Happy New Year, everyone!
2023 was a monumental year that, among other things, included the release of my first book, "Seasons of the Nature Center." I am happy to report that I have now sold over 900 copies - more than half of my stock. Considering they just arrived in June, that is a remarkable pace! Signed copies are still available in my online store: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store
I also produced a 2024 calendar, which sold out (500 copies) by the first week in October. Based on that success, I am happy to announce my "Seasons of the Eagle River Nature Center" 2025 Calendar with a sneak peek at the cover below (photo taken during a strong geomagnetic storm last April). I will be printing 1,000 calendars this time, once again all signed and numbered and priced at $18.
The calendars should be delivered by July 2024, and I am currently offering a preorder special of two calendars for $30 + $5 shipping or local pickup/no shipping. They will be numbered in the order that the preorders are received. In other words, the first person to order today will get #'s 1 & 2, and so forth. Who will get the first calendars??? The link is live, you can reserve your copies today: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store/two-2025-seasons-of-the-eagle-river-nature-center-calendars-signed-numbered
Thank you for following, and all the best for 2024 and beyond!
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
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…
Red Dawn
We sure had a colorful start to the day yesterday morning!
Being tucked away back here in the valley, we don't have an expansive view of the sky compared to being outside the front range (Anchorage) and are in fact halfway through two months of perpetual shade. As sunrise drew closer, the cloud layer grew thick and the color faded, right after I started shooting a time lapse video...
Colin
PS - if you received this via email, you’ll have to click “View in browser” to watch the short time lapse video
Good Friday
Spring marches on, oblivious to and perhaps better off because of this pause in human activity. The ice & snow are melting, revealing channels in the river that will soon swell with glacially silted waters and echo voices in swift current. There is much to learn from this experience, if we choose to listen.
Have a Good Friday and a great weekend. Stay safe, stay home, stay well.
Colin
Eagle River, April 9, 2020
Nature's Love
Love is in the air, and in the snow, and in the river. Mother Nature was expressing herself recently with a 💙shaped opening in the river next to an old set of lynx tracks 🐾.
Stay well, stay peaceful, stay positive. We're all in this together.✌️🙏🌎
Colin
Sun Shadows
The sun has been making brief appearances in our end of the valley again, in select areas and only a few minutes at a time. I took this last week just after it had dropped behind Eagle Peak and cast shadows of the mountains onto the clouds.
I'll be back in Cuba on Friday and while I do look forward to the tropical weather, I hope to return to a still-snow-covered landscape - skiing has been wonderful on the river this season!
Thank you all for following along. I will soon be posting from Cuba!
🇨🇺
Colin
Frozen Landscape
My first shared image of 2020, taken on the coldest day we've had in recent memory. Despite being in perpetual shade this time of year with current temps hovering around -20˚F, a bit of reflected light will warm the spirit, and there’s no solitude like that of a quiet winter day.
Have a beautiful Monday out there!
Colin
Post-Christmas Blues
Winter finally arrived in Eagle River Valley on Christmas Day! We had almost no snow going into the holiday so I was happy with the ensuing winter wonderland. The ice in the glacial river was a nice hue under the overcast light while the rest of the scene was almost monotone.
All the best for 2020,
Colin
Short Winter Video
There's something magical in the solitude of a quiet winter day, with only the sound of water rushing past. We've gotten another 6 inches of fresh snow and it's still falling. I was able to put a few miles on my skis today and explore the video features of the Nikon D750. I am by no means calling myself a videographer, but please enjoy a few seconds of solace.
Colin
New Snow
It's starting to look more like winter in the valley and was great to get out on my skis yesterday for the first time this season. Looks like we got a few more inches overnight to boot! Have a great week out there and remember I am running specials on both canvas (20% off) and metal prints (10% off) at my online store: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store/
Cheers,
Colin
Earthquake!
Hello everyone! Checking in from Eagle River, Alaska. We had a powerful earthquake this morning. Thankfully, the Eagle River Nature Center is still standing. There is a lot to clean up - broken glass, sheetrock dust, items that fell from shelves, tiles that were literally shaken loose from the bathroom wall. We are without power and I have no idea how long that will last. Apparently there is a lot of damage to roads and bridges in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. I took a short walk earlier to observe the avalanches & rock slides that resulted from the shakes. The river and creek are both murky from sediment that was shaken up, sheets of ice have broken apart and the aftershocks continue to rumble. The first photo here shows a large slide below Eagle Peak.
I would like to thank everyone for checking in with me, I do appreciate your concern. So far it seems that the loss has been to property rather than life.
Much love,
Colin
Aerial View of Eagle River Valley
A bird's eye view of Eagle River Valley and Glacier Lake (the source of Eagle River). Last night I flew with a local pilot friend of mine to take some aerial of the valley where I live. It's always fascinating to see this area from a different perspective. Clouds were building over the mountains, blocking the direct sunlight over the areas I most wanted to photograph, so we will probably fly again in the next few days before the fall color is gone. Have a great Wednesday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
Snow Day
Hello friends,
I haven’t posted in a while and to be honest, the rain, icy trails, and overall lack of winter have left me a bit uninspired. More importantly though, life takes place offline, which is exactly why I decided to disconnect and get outside today. With steady snowfall and temps hovering around 0˚F, it is finally starting to look (and feel) like winter in the valley again. If this continues I should be back out on my skis soon!
Have a great weekend out there, wherever you are in the world.
Colin
River Skiing
Lovely afternoon to be skiing on the river today. We don't have a lot of snow in the valley but there were still plenty of fresh tracks to be made as well as places like this to stop and reflect. Don't let the cold temps keep you inside, get out and chase the light!
Colin
Frozen Salmon
I walked out to one of my favorite spots along the river this morning. Surprised to find it nearly frozen solid, I decided it was an opportunity to turn my camera away from the big scene and take a closer look at the rapidly changing river. As a true testament to the season, frost flowers have returned and there was a salmon completely encased in ice.
Have a great Monday out there!
Colin
Foggy, Frosty, Monochrome Morning
Not all the world is a sunny day and with apologies to Paul Simon, not everything looks worse in black and white. It's been quite foggy in the valley the past few days, creating an ethereal mood in the frosty mornings that is perfect for monochrome images.
Also, if you venture out to the Eagle River Nature Center, the Albert Loop Trail has reopened for the season, which is where I took this earlier. The glacier has stopped melting and you will notice how the water is clearing as the silt is carried downstream.
Happy Friday, have a great weekend out there!
Colin
