Atlantic Walrus

The Atlantic walrus, or Odobenus rosmarus, is also known as “Tooth Walker” by Inuit peoples because they use their tusks to haul themselves ashore and move around on land. Odobenus translates from Latin as “tooth walking sea horse.”

Svalbard, Norway was my first opportunity to witness and photograph these saber-toothed sea cows of the north (I wrote that one). At more than 2,000 pounds, they are massive creatures, and it would be easy to underestimate their agility by just watching them on land but to observe them in the water is a different story…

I have more to share from our Svalbard adventure with Oceanwide Expeditions, so please stay tuned. We may eventually take a group there with Nat Expo Tours, but for now we are scheduled to return to arctic Norway for an Aurora & Arctic Landscape Tour in March of 2023! Please message me for details on that or visit our website: https://naturalexposurestours.com/norway-tour/

Cheers!

Colin

 

 

 

Atlantic Puffins, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

The Westman Islands in Iceland are home to the world's largest Atlantic puffin colony. We were lucky to have great weather on the islands as we observed & photographed the puffins collecting food for their young, which will soon emerge from their burrows and plunge into the ocean below. Take a look at the third image and you'll see what I mean when I say these little sh*ts are challenging to capture in flight...

We have already scheduled next year's Iceland tour with Nat Expo Tours. Dates are June 19-28, 2023. Cost is $4,695. More details on our website: www.natexpotours.com

Please message me if you have any questions. Thank you and feel free to share!

Colin

Icelandic Horse Hairstyles

What else to do on a windy day in Akureyri but photograph Icelandic horses? The seas were too rough for our scheduled whale watch, so we took our group to local farms & equestrian centers to appreciate the beautiful breed of horses only found in Iceland. The light and wind were perfect in nature’s studio for creating these portraits…

Stay tuned for details on our 2023 Iceland tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC. We are looking to add new activities next year, possibilities include a horseback ride and a guided expedition to a glacier cave.

Cheers!

Colin

Humpback whale in Iceland's longest fjord, Ejyafjördur

After 2 days of strong winds, we were able to take our group out with Whale Watching Hauganes on Sunday morning before driving back to Reykjavik for the final night of the tour. It definitely was one of the best whale experiences I've had in Iceland, with several moments like this right next to our boat.

I'm home and getting settled in, with a bit of editing here & there. I have much more to share from both Svalbard and Iceland in the coming days. We will be posting details of our 2023 Iceland Tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC in the near future as well, and we are looking at June of next year...

As always, thank you for following along,

Colin

Svalbard

Svalbard, Norway.

I am fortunate to have visited this iconic destination, a place sought after by almost any nature photographer. We spent 9 days cruising around the archipelago with Oceandwide Expeditions, making land excursions (when there weren't any polar bears present) and going beyond 82˚ North latitude, within 500 miles of the north pole. We saw a total of 12 bears, one walking across the polar icepack. I will have more to share when I have time to edit through thousands of images & videos. I am now in Iceland, leading a photography tour with Nat Expo Tours.

As always, thank you for following along!

Colin

Polar bear on the icepack

Arctic plant life

Morning sky from the bow of the Ortelius

Boreal Owlets

Hello Everyone,

Here is a bit of extreme cuteness for your day...

These are boreal owlets, a species slightly larger and somewhat similar in appearance to the northern saw-whet owl. Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to join two biologists and photograph the process of banding the little owls before they fledged from the nest. I am always honored and grateful for these opportunities to expand my knowledge of local wildlife and witness first-hand the process of assisting a species to proliferate. Between both biologists, they monitor approximately 100 nesting boxes throughout Alaska, and this was the only box inhabited by boreal owls…

Thank you, as always, for following along, and have a great weekend!

Colin

Northern Saw-whet Owl

This is probably my best image of an adult saw-whet owl to date. They are very small creatures and mostly nocturnal, which makes sightings & photo ops extremely rare. Stay tuned for more owl photos in the coming days, including boreal owlets...

Have a great Monday out there and thank you for following along!

