Himba village, Nambia, October 2021
This past Saturday was the annual Winter Solstice Ice Lantern Walk at the Eagle River Nature Center. Unfortunately, the hundreds of ice lanterns that had been made by staff and volunteers did not survive the recent warm temps. Nevertheless, the crew stepped up and made luminaries of both white paper bags and reflective aluminum. Despite the lack of ice lanterns, the event was still a success. The performance by AK Fire Circus was dazzling as always, and the sights were awe-inspiring.
Colin
I arrived in Minnesota last week where winter is making a late appearance. A few days of low temps (uff-da!) has the lakes creaking and groaning as new ice forms. Meanwhile, the Midwest sunsets never disappoint. It's great to be back in my homeland for a few days to visit family & friends, make lefse with Mom, and explore the land that bore me.
Colin
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
Don't let the single digit temps deter you, if you'd like to avoid the crowds and shopping malls today we are offering free parking at the Eagle River Nature Center. Given the choice, I will always #optoutside.
Cheers,
Colin
Grateful for another beautiful day in this beautiful valley I call home, and for this crazy, beautiful life of mine. Thank you all for following my journey, supporting me, and encouraging me to continue doing what I do best. Happy Thanksgiving from my happy place.
Colin
We had a bit of aurora back in the valley last night. I made it out to capture a few frames before the activity subsided. With temps hovering around zero, I didn’t take long for any exposed skin to freeze but on the bright side, the moisture from my breath sure filled up the light beam from my headlamp.
Have a great holiday and thank you for following along,
Colin
The sun shone on this spot for 15 minutes today; that was the extent of direct sunlight in this part of the valley. In just a few days it will drop behind the mountains for the next two months. Despite the lack of sunshine and cold temps, I enjoy the quiet solitude of winter.
Colin
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
A big thank you to the staff at Providence for having me photograph the 2017 Providence Medical Staff Ball at the Denaina Center on Saturday, November 4. It was a lovely event that I truly enjoyed documenting. Here are the images from that night for attendees to peruse.
I look forward to doing this again next year!
Colin
Good morning from Eagle River Valley. The moon wasn't the only light source filling the sky in the wee hours today. We had a nice aurora display and from the looks of things, there could be more in the days ahead.
Have a great day out there and as always, thank you for following along!
Colin
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
The sun is sinking lower on the horizon every day now. In just a few weeks it will drop behind those mountains until late January, at which time it will appear for a few minutes a day, staying a bit longer with each pass and bringing the promise of spring. Alaska is a land of extremes, just like those who seek to embrace every season it has to offer.
Happy Thursday,
Colin
Auroras often take on unique shapes while transforming overhead in what is known as a corona. Mirrored images resembling a butterfly or angel wings are common, as are human and animal faces. This is probably why ancient cultures used mythical accounts involving deities and spirits to explain what we now understand is the result of solar particles colliding with gas atoms in the upper reaches of earth’s atmosphere.
Despite having this knowledge, watching images take form across the sky is no less magical and how you interpret them is completely subjective. With a bit of luck, we may have an opportunity to do some cosmic gazing in the next few days as a solar wind approaches earth. In the meantime, I am curious if you see any recognizable shapes in this photo? Share your interpretation in the comments.
Happy Halloween! Have a fun and safe holiday out there
Colin
I was hoping for a good aurora borealis display last night but alas, the lights did not cooperate. If earth's magnetic field doesn't shift far enough south, lights stay low on the horizon and are not visible back here in Eagle River Valley as we are surrounded by the Chugach Mountains. Since I have no new images to show, you may enjoy this short article about chasing auroras. I was recently interviewed by Melinda Munson of Tripod Communications for this piece. If you'd like to learn some of the basic science behind the northern lights and view some of my best images from over the years, follow this link: http://alaskafamilyfun.org/chasing-and-catching-the-northern-lights-p350-186.htm
Happy Aurora Chasing!
Colin
Most days I come out here just to breathe, nothing more. When the thoughts stop flowing and I find my breath, that’s when the magic happens. That’s when I find inspiration, when I can imagine.
Happy Birthday John Lennon.
Colin
September came on with a vengeance and now it has nearly passed. When the first dustings of snow arrived above 6,000 feet, I assumed it would quickly melt. Instead, it continued to accumulate, hopefully a sign of a snowy winter ahead. Have a great weekend out there, wherever you are!
PS - Don't forget about my signed & numbered bear print promotion. It's not too early to begin holiday shopping: http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/
Colin
Hello and happy Thursday, friends! I am grateful for the overwhelming response to the photos of the brown bear sow and cub that I shared recently. I have added both images to my online store, available on canvas, metal, or high-gloss photo paper. I have also decided to release the first ten artist proofs, 18x12" high-gloss prints, signed and numbered, for $75 each
It's never too early to begin shopping for the holidays! Follow the link to my online store: http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/
As always, thank you for following my journey. Every purchase helps to keep me out exploring and sharing with the world. Feel free to share!
Timing is everything. Another divine moment from yesterday morning's photo session. Somehow I managed to fire off 1,000 frames in a forty-minute span. The exhilaration left me with trembling hands and tears of gratitude.
Colin
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
Happy Autumn Equinox! Scenes like this make it easier to accept the fact that summer is officially behind us. Taken two days ago on the Crow Pass Trail, descending from the pass to Eagle River. In the background is Eagle Glacier, the source of Eagle River.
Colin
