April 1, 2026 Aurora - No Fooling!

The April 1 geomagnetic storm wasn't foolin' around! It truly was one of the best nights I've had guiding for Alaska Photo Treks. The guests were in awe, and I was reminded why chose this life path, or maybe it chose me. The date also marked 30 years since I first left Minnesota and drove to Alaska sight-unseen.

The activity continues, so keep an eye on the sky tonight and through the weekend. As always, thank you for following!

Colin

Alaska Photo Treks van

Aurora and moon over the Chugach Mountains

Aurora over the Kenai Mountains

Aurora over Portage Creek

Aurora over Portage Lake and the Chugach Mountains

Second Printing of "Seasons of the Nature Center" Books and 2027 Calendars!

Hello everyone,

This is the first of two big announcements, and sort of two in one...

First, I am happy to announce that after selling nearly all 1,500 copies of my "Seasons of the Nature Center" books in two years, I will be printing another 1,000 copies! Publishing this book was a very fun and rewarding project, and I look forward to working the local markets and book signings again!

Since I am printing more books, I also decided to print 1,000 2027 "Seasons of the Eagle River Nature Center" calendars! As in previous years, the calendars will be signed and numbered 1-1,000.

The books and calendars are due to arrive around June 1 and will be shipped/delivered after that time. Both are available for preorder on my site: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store

Books are $30. Calendars are $15 for one, two or more = $10 each (unlimited), or get a book and a calendar for $40. Domestic shipping applies or local pickup option.

As always, thank you for following along and supporting my projects, and feel free to share!

Colin

Note: Calendar #1 has been claimed. Thank you and congratulations, Patti!

 

Spring is Here!

Well, spring sure announced its presence with authority!

This is the best time of year for solar activity and hence, aurora viewing. I was happy to capture this image of the corona overhead as it burst with energy. I was shooting between 1/2 and 1 second exposures to capture the fast movement. Moments like this are brief, and you need to be ready before it dissipates.

As always, thank you for following and please stay tuned for some big announcements this week...

Cheers!

Colin


PS - can you spot the Big Dipper?

Aurora borealis at the Eagle River Nature Center during the early morning hours of March 22, 2026.

 

Happy Spring, 2026!

Happy first day of spring, everyone! The Vernal Equinox is a very active time of year for the aurora borealis and if you have clear skies tonight, keep an eye out for lights as the activity is elevated. These were taken last month at the Eagle River Nature Center.

In other news, I will have a couple big announcements in the coming days, so please stay tuned...

Cheers and happy aurora chasing!

Colin

 

February 21 Auroras!

The sky sure came alive on Saturday night! The show started early and continued for hours with brilliant coronal displays overhead and stretched across the sky to the south. I love that I can walk from my door to a scene like this in just a few minutes.

More to come!

As always, thank you for following...

Colin

Aurora Borealis at the Eagle River Nature Center on Saturday, Feb 22, 2026.

 

Happy Winter Solstice 2025

Happy Winter Solstice! Today in Anchorage the sun rose at 10:15 am and will set at 3:42 pm. This day marks the shortest amount of daylight and the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Like my Norwegian ancestors, I embrace winter and the cold, dark days.

This image was taken along Turnagain Arm around 4 pm on Dec. 12 while guiding a custom private tour for Alaska Photo Treks. Fact: Turnagain Arm has the second highest tides in North America, reaching more than 40 feet around a full moon! Using a 6 second shutter, one can sense the movement and power of the outgoing tide.

 

Elephants Slinging Mud

Elephants throw mud across their bodies to protect their skin from the harsh African sun and use dust to cool themselves. Capturing this behavior and using different shutter speeds for various effects has become one of my favorite aspects of our annual tour of Southern Africa.

We are taking reservations for the 2026 Southern Africa Adventure with Nat Expo Tours. Dates are Oct 16-30 and include Namibia, Botswana, and Victoria Falls, and we are offering an early booking discount. Email me if you or someone you know is interested or visit our site for more info and the complete itinerary: https://natexpotours.com/2026-namibia/

Cheers!

Colin

 

Shutter speed: 1/800”

Shutter speed: 1/1000”

Shutter speed: 1/100”

El Malecón, Havana, November 2025

As I mentioned in a reel last month, I made a pit stop on my way back from Africa and spent a week in Havana. Aside from visiting friends, I had our guide, Yasel, take me to photograph some rougher parts of the city. I wanted to see and document the current realities of life in Cuba, off the beaten “tourist” path. I am still editing photos and video interviews and will share some of those in the coming days. My last day was spent along the Malecón (sea wall), where locals gather in the evenings to mingle. It was particularly windy on this day, creating massive waves that spilled over the wall and onto the street. I have witnessed this several times and it always makes for dramatic images. This time, I had a willing participant for portraits with the crashing waves as a backdrop, Mariela.

We are taking reservations for our annual Cuba tour this winter with Nat Expo Tours. The trip includes both urban and rural culture experiences as well as hiking, waterfalls, birdlife, and more, all in direct support of the Cuban people. More info here: https://natexpotours.com/2026-cuba/

Please contact me if you are interested!

Colin 

Dick Griffith, Alaskan Legend

The world lost a legend yesterday, and I am honored to have called him my friend. In his more than 98 years, Dick Griffith logged adventures that most of us couldn’t fathom undertaking. He was among the first to raft the Grand Canyon, he skied/traversed from western Alaska to eastern Canada and helped introduce the sport of packrafting to Alaska. He finished the Alaska Wilderness Classic 17 times, the last was in 2008 at 80 years old. He also completed the Crow Pass Crossing several times, a grueling 23-mile running race that includes ascending & descending a mountain pass and crossing a glacial river. Rather than arranging a ride at the other end, he would immediately turn around and go back to the start to get his car.

