Injured Moose

I went out skiing with my camera gear earlier today, hoping to catch a colorful morning sky. On they way to my favorite location, I came upon a cow moose browsing next to the trail. Not wanting to startle her by passing by closely or risk being charged, I skied into the trees and made a wide arc, coming back out further up the trail where I could get some photos of her. A few minutes later, another moose stepped out onto the trail and joined her. I could see that they wanted to walk the trail past me, so I stepped behind a stand of trees, allowing them to pass by safely. After they walked past, I noticed the first moose had an injured hind leg. There wasn’t an open wound but the leg was obviously deformed, probably from an injury that she acquired long ago, possibly caused by a bear. She was limping along and I can only imagine that traveling through deep snow must be very challenging for her. The experience served as a reminder that humans need to give wildlife ample space to go about their routine, for our safety and theirs. If the moose had been frightened and run off into the woods to avoid me, she would have exerted a lot of energy, a situation that could prove fatal in the dead of winter. As a wildlife photographer, the welfare of your subject should always be the top priority.

Winter Landscape Photography Class

There is no solitude like that of a quiet winter day. After two rather mild years, we are having what many Alaskans are referring to as a "real winter." Every snowfall brings a fresh look to the valley and familiar scenes take on a new light.

Speaking of new light, I still have a few spaces left in my all-day winter landscape photography class on Saturday, March 4, at the Eagle River Nature Center. If you are interested, please call (907) 694-2108 to register. Cost is $75 and limited to 10 people. Feel free to share and thank you for following along!

Cheers,

Colin

Icy River Rampage 2017

One of my favorite events to shoot every year - the Icy River Rampage fatbike race at the Eagle River Nature Center. We were at full capacity today with 100 racers for the 5th annual race. The conditions were excellent and the light was superb!

Racers: I've got several hundred images to edit through. I did my best to get photos of everyone but that's not always possible. I will be posting more in the next couple of days. If you are interested in purchasing your image as either a digital file or a print, please message me with your bib # and I will search through my photos. I will create a link at my online store to make the process easy.

Cheers to all the brave souls who pushed on through the cold temps today! More to come...

Colin

Frozen beards led the pack today...

Frozen beards led the pack today...

Warm & Windy Weather

It's been warm & windy in Eagle River Valley for the past 24 hours - temps above freezing and the snow has blown off trees. We've gotten upwards of 3 feet of snow this month, probably more than the past two winters combined. I'm hoping the forecast is accurate and the temp drops again tomorrow to preserve the winter wonderland and keep the river frozen for our annual Icy River Rampage fatbike race this Saturday at the Nature Center.

Photography classes this winter...

Hello and happy Wednesday! Just a heads-up for those of you in the Anchorage/Eagle River/Mat-su area that may be looking to gain a better understanding of digital photography and sharpen your shooting skills, I will be offering two classes at the Eagle River Nature Center in March. The first is an intro to winter photography on Saturday, March 4, from 9 am until approximately 5 pm, focused on basic camera functions and shooting in manual mode. The second is an aurora photography workshop on the evening of Saturday, March 18, beginning at 8 pm and should wrap up by 1 am at the latest. Each class is $75 and limited to the first 10 people registered. Both will begin with an indoor portion and then move outside, so dress accordingly and be prepared to do some winter hiking. Call the Nature Center at (907) 694-2108 to sign up or email me if you have any questions - mail@colintyler.com

Feel free to share!

Colin

 

17 inches of fresh snow and counting...

It's been a few years since we've had a winter wonderland back here in Eagle River Valley. Last year at this time the landscape was brown and the trails were a mix of ice and mud. We've gotten 17 inches over the past two days with more on the way. I'm getting ready to leave for Minnesota to visit family and had to ski out to my favorite spot today to soak up the scenery. Have a great week and be safe on the roads out there, a winter storm warning is in effect for South Central Alaska. Thank you for following along!

Colin

Moonlight Skiing on Eagle River

What do you do when the temperature is approaching -15˚F (-26˚C) and the moon is full? Grab your touring skis and explore the frozen river under the bright moonlight! I've been scoping out this location for a while now, just waiting for the right conditions to get out and do some shooting. Directly behind me are Kiliak and Yukla mountains, both peaks reaching more than 7,000 feet. Have a great weekend and get outside, even if it's a bit chilly!

