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

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

 

February Aurora Selfie

Aurora selfie from Sunday night, using my headlamp and a Lume Cube Panel Pro for illumination. I have a couple more images to share from that evening's display in the coming days.

I am scheduled to lead an aurora tour this evening for Alaska Photo Treks, however the weather does not look conducive...

Cheers,

Colin

 

February 2023 Aurora Borealis, Eagle River Nature Center

Mother Nature sure put on a brilliant display last night, and tonight could be very active as well!

We are going into what is typically the most active time of year for aurora borealis - late winter/early spring. I look forward to taking a group to arctic Norway 🇳🇴 in just two weeks with Nat Expo Tours, where we will be spending 6 nights above the Arctic Circle in Tromsø and the Lofoten Islands, home to some of the world's most renowned aurora viewing!

Fingers crossed for more clear skies ahead...🤞

Colin

 

My First Book - "Seasons of the Nature Center"

Hello Friends,

I have a couple of big announcements...

First, I have lived and worked at the Eagle River Nature Center in Alaska since October of 2014, serving as a resident volunteer and later, Assistant Operations Manager. What was supposed to be a winter stay turned into nearly a decade of residence. I could not ask for a better place to reside, work, and grow as an artist. The staff has been very supportive of my career and more than understanding of my travel schedule in recent years, which allowed me to develop a successful international photo tour company with my good friend and colleague, Mike Haring. Next year's schedule looks to be even busier as we continue to add new destinations to the Nat Expo Tours itinerary, and other opportunities are presenting themselves as well, so it is with bittersweet emotions that I will be departing from my home and position at the Nature Center after April 2023.

Next, as a tribute to this place I have called home for more than eight years, I have embarked on one of the most ambitious and exciting projects of my career thus far - my first book!

"Seasons of the Nature Center, A Photographic Journey of Seasonal Transitions at the Eagle River Nature Center” will comprise more than 100 pages of my favorite photos in a 9x12" limited-edition coffee table book. I am doing much of the design and text in collaboration with a local publisher, with contributions from two very talented Alaskan authors. The foreword was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Kaylene Johnson-Sullivan, author of "Canyons and Ice, The Wilderness Travels of Dick Griffith." My bio was written by Chris Forbes Lundgren (Alaska Adventure Books), author of "Accidental Adventures Alaska, True Tales of Ordinary People Facing Danger in the Wilderness."

With that being said, I would also like to announce that you can help fund this project and pre-order a signed copy of "Seasons of the Nature Center" today! I am now taking orders ($30 for the book + $10 shipping): https://www.colintyler.com/online-store/seasons-of-the-nature-center-book

I will have the books in hand by spring/early summer 2023 and send them out at that time.

Thank you for following along, supporting my journeys, and helping to make this dream project a reality!


Colin  

 

The cover of my upcoming book, now available for pre-purchase…

Happy Autumn and the March 2023 Arctic Norway Aurora Adventure!

Happy Autumn, everyone!


With the equinox comes increased solar activity and subsequently, aurora borealis. Along with that, we are heading toward the next solar maximum, so opportunities for sights like this should continue to increase over the next few years...

I will be guiding local aurora borealis tours for Alaska Photo Treks again this season and speaking of aurora tours, Mike and I have added a new trip to our schedule at Nat Expo Tours – the March 2023 Arctic Norway Aurora Adventure! Dates are March 14-22, 2023. Details and itinerary on our website.

We are offering a $200 discount for all subscribers to our newsletter. You can subscribe on our homepage: www.natexpotours.com

Happy Aurora Hunting!

Colin


Auroral corona & moon at the Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska


Aurora borealis over the Chugach Mountains, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska

Nature Photography Day, 2022

Happy Nature Photography Day, 2022! A far cry from the days of shooting film, the art and technology of photography continues to evolve and while I do miss the simplicity and excitement of examining 35mm slides after a big shoot, the limit of what is possible continues to expand beyond what was imaginable just a few years ago.

Aurora borealis time lapse video. Taken in Eagle River Valley, April 2022.

As always, thank you for following along!

Colin

PS - If you received this via email, please click “Read in browser” to view the video