From one year to the next, this brown bear cub seems to be growing up nicely. The first image was taken in 2022 and appears on page 17 of my book, "Seasons of the Nature Center." The second photo was taken earlier this fall.

Speaking of my book, I will be at Title Wave Books in Anchorage tomorrow, Saturday Nov 25, from 1 to 3 pm for a book signing along with 3 other Alaskan authors. Please stop by if you can!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday and look forward to the season ahead. A big thank you to Title Wave for hosting the event tomorrow and I hope to see you there.

Cheers!

Colin

PS - Signed copies of "Seasons of the Nature Center" are still available on my site, please allow 2-3 weeks for shipping: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store

 

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…

AlaskaWild 2021

Hello Everyone,

I am honored to announce that three of my images have been selected to the annual AlaskaWild exhibition sponsored by the Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photographers. I joined the organization last year and have enjoyed meeting other photographers and utilizing the great resources that ASONP offers. If you are in Anchorage, the show will be at Side Street Espresso beginning this Friday, April 2. From there, the photos will be displayed at various locations throughout the state over the next year. If you have a chance, I encourage you to see all the stunning images that have been chosen for this year's show. If you are interested in joining ASONP, you can find more information here: https://asonp.org/

Have a great weekend and thank you for following along...

Colin

Brown bear in autumn, Eagle River Nature Center

Brown bear in autumn, Eagle River Nature Center

Juvenile great horned owl, Eagle River Nature Center

Juvenile great horned owl, Eagle River Nature Center

December Sunrise, Eagle River Nature Center

December Sunrise, Eagle River Nature Center

September Brown Bear

Being able to stay submerged in 35˚ water for an extended time is a testament to the layers of insulation these bears pack on every year at the end of summer. There weren't many salmon to be had but the photo opportunities were abundant on this morning!

Reminder that I am teaching a wildlife photography class at the Eagle River Nature Center on the weekend of September 18-20. There will be a Zoom class on Friday evening followed by 3-hour individual lessons on Saturday & Sunday and there are only two spots left! Cost is $85, more details and registration here: https://www.ernc.org/courses/intermediate-wildlife-photography?fbclid=IwAR17nEwWRXVWLYasWBB2eEyZrWmh-2QiU75ERPtamHIGMudmFxMqYhYeSMI

Happy Monday out there and thank you for following along. Feel free to share!

Colin

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National Wildlife Day 2020

Happy National Wildlife Day 2020! This morning was a little more productive in terms of fauna, with this healthy looking bruin on the lookout for salmon.

This is also a reminder that I am teaching an intermediate wildlife photography class at the Eagle River Nature Center in two weeks. Cost is $85 and there are only two spots left. There will be a Zoom class on Friday evening, September 18, followed by 3-hour individual sessions with everyone throughout the weekend. More details and registration at the following link: https://www.ernc.org/courses/intermediate-wildlife-photography

Thank you for following along and have a great weekend!

Colin

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Kenai Brown Bears Instead of Iceland

I keep mulling over the fact that I should be in Iceland right now getting ready to lead a tour. I was scheduled to depart yesterday but since traveling there isn't possible right now, I made the best of a beautiful summer day and found some Alaskan brown bears fishing for salmon. All in all, it was a good alternative.

Have a great weekend out there!

Colin

Young brown bear fishing for salmon in the Kenai River

Young brown bear fishing for salmon in the Kenai River

Fat Bear Week

In honor of Katmai National Park & Preserve's "Fat Bear Week" here are a few images of rather large bruins taken around Brooks Camp in 1999 and 2002. In preparation for winter's slumber, brown bears can consume up to 90 pounds of food per day during this time of year, known as hyperphagia, in order to fatten up for months of fasting ahead wherein they can lose up to one third of their body weight.

So, an overweight bear is a healthy bear and a sign of a properly functioning ecosystem!

Colin

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Sweet Face

How can you resist a face like this? Such a feminine pose - chin down, head tilted, ear back, she's a natural model and simultaneously a fierce protector of her cub and their fishing grounds. I observed and photographed this sow and her then first-year cub on many occasions last fall, so it's great to see them back for another season. With other adult brown bears in the area, hopefully territorial disputes won't turn ugly.