Colin
 

Crescent Moon & Venus

"Counting stars by candlelight, all are dim but one is bright;

The spiral light of Venus, rising first and shining best,

On, from the northwest corner, of a brand new crescent moon,

While crickets and cicadas sing, a rare and different tune,

Terrapin station." (Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia)

This was taken just a few minutes ago over Eagle Peak, Chugach State Park. If you have clear skies right now you should be able to see the crescent moon and Venus on the southwestern horizon.

Colin

My Most Popular Image of 2016

On a frosty morning last October I set out with the intention of creating an image that would give my page a boost - I had a slide show & print sale coming up and my trip to Australia was just a few weeks away. Knowing the light pattern in the valley and the habits of this particular bear, I had envisioned an image in my mind’s eye, capturing it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time – timing is everything, after all. When I saw the bear in the distance that morning, I instantly had a feeling that a unique opportunity would be presented. After fine-tuning my exposure and checking camera settings, I positioned myself and composed in anticipation of this brief moment, which became my most popular image of 2016.  In addition to giving my page a boost, this photograph made my trip to Australia much more feasible, proving once again that timing is everything.

This bear now adorns the walls of several homes and is also on page 13 in the current issue of Alaska Magazine. I am forever grateful for being in the right place with the right light at the perfect moment.  Here’s looking forward to more moments like this in the New Year. As always, thank you for following along and supporting me, allowing me to continue to explore this big, beautiful world and share my experiences. All the best for 2017 and beyond!

Colin

 

 

Last Light of the Day, January 1, 2017

The last light of the day bathing the top of Mt. Kiliak, 4 pm, January 1, 2017. I just returned from a hike on frozen Eagle River followed by a trek over Dew Mound, searching out new locations and watching the gradual return of the light. In just a few weeks, the sun will begin reaching the valley floor again.

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2017! 

Colin

Solstice Sunrise

The sun rose at 10:14 am this morning, marking the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. While some find the lack of daylight insufferable, I cherish this time of year as it gives me a chance to rest from the long days of Alaska summer. For those of you missing the sun, it gets brighter from here.

Happy Winter Solstice 2016,

Colin

Alaska Fire Circus

It is said that if you play with fire, you're going to get burned. Somehow, this crew seems to avoid injury and make rule breaking into entertainment. Here are a few more photos from Saturday evening at the Eagle River Nature Center's annual Winter Solstice Ice Lantern Walk. Many thanks and much respect to the AK Fire Circus, who kept the crowd entranced once again with a very artistic performance and a bit of fire eating to boot!

PS - Do not try this at home.

2016 Winter Solstice Ice Lantern Walk

We just wrapped up the annual Winter Solstice Ice Lantern Walk at the Eagle River Nature Center. This is one of my absolute favorite events to photograph and every year is unique, allowing me to capture something new each time. Thanks to dedicated staff and volunteers as well as the recent cold temperatures, there were upwards of 800 ice lanterns lining the Rodak Trail and viewing decks. If you ever have the chance to attend, it is a sight you will not soon forget.

Goodnight from Eagle River Valley.

Final Frame, 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Australia

Tough to believe I've already been back in Alaska for 3 weeks now. I am still editing through the thousands of images from Australia, which will keep me busy for a while. This was the last frame I took on the beach at the Great Ocean Road, 12 Apostles. I'd gone out that evening with feelings of frustration and indignation and chose to channel that energy into the powerful crashing waves. I walked around a corner and down the beach, set up and shot until the tide was moving in and I had to retreat or be trapped and forced to climb up onto the rocks to avoid being carried out to sea. Once I had reached a safe point, I turned around and took one last photo, leaving the shutter open for ten minutes. This is the end result of all that moving energy condensed into a single frame. During that time, I looked back and noticed the crashing waves had washed away my footprints where I’d just walked back from. This is one of the most significant and metaphoric images from my trip. To me, it says that we cannot go back to where we’ve come from. Regardless of what lies ahead, we can only move forward. Love trumps fear. In the end, love wins.  What do you interpret from this photograph?