The Sitka black-tailed deer populate the southern island shores of Alaska, and have not survived to any degree on the mainland. This Sitka black-tailed deer paused while feeding in the early morning just long enough for me to grab a few shots. The light was quite low as evidenced by the ISO and exposure, but…
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Fossil Beach, Kodiak Island That Kodiak is called the emerald island is self evident upon the first summer glance. This hills are so lush and green its like a visual beverage to thirsty eyes. And as for having thirst quenched, Kodiak is known for its fog, rain, and dynamically changing island weather. My recent visit…
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This year I entered some photos in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, sponsored by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine. While I’ve only entered a few photo contests throughout my career, this is a popular one, and many are familiar with it. For that reason, I thought some might be interested…
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Flying in Bush Alaska One can access a little bit of Alaska by car, some by water, a lot on foot, and a whole lot by air. When it comes time to getting around in Alaska’s arctic–which has across its lateral spine the monstrous Brooks range–it is time for wings. Much of my remote photographic…
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The arctic tundra flats of Alaska’s north slope present a vast, expansive region filled with summer life. While it is notorious for its prodigious mosquito population, it is also a summer home to many animals and birds. The constant summer sunlight and insect population draws birds from all over the world. Apparently they consider it…
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Female willow ptarmigan Camouflage is at the heart of this bird’s survival. The willow ptarmigan has many color morphs, depending on the season and the terrain in which it lives. In this case, the tundra is just awakening to spring, and the dull brown colors are a perfect match for her brown feathers. In the…
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Male King Eider duck Earlier in the week I posted a photo of a male king eider duck that I took at midnight in Alaska ‘s arctic, under cloudy skies. In contrast, I wanted to share a photo of the same species, but under completely different lighting conditions. I took this picture at 12 noon,…
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I’m often asked if I shoot black and white. The answer is no, in general. My world is one of color, and while I appreciate both the constraints and liberties of excluding color from an image, I generally prefer the invoked psychological elements that the inclusion of color creates. But throwing away color opens up…
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The king eider is a bird I have long wanted to see. While it is hard to call out a favorite bird, it ranks up there with the best with its unique features, feathers, and colors. While in the very high arctic, I had only one evening to shoot due to a tight schedule and…
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Over the years of travel across Alaska, I’ve watched many short-eared owls hunting and flying over the tundra landscape. They are artful flyers, often visible in the treeless environment in which they roam. On a trip last week however, I had the first really good opportunity to photograph an owl, that did not seem to…
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While an increasing amount of the James Dalton Highway are getting paved, there are large sections that remain gravel. It’s no big deal when traveling– although your vehicle gets pretty caked in mud when it rains–unless perhaps you are on a motorcycle. Many bikers consider it an adventurous destination, and the mud is met with…
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Spotted lady’s slipper orchid On a hike just north of Fairbanks, I came across this delicate blooming flower, the spotted lady’s slipper orchid, which I don’t see that often. It’s delicacy and vibrant colors make it distinctive and with a little imagination hints at its name lady’s slipper. It’s a member of the orchid family.…
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The Hastings forest fire that started last Memorial day north of Fairbanks, has grown from the initial day of about 600 acres, to more than 12,000 acres by Tuesday, June 7, 2011. The crew fighting the fire now exceeds 550 people, and a crazy amount of resources which include an arsenal of air and ground…
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Yesterday afternoon (Fri, June 3rd) I left the office for a few hours to check on the Hastings wildland forest fire burning about 10-15 miles from my home. Continued dry weather and strong winds caused the fire to advance and I sat on a hillside watching some amazing smoke columns form while an aerial assault…
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Surprise glacier flows out of the Chugach mountains which border Prince William Sound to the north. It is a tidewater glacier and frequently calves ice chunks into Surprise Inlet which then drift out into Harriman Fjord. Along the top edge of the glacier terminus are some finger like seracs that will soon fall into the…
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While cruising across the oil tanker shipping lane in northern Prince William Sound, I grabbed this shot of the “Polar Enterprise” oil tanker entering the Valdez Arm. It looks like I was a lot closer but the photo was taken with an equivalent of a 910mm lens. The man on the bow called the “watchman”…
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It appears that the hot and dry conditions in Alaska’s interior are continuing to cultivate conditions ripe for wildland forest fires. Having just missed a potentially house-threatening fire a week ago, another nearby fire started by lightning in the Murphy Dome area, not too far from Moose Mountain (although not-too-far does have different meaning following…
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The beaches of the outer perimeter of the Copper River Delta, in southcentral Alaska, are broad and sandy. They open to the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific ocean, so weather can be tumultuous on its shores. On this pleasant day, I did some flying over the Copper River Delta region and we made a…
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Growing up in the land-locked Midwest, and then living in the interior of Alaska for years, fresh seafood is rare for me. However, during a recent visit to Prince William Sound, a local fishermen was showing us his freshly caught spot shrimp (the largest shrimp of the west coast). They were as strikingly marked as…
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While visiting Canada over the weekend, I received many calls from friends who could see flames and smoke leaping from the hillside near my home and office in Fairbanks, Alaska on Friday. The prevailing winds blew the fire away from the subdivision, after getting as close as 1 mile from my home. The fire at…
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Below are two common marine mammals found along the shores of Prince William Sound. Over the years I’ve gathered a collection of photos of the harbor seal and the Steller sea lion, mainly in the Sound. They are generally approachable, although the seals are bit more shy and require a slow and quite approach. Both…
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Following a few days in the Copper River Delta, situated on the Eastern edge of Prince William Sound, and then 7 days on a boat throughout the islands of the Sound itself, I returned with handful of memorable photos. The weather in the Sound was nearly cloudless and sunny. If you know my take on…
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The male harlequin duck is a distinctively marked, and colorful bird in its breeding plumage. We have seen hundreds of them on the voyage in Prince William Sound, although they are a bit wary from an approaching skiff. They seem to be a little less shy when they are in the interior rivers of Alaska…
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Sunny skies in Prince William Sound have made the Spring Birding and Wildlife photography voyage on Discovery Voyages a great experience. So far we have seen all four species of the Loon. The common, the yellow-billed, the red-throated and the pacific. This common loon however, has been the lone bird that permitted some relatively close…
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I’ve got just a quick moment to post a photo that I took during an aerial flight over the Copper River Delta and surrounding region over the weekend. Alaska is a big place, which is an understatement as large as the state. Getting views from above always help put things in some degree of perspective…
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