I had a brief but rewarding encounter with a juvenile great horned owl recently. The side lighting and soft greenery framed this little fuzzball perfectly...
Colin
Chugach Swans
I've had some version of this image in mind for a while. Last week it all came together perfectly. Trumpeter swans in morning sun with the Chugach Mountains creating a dramatic backdrop...
Colin
Beaver & Morning Reflection
Another gift from last week's calm, frosty morning...
I'd been trying to get a unique photo of the beavers working on their dam for a while now and having lived in this valley for more than a decade, I've learned to use (and sometimes prefer) reflected light vs. direct. In this case, the still water held a vibrant reflection of the mountainside in morning sun, creating a perfect canvas for the image in my mind’s eye.
Thank you for following,
Colin
www.colintyler.com
A Cold, Still Morning at the Eagle River Nature Center
Reflecting on a beautiful morning at the Nature Center last week...
After an evening of rainstorms with hail and thunder (a rare occurrence here), the sky cleared overnight and the temperature plummeted, leaving a thin layer of ice on the viewing decks and a perfect reflection.
As always, thank you for following.
Colin
Mother's Day Sunrise on Denali
Mother’s Day began with the golden light of sunrise on North America’s tallest mountain, Denali. I was in Talkeetna to photograph the Clean Air Challenge benefit bike. It was a beautiful weekend with stunning views of Denali and the Alaska Range, which provided a wonderful backdrop for the riders, and the event brought in more than $255,000 for the American Lung Association!
Final Aurora Tour of the Season
And just like that, the 2024/2025 aurora tour season has drawn to a close!
This marks the end of my 4th season guiding aurora tours for Alaska Photo Treks. We had to drive a bit to find clear skies and luckily, the clouds parted as we continued northward. As the sky was still glowing twilight at midnight, the lights came out and put on a brilliant display against the 'gloaming' - an Old English poetic term for twilight that I just learned...
The guests were thrilled, and I was happy to end the season with a successful outing!
Colin
Happy Earth Day, 2025
It's an overcast day here without much color but I am going outside to enjoy the fresh air and reflect on 12 years since I was abruptly uprooted and redirected onto a new path, as I always do on this day. It was devastating yet liberating, and there is always a lesson...
Meanwhile, I have been out chasing the many moods of spring in Alaska, from late season snowfall to foggy mornings and the sounds of birds.
Have a good day, and I hope you can get out to enjoy a moment of solitude and reflection.
Colin
Mallard in spring snow
Foggy morning at the Eagle River Nature Center, Chugach State Park
American dipper
Rise of the Phoenix
There could be many interpretations here, based on one's life experience and much more, but I see the figure of a bird in upward flight. This was a very active corona formation during the recent geomagnetic storm, taken while leading a tour for Alaska Photo Treks. It was a brilliant display, and I will have more to share in the coming days.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following!
Colin
Active Aurora
There's been a lot happening in the sky lately and if you don't stay awake long enough, you'll miss it...
Taken around 4 am this morning. Alaska Photo Treks is keeping me busy these days. Check them out if you're visiting Anchorage and would like a guided aurora viewing adventure: https://alaskaphototreks.com/
Cheers!
Colin
Spring Storm!
Spring arrived like a storm, a geomagnetic storm to be exact!
This was taken last night while guiding a tour for Alaska Photo Treks. Our group was very happy, and we had the opportunity to photograph a marriage proposal under the aurora (she said yes!)
Happy aurora chasing - this is the most active time of year...
Cheers!
Colin
alaskaWILD 2024 People's Choice Award
I am honored that my image "Paws and Reflect" was not only selected for alaskaWILD 2024, a traveling exhibition curated by Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photographers, but was also awarded "People's Choice" after receiving more than 400 votes from various venues around Alaska! This was revealed last night at the monthly ASONP members' meeting.
I belong to ASONP and also serve on the board of directors. If you are an avid photographer, I encourage you to visit their website and consider joining. It's a great organization for networking with other photographers and there are many opportunities for workshops and excursions, both in Alaska and abroad: https://asonp.org/
Cheers!
