Life in the northern landscape
To embark on an extensive human-powered journey in Alaska’s Arctic is always a mix of high adventure, survival, and a few tenuous moments. It just seems to shake out that way every time I do it. But every trip has been fantastic, and my most recent journey was no different. For those who may want to…
I have not posted many photos recently simply because I have not been behind the camera much. Instead, I’ve been planning for the summer and focusing on getting in shape for some robust summer activities. One of the things I really enjoy about where I live is the access to many trails, right from my…
With the temperatures warming in Alaska, and the landscape turning green, I’ve been trying to get in shape for a bunch of trips planned this summer. Many of them will be on foot, so being in good enough shape to carry a bunch of camping gear, along with photo gear is critical. In accord with…
A few years ago in May I received a phone call when I was in another country. There was a fire very near my neighborhood in Fairbanks, Alaska. Thankfully, due to wind direction and firefighter efforts, that fire never reached the houses in the subdivision where my home is. This year, Alaska’s Interior has enjoyed…
During my early summer photo ventures into Alaska’s Arctic, I’ve collected qiviut from the willow bushes along the tundra. What is qiviut? It is the super soft undercoating of the muskox. In June, as the summer warmth comes to the Arctic, the muskox shed their winter coat. I’ll be traveling to the Arctic a handful…
I head out tomorrow to guide a few weeks of aurora photography tours in Alaska’s Arctic. The skies have been colorful over the past month, and I hope that continues. I’ll share some photos when opportunity rises. There are 16 excited guests all geared up and ready to make some great pictures. Let’s hope the…
I first experienced Prince William Sound, in Southcentral Alaska, when working for the State of Alaska Department of Conservation Oil Spill Response Division, following the Exxon Oil spill in 1989. Since then, I’ve been back almost ever year, and usually, a number of times a year. It is a magnificent place of both scenic beauty…
Muskox shed their amazing qiviut (hair) in the spring and it can be found in small clusters in the branches of tundra vegetation. I’ve got a big bag full that I’ve gathered over the years and someone graciously offered to spin a few balls of yarn from which I plan to have a warm hat…
I have taken a lot of photographs of this pipeline over the years. But in spite of that, it still is an interesting challenge to find new compositions that seem unique, at least to my experience. It’s a pretty amazing engineering feat, transecting 800 miles of Alaska mountains, rivers and tundra. This view is a…
Cabins in remote locations in Alaska are often vandalized by bears. If you get in the right circles of people, there are many stories to be told to verify this. So the protocol when leaving the cabin for a period of time is to bear proof it. This usually involves covering windows with plywood…