Himba village, Nambia, October 2021
Here's an image from Friday night/Saturday morning as the activity was really starting to intensify. The aurora had come far across the sky, setting up perfectly for my eastward-facing composition over the Chugach Mountains. I shortened my shutter speed to capture the vertical curtains as they were starting to form.
Have a great Sunday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
Well, Spring sure did arrive with a bang! I skied out onto Eagle River again last night and captured some images from new locations. I will have more to share in the coming days so stay tuned...
Happy Vernal Equinox to those in the Northern Hemisphere and to my friends below the equator, Happy Autumn!
Colin
Aurora borealis over Eagle River Valley, taken around 1 am on Sunday, March 14. I had to search to find a bit of open water and was happy to find this spot looking back toward Ram Valley & Prudhoe Bay Ave. It was a cold night out there but worth the effort to come away with a few images from out on the river. Ski boots aren't the warmest footwear but they do allow me to move around much more quickly than walking. I'm hoping for a few more nights like this before the aurora & ski seasons are over.
Have a great week and thank you for following along!
Colin
Hello everyone!
This year certainly has brought increased auroral activity in recent weeks– a welcome change after the past few seasons. I’d been waiting for the right opportunity to ski out to Eagle River to photograph and last night everything came together for me. It was cold out there and cross-country ski boots don’t offer much for insulation on a frozen river in subzero temps but in the “heat” of the moment when the lights are dancing, the discomfort tends to dissipate.
Stay warm out there!
Colin
Since taking up residence at the Eagle River Nature Center, owls have become one of my favorite subjects. Biology was my best subject in school and even though I am not a biologist by degree, I have accumulated a lot of knowledge regarding owl habits and behavior through observing them and researching online, all while developing a discerning eye for spotting them.
I've had countless encounters with both great horned and saw-whet owls here and on Monday morning, Feb. 1, at 10 am AKST, I will be a guest on Alaska Public Media’s "Hometown Alaska" where I will have the honor of sharing my experiences photographing owls in the ERNC vicinity. You can tune into 91.1 FM if you are in the Anchorage area or stream the program here: https://www.alaskapublic.org/cat.../programs/hometownalaska/. It will be available for streaming after the live program as well.
I hope you are able to listen, I always look forward to sharing my experiences in the field!
Colin
After making a brief appearance between Polar Bear and Eagle peaks, the sun quickly drops out of sight while leaving a warm glow in its wake. This was taken just before noon on January 25, after two months without any direct sunlight in this part of the valley. Five months from now at the height of summer it will drop below the mountains directly opposite, approximately 12 hours later in the day. Living with these extremes of light is one of the many aspects that I cherish about residing in Alaska.
Warm wishes for a sunny day in your part of the world!
Colin
If 2020 had any overriding themes for my photography I'd say it was owls, rainbows, and lynx, in that order. While it's been a challenging year in many ways, I am grateful for the opportunities I found in my backyard and look forward to what 2021 will bring.
I am hopeful that travel will resume before too long and while it's not likely that I will be leading another tour in Cuba this winter, I am looking to return in February of 2022. Michael L Haring and I have two tours scheduled for Iceland this coming August, both of which are already half full. For more information on the tours and to sign up for our e-newsletter, please visit our new website: https://naturalexposurestours.com/. We will also be launching a Facebook page for Natural Exposures Photography Tours, LLC, which I will announce in the near future.
Have a great weekend out there and, as always, thank you for following my adventures!
Colin
Juvenile great horned owl
July double rainbow
Female lynx
The last full moon of 2020 taken, just after sunrise this morning. We're in perpetual shade at this end of Eagle River Valley for few more weeks and with the lack of recent snow, black and white felt appropriate for this image.
Have a safe and Happy New Year, and thank you for following along!
Colin
Hello everyone!
I am discounting all prints on my website through the month of December! You can save 20% on canvas or high-gloss and 10% on metal prints using the following codes at checkout: HIGHGLOSS2020/CANVAS2020/METAL2020. Whether you'd like to share my images with a loved one or deck your own halls, you can take advantage of these discounts all month long. Note: Both canvas and metal prints arrive ready to hang on the wall and I can ship almost anywhere. Message me if you have any questions.
Thank you all for following along and feel free to share!
Have a beautiful season,
Colin
"Íslensk Ást - Icelandic Love" Eastern Highlands, Iceland. Purchase this print: colintyler.com/online-store
Male Lynx, Chugach State Park, Alaska. Purchase this print: colintyler.com/online-store
Bull Moose in Fireweed, Chugach State Park, Alaska. Purchase this print: colintyler.com/online-store
Hey Everyone! You may recall that last summer I was able to join local owl enthusiast, Andrew Fisher, while he checked the activity in nesting boxes he had built & placed around the Anchorage area. Later in the season, I went out with him again along with a biologist from the State of Alaska and documented the banding of saw-whet fledglings. I am excited to say that Andrew will be giving a presentation on his owl boxes for the Eagle River Nature Center via Zoom this Sunday at 2pm (AKST). I will be attending virtually and you can too! Follow this link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrcOmvrjojHNDq1dYitqrPYzjmANokF3Hc?fbclid=IwAR3TTTGsXnx4F1vFSdAduHIA6-L5tWLDNlpsVsLfPGjfn7wIPmPRaMvp7RY
Thank you and I hope you can join us!
