This little Red-necked phalarope, with its elegant presence, is the only shorebird that swims on the water. There were many nesting pairs along the same lake that the pair of Pacific loons were on. I usually see this bird in south central Alaska during the spring migration, and often see them in large flocks. So…
Is there ever really enough time? To get the right shot, to get the right light, heck, for life in general. So much to see and so much to do. In this particular instance, our two canoes were all packed up and it was time to hit the river for a day of paddling, with…
Although some revel in the constant daylight of Alaska’s summers, it can be exhausting from a photographer’s point of view. Golden hour peaks at some pretty severe hours, and I’ve never been too successful at midday naps. The end result is just a loss of sleep. The light however, is magnificent. After a long day…
I’ve posted a number of photos from a recent river trip on the Nigu, which flows north out of the Brooks range mountains in Alaska’s arctic. On the first few days, there was a cruddy haze looming in the area, and I later heard reports that it was residual forest fire pollution from Russia. The…
If you are not familiar with a tussock, this is probably a good thing. Especially in the context of hiking. However, if you plan to travel across the tundra in Alaska’s arctic, you will indeed become quickly familiar with the term. A tussock is a large knob of soil with tufts of grass or sedges…
This handsome little bird has a melodious song and in early June it sings it heart out on the tundra landscape. The little bird has an extensive range, spending its summers breeding in the arctic regions of Alaska and Canada. The “longspur” refers to an elongated claw on the hind toe, not quite visible in…
While paddling down the Nigu river on a sunny day, a small herd of bull caribou stepped into the water a little bit down river. I had my camera in a dry bag with the 24-105mm lens on, so I quickly grabbed it for a few shots. Steering the boat did not go well with…
If there is one splash of color that marks the advance of spring in the arctic, it is the lousewort, a dapple of plant color that appears across the tundra before the blast of green unfolds. As one moves farther north in Alaska’s arctic, things get flatter and flatter, which introduces some composition challenges. I…
Landscape photography in Alaska poses some interesting “angle of light” dynamics. Because the location of the setting sun is continually changing, seeking a photographic angle perpendicular to the sun becomes restrictive to a certain orientation, and time of year. For example, midnight golden light in the arctic shines out of the north, rather than the…
The season of spring is distinctly noted in the images, as the color phase of the Rock ptarmigan in conjunction with the new green shoots on the plants are telling signs. This bird staked out a territory near our camp along the Nigu river, and made his calls frequently in quest of a mate. We…