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

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

Auroras over Knik River Valley, Alaska

There's been a bit of activity in the sky recently! Auroras have been spotted around Alaska as well as states in the lower 48, and it looks like the trend will continue in the coming days...

I was guiding a tour for Alaska Photo Treks along with Ben Traylor last Thursday evening/Friday morning and despite a very bright moon, our guests were treated to vibrant and colorful display!

Keep an eye out, sky watchers, and if you're visiting Alaska and interested in a locally guided tour in search of aurora, scenery, or wildlife, check out https://alaskaphototreks.com/

Cheers!

Colin

 

Aurora and moon over the Matanuska Range

Guests enjoying the intense display, for most of them it was their first time witnessing the aurora borealis

Ben Traylor capturing aurora portraits

Annual ERNC Benefit Auction

Aurora borealis and a nearly full moon over Harp Mountain, Eagle River Valley. This is one of my favorite aurora photos from the Eagle River Nature Center and is on the last page of the Winter chapter in my book, "Seasons of the Nature Center" - available in my online store.

I donated a 24x36" metal print of this image to the Friends of Eagle River Nature Center annual fall benefit auction. It will be a live auction item at this Saturday's event, starting at 6 pm at 49th State Brewing - Anchorage. There are still a few tickets available for those in the area who would like to attend, click here to purchase tickets.

There will be a number of wonderful items to bid on, and there is an online silent auction as well, open until this Sunday, Sept 17, 5:30 pm AKST.

Thank you!

Colin

Aurora and Open River, April 23, 2023

Another photo from Sunday's epic aurora display!

I've had this image in mind for quite a while, I just needed everything to come together for a late season geomagnetic storm that brought lights far enough across the eastern sky to line up with the river and Polar Bear Peak, with the river ice opening up to expose the flowing water below. I used a Lume Cube to briefly illuminate the ice shelf during the exposure.

This image probably would have ended up in my book "Seasons of the Nature Center" if I'd captured it before press time. Speaking of my book - I am picking up two advance copies today! The rest are en route and should arrive in about 6 weeks. I am still taking preorders for books and 2024 calendars on my website and will be offering a discount on metal & canvas prints to everyone who has ordered a copy: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store

As always, thank you for following!

Colin

Intense Geomagnetic Storm

After briefly subsiding around midnight on Sunday, the geomagnetic activity picked up again and produced one of the most intense displays I've seen in quite a while.

I'm still editing through images and will have more to share in the coming days...

Cheers!

Colin

Aurora Borealis over the Chugach Mountains. Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska

Aurora Photography Class

Hello everyone,

Hope you've been catching some of the recent aurora activity! If you or anyone you know is interested, I am teaching a photography class next Saturday night, April 1, at the Friends of Eagle River Nature Center (Alaska) starting at 8 pm. There will be an indoor portion followed by a short walk to the viewing decks to photograph the night sky. As of now, both the aurora and weather forecast look very favorable!

Cost is $75 for members and $85 for non-members, limited to 8 participants. You can register here: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTQzNzQ1

Thank you and feel free to share!

Colin

Photo taken on February 26, 2023...

More February Auroras

I love finding new locations to shoot auroras in my backyard..

Taken Sunday evening around 9:30 pm. My books and calendars "Seasons of the Nature Center" are going to press right now and should arrive in May. If it weren't too late, I may have added this image to the book.

I'm still taking preorders on my website - books are $30 and calendars are $18 or $15 (including multiples) with the purchase of a book: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store

As always, thank you for following along!

Colin