing in Alaska’s high arctic in the summer is both wonderful and brutal. The infusion of light is energizing on the one hand, but the schedule it forces can be brutally tiring as well. Golden light is restricted to the midnight hour, give or take a few. So,…
The spring and summer wildflowers on Alaska’s tundra are nothing but spectacular. I’ve been documenting a few that I have for one reason or another, never photographed before. This is one of them, an early blooming arctic version of the common Jacobs ladder found in Alaska’s interior. The aperture of f/5.6 helps diffuse the background…
The first few weeks of June in Alaska is the time when the newborn animals of the year begin showing up. They are pure cuteness in most respects, and they are also very susceptible to hungry predators as the circle of life takes its course in the wilderness landscape. For the latter, it means that adults with…
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…