Denali National Park

  I’m very happy to formally announce the 4th tour of 2011. The “Wild Lands & Wild LIfe: Denali Highway Fall Color Tour”. August 26-September 1, 2011. I’d like to invite you to join me on an epic, small group, wilderness photo tour into the heart of Alaska. The Denali Highway – 135 mile long ‘improved’ road, stretching from Cantwell (near the eastern border of Denali National Park) to Paxson at the east end of the road. From 1957 to 1971, this was the only access to Denali National Park. Since ’71 it has become mostly derelict and poorly maintained. It crosses some of the most dramatic and incredible terrain in the United States. Mountains. Glaciers. Rolling tundra. Taiga forest. Kettle ponds. Raging...

Just back from a quick hike at a weird hour. Weird as in hiking from 9 pm to 1 am. Weird. Well, it is Alaska… Didn’t even need a headlamp at all last night, although it probably would have been a good idea. I spent my time in the wild with good friend and exceptional videographer, Scott Slone of Alaska HDTV. What can I say? I’ve got talented friends. We met shortly after 8 last night and drove the 1/2 hour to my “Back yard”. Yes, it’s a 1/2 hour away, but I can see it from my bedroom window. Hence, it’s my back yard. My logic is undeniable. Anyway… It seems as though I have just started seeing this area with new eyes. And the possibilities are endless. Ever since I moved here, Hatcher Pass has been my backyard. My...

Just a quick post to “show off” a recent panoramic image I have been working on. Jena and I were headed back from photographing Denali (and the Alaska Range) from the South Overlook on the Park’s Highway, this past Monday night. As we neared Willow, Alaska, we turned our heads to look back at where the sun would be setting. It was slightly above the mountain range, but was already showing a beautiful orange hue. The cloud formations looked very promising. I knew there were several lakes within just a few miles that would offer a good view back towards the Alaskan Range. So this became our mission. The very first lake we passed is the one in this photograph – Kashwitna Lake. Talk about luck! This is a 6-image pano. Each one shot vertically...

Just a quick post today, sorry for the lull in activity lately. I’ll have some more content up asap, as well as a few announcements. Before I forget, don’t forget to take a look at the recently announced workshop: Alaska’s Southern Coast, June 11-18, 2010. This panoramic was shot yesterday morning at sunrise. I was shooting mainly from the South Overlook, along the Parks Highway, north of Talkeetna. I observed a visual distortion through my Live View viewfinder as I was composing and focusing the photos I took yesterday morning. There was an apparent temperature differential shimmering in front of the mountain(s). It created this moving rippling effect, like a mirage shimmering, and ever so slightly bent the light. Unfortunately, this translates...

On Friday I embarked on a 4 day, 900+ mile fall color journey “around the block”. What do I mean by “around the block”? I drove from the Anchorage area north to Cantwell, just south of the Denali National Park entrance, then turned east across the Denali Highway. Over the next few days, I made my way to Paxson, then down to Glennallen, Copper Center, Valdez, back up to Chitina (the western entrance to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park), and finally returned to Wasilla via the Glenn Highway. It was an amazing journey. I met several great people along they way, most notably Steven Johnsen and Oliver Klink. Both are superb photographers, and extremely passionate in their art. Both have been to Alaska several times over many years. It was fun to...

I have had many dreams over the past several years, since moving to Alaska. And, since moving to Alaska, many of those have come true. I have seen more amazing scenery and wildlife in the past 4 years, than most will see in a lifetime. For those of you who have been following along, I have photographed brown bear from not yards – but feet & inches. Dall sheep ram, ewes & lamb from only a few yards. Moose just beyond my car window. Bald eagles so close that their wings grazed my shoulders as they came in for a landing or to leave again. Humpback whales splashing down after an amazing series of breaches. Orca circling our boat in growing numbers. Glaciers actively calving into milky blue waters, surrounded by snow capped mountains. But one thing...