Colin

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More Mother's Day Offers...

With Mother’s Day just over a week away, I have added a couple more promotions to my website. In addition to the Mother’s Love (moose) and Mother’s Day Aurora prints, I am offering another pair of signed & numbered 12x18” artist proofs (first ten prints, of which there are 5 left) of the sow and cub brown bears from last fall at the Eagle River Nature Center – also $75 for the pair and I will include a 2019 Aurora Borealis Calendar from Todd Communications of Anchorage as well. My photo is on the month of March, which I will sign for you. Click the image below to make a purchase. http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/brown-bear-sow-and-cub-signed-numbered-artist-proofs-purchase-both-and-save-25

In addition to the artist proof prints, I am offering a 25% discount on all canvas and metal prints through Mother’s Day by entering the following codes at checkout: MOTHER’SDAYCANVAS or MOTHER’SDAYMETALPRINT http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/

You can also order a personalized 2019 Aurora Borealis calendar for mom - I will sign under my photo on the month of March and include a birthday note for her (message me the details). $20 includes shipping. http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/2019-aurora-borealis-calendar

Thank you and feel free to share. Have a great weekend!

Colin

Cyber Monday 2017

Good morning and Happy Cyber Monday, everybody! Beginning today, I am offering 20% off all canvas prints and 15% off all metal prints on my website. If you are looking for a unique gift to brighten someone's home or perhaps you'd like to decorate your own space with an image from my collection, please visit my online store: http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/

Use the code "CYBERCANVAS" for 20% off canvas or the code "CYBERMETAL" for 15% off metal prints at checkout. Both canvas and metal prints arrive ready to hang - no framing required!

Thank you for following along and have a safe and happy holiday season, wherever you are in the world. Feel free to share this post!

Colin

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Morning Brown Bear Cub

Occasionally, if your mind is in the right place, opportunities are presented when subject and light briefly collide. After the moment has passed you may find yourself short of breath, reeling from the exhilaration, knowing that you captured the moment perfectly and no matter how many times you go back and look at the image, scanning for details of exposure and clarity, you nailed it.

When the universe provides such a moment, I am grateful for the experience first and the images second. Given a choice of responding with either ego or gratitude, I will always choose gratitude.

Colin

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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

 

 

Limited Edition Signed & Numbered Bear Print with 2017 Aurora Borealis Calendar

Hello friends,

My recent morning bear photos have been getting quite a bit of attention online. One of them received more than 8,000 likes on Alaska Magazine's page and I am happy to say this image is currently one of the most popular photographs trending on National Geographic Your Shot. In light of this, I have decided to make a very special, limited offer. I am going to release the very first ten prints on 12x18" metallic finish paper, signed and numbered, for $75.

In addition to the limited edition print, I will include a personalized 2017 Aurora Borealis Calendar, a $20 value. My photo is on the month of February, which I will sign for you, and the rest of the calendar showcases the work of 12 other photographers from Alaska and northern Canada. Every purchase helps fund my next adventure and allows me to continue exploring, creating and sharing with the world. Follow the link to make a purchase and please share: http://www.colintyler.com/…/signed-and-numbered-autumn-sunr…

As always, thank you for following along!

Colin

Autumn Morning Bear

A conceptual photograph involves much more than simply documenting a subject. When I am able to combine the elements to convey the mood of a scene and evoke an emotional response from my viewers, then I have succeeded in creating a truly artistic image.
 
Another crisp morning to start the day. In just over a month, the sun will drop behind the mountains and we will be in the shade until late January. I am going to miss this autumn light and most of all, this bear.

Early Morning Reflected Light

It is true that the early bird gets the worm; this is why I love early morning autumn solitude. Living in a valley where the sun does not reach until late morning, I've learned to use reflected light on my subjects, which, in my opinion, can be more dramatic than direct light. Knowing this, I was able to position myself in anticipation of capturing this moment.