Colin
“Paws and Reflect”
Mating Moose
Before leaving for Africa I spent two full days guiding a couple photographers from Florida for Alaska Photo Treks who were hoping to observe moose rutting behavior. We had two very successful days, and it doesn't get much "ruttier" than this!
Please stay tuned for photos from Namibia in the coming days…
Cheers!
Colin
Chasing Autumn Scenes in Southcentral Alaska
These were taken while guiding a couple on a 3-day private custom photography tour. It was their first visit to Alaska, and the first tour I led under the new collaboration between Nat Expo Tours and well known, highly regarded photographer, Jeff Schultz (longtime official photographer of the Iditarod and founder of Alaska Stock Photo Agency). I had a wonderful time showing them some of the best fall scenes in this part of the state, despite the helicopter/glacier flight being grounded due to low visibility. Next time…
Jeff contacted me last summer to see if I would be interested in leading some of his tours. These will be custom tours for small groups and individuals. We are honored to have formed this partnership, and look forward to more opportunities!
As always, thank you for following.
Colin
Virgin Creek Falls, Girdwood
Turnagain Arm
Surfing the incoming tide in Turnagain Arm
Granite Creek
Pioneer Peak in fog
Knik River Valley
Fall Rainbow
Autumn is in full swing here in Southcentral Alaska, and I have been chasing colors and fall scenes over the past couple of weeks. I took this yesterday evening while guiding a tour for Alaska Photo Treks as the setting sun illuminated a wall of rain along Turnagain Arm.
Have a great weekend!
Colin
Early Season Auroras
Hello everyone,
I hope you've been able to catch some of the recent auroral activity! This season is starting out to be very active and should continue as we are in the Solar Maximum.
These were taken last Friday while guiding for Alaska Photo Treks. The show continued through the night, and all of our 17 guests were thrilled! Click here to visit their site if you're interested in booking a local tour.
In other news, at Nat Expo Tours we are excited to announce a new partnership right here in Alaska that will allow our business to expand to include my home state in addition to our international destinations! These will be custom, private tours for small groups. I led my first multi-day tour last week. More to come on that…
Happy skywatching!
Colin
Owl Nesting Season
It's nesting season for saw-whets and other smaller owl species. I am curious to see how two consecutive winters with massive snowfalls will affect the populations, as prey can be harder to find in the deep snow...
Colin
Moose vs. Branch
Here is a moose with a lot on his mind...
He tangled with the wrong branch but eventually shook it loose and went about his day. Taken near Anchorage, AK September 2023.
Happy Monday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
April 2023 Geomagnetic Storm
April 23, 2023 - maybe the most intense geomagnetic storm I've experienced in Southcentral Alaska. I wish my lens was just a little wider to capture the full display that was overhead. This was also the night that I took the cover photo for my 2025 “Seasons of the Eagle River Nature Center” calendars (available for preorder on my site by clicking on the image at the top).
I'm catching up two years’ worth of editing and continue to find winning images like this one. Stay tuned for more...
Have a great weekend!
Colin
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern saw-whet owl, Alaska.
I've been catching up on editing & organizing my image library since the end of aurora tour season. It's amazing what gems you find when you have a couple years' worth of photos to look through…
Colin
"Seasons of the Eagle River Nature Center" 2025 calendars are off to press!
It's official - my "Seasons of the Eagle River Nature Center" 2025 calendars have gone to press!
I signed off on the proof & paid the balance for design & printing yesterday (I designed the front cover, the rest of the layout was done by Todd Communications of Anchorage). The calendars will arrive in Alaska this summer and be mailed out in July, after I return from leading our Iceland tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC. Last year I printed 500 calendars and sold out by the first week of October, so I ordered 1,000 calendars this time, all of which will be signed & numbered..
I've pre-sold almost 50 calendars so far. Cost is $18 each and I am currently running a special of two calendars for $30 (+$5 shipping or local pickup/no shipping). Click here to reserve yours today!
Cheers!
Colin
