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.

 

Aerial Photos of Knik & Colony Glaciers

An aerial view of Knik & Colony glaciers, taken on a doors-off helicopter tour with Outbound Adventures in May. The first image is one of my favorites, with the pools of blue water leading toward the Chugach Mountains. I returned for another flight later in May with a tour client. Observing the patterns and textures in the ice, crevasses, and glacial blue water from above is mesmerizing! We also made three separate landings - one next to Lake George, one on Knik Glacier next to a pool, and the last was on a ridge above Knik Glacier.

Colin

 

Knik Glacier

A pool next to our landing on Knik Glacier

Knik Glacier

Knik Glacier

Lake George and Colony Glacier

 

Annual Eagle River Nature Center Fireweed Saison at Odd Man Rush Brewing

If you are a regular visitor to the Eagle River Nature Center, you've probably noticed some changes in recent years. First, the Salmon Viewing Deck was beautifully rebuilt in 2022 and now offers the same stunning views from a sturdier structure with excellent interpretive signs. Second, the local beavers dammed the creek (pictured here) the following year and created a much larger pond, which now hosts a variety of waterfowl.

I took this on a golden evening in early June when the reflection was too perfect to resist. If you enjoy the photograph and are a fan of local brew, you will soon find it on the labels of the annual "Eagle River Nature Center Fireweed Saison" from Odd Man Rush Brewing. Stop by and grab some cans to go, maybe add one to your mantel...

Cheers!

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

 

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

 

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”

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

 

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

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

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