Colin
Sw-whet owl fledglings
Daylight is fading quickly here. The amount of direct sun that hits this corner of the valley is now measured in minutes and soon we’ll be in perpetual shade until after the new year. Pondering this, I recently discovered a new scene from a familiar location. The low-lying clouds parted just enough to reveal Eagle Peak with the sun passing behind the summit, almost creating a portal into the next season.
This was taken from the Beaver Deck at the Eagle River Nature Center on November 14 at approximately 12:30 pm. Our naturalist has created an online project to document the seasonal transitions from this exact spot and everybody is encouraged to participate. On the right corner of the viewing deck you will see a sign on the handrail with instructions for sharing your photo to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #erncwatch. Be sure to include the date & time along with any other observations and your photos will help show the changes throughout an entire year!
Have a great week out there and thank you for following along,
Colin
I witnessed another lynx family recently as they were crossing a frozen river. The mother went first and the kittens followed, one at a time and very apprehensively until all of them had crossed. There have been a lot of lynx in my life lately. It feels symbolic and ultimately, they may end up teaching me more about myself and my own journey.
Have a great week out there and let's hope for civility and cooperation as we navigate the coming days.
Colin
A kitten leaps over the darker, thinner river ice to reach its mother on the other side.
I was focused on the timid kitten near the edge when another darted across the frame.
Happy National Cat Day 2020! I've long considered myself a cat lover, both domestic and wild. I think this mother lynx realized that.
That's all for meow,
🐯Colin
Happy Monday, everyone! Here's another lynx kitten to start your week.
While on the topic of lynx, you should be aware that the Alaska Department of Fish & Game has issued an emergency order to open lynx hunting and trapping in Chugach State Park. On September 21st the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Friends of Chugach State Park, and Anchorage attorney Kneeland Taylor filed a petition to close the upcoming lynx hunting and trapping season. The public comment period has ended but if you would like to read their petition and learn more about what the Alaska Wildlife Alliance does, you can visit their Facebook page or their website: https://www.akwildlife.org/. I am a member and truly hope they will be able to prevent this from happening. Lynx populations are cyclical and based on the boom and bust cycle of snowshoe hares, their primary food source. While lynx sightings have been more common in recent years they are still rare, generally speaking, and will soon be less frequent as the hare population declines. This petition does not seek to prevent the taking of lynx statewide, but only in Chugach State Park where people recreate and might have the unique opportunity to view one of these elusive creatures in the wild.
Thank you,
Colin
It certainly has been a productive week for wildlife photography! Yesterday I decided to visit another area in hopes of finding moose. I bumped into an old friend/photographer and this beautiful bull moved into position for us in the last bit of afternoon light as the sun was skirting the top of a mountain across the valley.
I would also like to point out that this bull was bedded down next to a cow for nearly two hours while we waited patiently from a good distance for them to move. In that time, they were roused three times by unleashed dogs, the final one lasting for several minutes while the owner clearly had no control over the situation as the dog was aggressively approaching the bull. Both moose charged out of the brush, at which point we quickly retreated behind a group of trees until the situation was calm and the dog was finally leashed. Leashes are required in some areas but when they're not it is up to the owner to maintain control of their dog. Not only were these animals harassed while they were resting, it also put the dog, the owner, and everyone else in the vicinity in immediate danger. This wasn't the first time this has happened and likely won't be the last, but if I can persuade just one dog owner to take responsibility then my message will not have been in vain.
Thank you,
Colin
As I mentioned yesterday, photographing lynx in their natural habitat presents challenges. Inevitably, tree branches and other vegetation hinder efforts to get an unobstructed photo but when you do find a narrow window, you can use the surrounding out of focus elements to frame your subject. With an aperture of f/7.1, the depth of field was sufficient to maintain sharp detail from the lynx’s nose to the tips of its ears while the foreground and background are soft and don’t distract from the subject. This might be my favorite image from the series.
Have a great day out there and thank you for following my journey.
Colin
Warning: cuteness overload!
Baby lynx - this little feline was born last spring and will stay with its mother for roughly ten months, at which point the mother is ready to mate again. They can bear litters every year, depending on food supply.
Lynx live in thick forests with lots of undergrowth, which are home to their main food source - snowshoe hares. This also makes it difficult to photograph them. I found myself in many awkward positions yesterday, trying to find unobstructed views. This moment was brief as it was snuggled up to its mother but I was able to make a couple of nice images.
Enjoy, and thank you for following along.
Colin
Yesterday marked 153 years since Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867, though the holiday is being observed today, Monday, October 19. I could not have asked for better company to spend this special day with - a mother lynx with kits.
Happy Alaska Day, 2020!
Colin
Last light of the day in Sable Pass, Denali National Park. The fall colors are going fast here, soon to be (hopefully) covered with fresh snow as it makes its way further down the mountains with each passing storm.
Have a great Monday, wherever you are.
Colin
Here's another look at North America's tallest peak, Denali. I'm still editing through photos from my recent trip into the park. Even though the wildlife sightings were scarce, the weather was beautiful and we had great views of "The Tall One" from many different locations.
Hope you enjoy, and thank you for following along!
Colin