I knew Dick through his involvement and decades of support for the Eagle River Nature Center. He always appreciated a cigar when I returned from a trip to Cuba, and one of my bear photos is proudly displayed in his home. He loved that photo and was happy to offer a nice endorsement for my book, “Seasons of the Nature Center.” His story and the many ventures he undertook are truly fascinating and inspiring. I highly recommend his biography, “Canyons and Ice – The Wilderness Travels of Dick Griffith” and there is a PBS documentary of the same title. His biographer, Kaylene Johnson-Sullivan, also wrote the foreword for my book.

Fare thee well, sir. Thank you for being a source of inspiration and lighting the way for those who have tried to follow in your adventurous spirit.

PS - Dick is currently a candidate for the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. You can see all the candidates and cast your votes here: https://alaskasportshall.org/

 

Dick Griffith on his 90th birthday in 2017.

Dick Griffith outside his home on his 90th birthday in 2017.

Dick's favorite bear photo.

Dick's endorsement on page 9 of my book, "Seasons of the Nature Center - A Photographic Journey of Seasonal Transitions at the Eagle River Nature Center."

Birthday Owl

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have much to be grateful for on this day - family and friends around the world who follow and support my journeys, recent travels to Africa, Miami, Cuba, and Minnesota, and all the incredible moments I get to experience and share, including this little saw-whet owl that I photographed a few days ago (on my birthday).

All the best to you and yours, and thank you for following along.

Colin

Northern saw-whet owl

Southern Lights

While geomagnetic activity certainly has been elevated in recent days, I missed the big display on Tuesday evening as I was still in a tropical locale. However, on our second night in Namibia last month, while staying at a lodge in the desert near Namib-Naukluft National Park and having not yet adjusted to the 10-hour time change, I was awake very early and decided to go outside to photograph the Milky Way. After looking at my first image, I immediately recognized the faint green glow of aurora, something I never thought I'd capture in Southern Africa. This time it was the Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis. I managed to catch a few bright meteors in the frame as well!

Interested in exploring Southern Africa? We are taking reservations for the October 2026 tour. Email me or visit our site for more info: https://natexpotours.com/2026-namibia/

Cheers!

Colin

 

Matriarchal

I'm finally back stateside and catching up on some editing after journeying to Southern Africa to lead our 4th tour of Namibia (and now Botswana) with Nat Expo Tours. On our last day in Etosha National Park, we visited a waterhole near the east gate that had been frequented by herd of elephants. Our timing was perfect as we observed the herd, one by one, falling into a single file line behind their matriarch as they left the water. This was my favorite moment, showing the reverence they hold for their queen, along with the wisdom and confidence she displayed as she led them to find sustenance and safety in a harsh and very dry landscape.

We have two back to back Southern Africa Adventure tours booked next year - a private group of 10 people in November and our usual timeframe (Oct 16-30, 2026). We have begun taking reservations for the October tour. Please contact me if you are interested in joining us. Full itinerary here: https://natexpotours.com/2026-namibia/

As always, thank you for following,

Colin

PS - I spent another week abroad after Africa, in a familiar location. More on that later...

 

Another Southern Africa Adventure in the Books!

We just wrapped up our fourth annual tour of Namibia, Botswana, and Victoria Falls! We had a great group of people who experienced the wonders and wildlife of Southern Africa and created memories to last a lifetime. I will have more to share in the coming days and weeks, but for now here is one my favorite elephant images from Chobe National Park, Botswana.

As always, thank you for following and please let me know if you are interested in joining us in Africa next October, or any of our upcoming 2026 tours, including Cuba, Norway, Nepal, and Iceland.

Colin

 

Recent Guiding Moments

A few highlights from recent guiding ventures in Alaska. I am now on my way to Southern Africa where we will be leading our 4th consecutive tour of Namibia with Nat Expo Tours, LLC, which now includes a few days in northern Botswana. Stay tuned for photos of the Namib Desert and the array of Africa wildlife!

We are currently taking reservations for next year's Southern Africa Adventure (Oct 16-30, 2026), Experiencing Cuba (Feb 18-27, 2026), Arctic Norway Aurora Adventure (March 15-25, 2026), Exploring Nepal (May 13-26, 2026) and Exploring Iceland (June 17-27, 2026). Please message me if you are interested in joining any of our guided adventures to some of the world's most renowned photographic destinations! You can view all of our itineraries here: https://natexpotours.com/

Cheers!

Colin

 

Aurora borealis & Big Dipper, Palmer

Brown bear in the rain, Lake Clark National Park

Young bull moose, Chugach State Park

Surprise Geomagnetic Storm!

Wow, what a storm last night!

It truly was one of the best displays I've witnessed in my years of chasing auroras, which date back to the days of film. Never did I imagine back then how digital technology would allow one to capture images of the aurora with such detail and vibrance, using a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the rapidly dancing lights.

Geomagnetic storms are more common and can arrive unpredicted around both the autumnal and vernal equinoxes, due to a phenomenon known as the Russell-McPherron Effect. Click here to learn more…

Cheers!

Colin

 
 

Aurora Season!

The aurora season is upon us! I've already guided 5 tours with Alaska Photo Treks in the past month, with this vibrant display taking place on Sunday, Sept 14 (see the shooting star in the third photo). Check out their page if you'd like a guided aurora or photography adventure in the Anchorage area - maybe I'll be your guide!

Colin