Colin

Nature Photography Day, 2022

Happy Nature Photography Day, 2022! A far cry from the days of shooting film, the art and technology of photography continues to evolve and while I do miss the simplicity and excitement of examining 35mm slides after a big shoot, the limit of what is possible continues to expand beyond what was imaginable just a few years ago.

Aurora borealis time lapse video. Taken in Eagle River Valley, April 2022.

As always, thank you for following along!

Colin

PS - If you received this via email, please click “Read in browser” to view the video

End of Aurora Season...

I think it's safe to say the aurora viewing season is over at this latitude. Last season was very active, and the activity should continue to increase as we move toward the solar maximum. Here are a few more images from April 9 in Eagle River Valley, AK.

I plan to guide aurora tours again next season for Alaska Photo Treks and if all goes as planned, Mike Haring and I will add a multi-day aurora tour to our schedule with Nat Expo Tours next spring.

Thank you for following along and have a great weekend!

Colin

PS - I recently updated the my aurora borealis galleries…

More April 9 Aurora

Another favorite image from the night of April 9, 2022. Again, the aurora dances over Harp Mountain next to a bright moon. Here you can see the footbridge on the Albert Loop trail leading into the forest and toward the river, a favorite route at the Eagle River Nature Center.

Alas, my tour business partner and I are looking into the possibility of leading an aurora photography tour in the spring of 2023 with Nat Expo Tours. Potential destinations include Arctic Alaska or northern Scandinavia. Please stay tuned for details…

Cheers!

Colin

 

Earth Day 2022

Early morning aurora over Dillon Mountain, Brooks Range, Alaska, March 31, 2022.

Happy Earth Day, 2022! Earth Day is significant to me for many reasons, and every year I make a point to explore someplace new on this date. I am currently in my home state of Minnesota and will be visiting a local wildlife refuge for the first time.

Thank you for following and I hope you take some time to enjoy the outdoors today...

Colin

 



Aurora over Sukakpak Mountain

Back to the Arctic for this one - the aurora dances over Sukakpak Mountain in Alaska's Brooks Range. Taken in the early morning hours of March 31, 2022 near the community of Wiseman.

Looks like I will be guiding one more aurora tour for the season with Alaska Photo Treks tonight. Fingers crossed we have a nice display for our guests!

Colin

 

April Auroras, Eagle River Valley

If you had clear skies this past weekend, you may have been treated to some vibrant auroras - truly one of the most brilliant displays I’ve seen in this part of Alaska!

I had two students who were making up a class rescheduled from last month, and our timing was perfect. They learned the basics of setting up to shoot the lights and then got a crash course in making quick adjustments to capture fast moving aurora! In the end, we all came away with beautiful images.

Have a great week out there and thank you for following along!

Colin 

 

M M M My Corona!

From the Latin word for crown, 'corona' refers to an auroral display that appears to be flowing from a central point, generally directly overhead. These were taken in the early morning hours of March 31, 2022 in Alaska's Brooks Range, well above the Arctic Circle. If you look closely, you can see the Big Dipper is at the center of the corona.

Thank you for following along, and please stay tuned for more arctic auroras...

Colin

 

Brooks Range Auroras – March 30, 2022

Just north of Wiseman lies what is likely the most recognizable and photographed mountain on Alaska’s Dalton Highway, Mount Sukakpak. The translation from Inupiat is: “Marten deadfall.”

We set up at this location for most of the night, the aurora was visible as soon as twilight arrived. It was faint at first but displaying a spectrum of color, the intensity continuing to build toward morning. These were taken early, with the brightest and most active period coming later, shortly before daybreak.  

 As always, thank you for following. More to come...

Colin

 

Arctic Road Trip

There is no place quite like the far north, the Arctic. I just returned from a 1,500-mile road trip to Alaska’s Brooks Range and the log cabin community of Wiseman. My goal was to capture arctic auroras and a bit of wildlife. I was joined by a good friend from Minnesota, Joe, and his daughter, Nadia, who was on spring break. While most spring breakers go south, we went well above the Arctic Circle to a beautifully remote landscape and our timing could not have been better - we witnessed a vibrant display last Wednesday night/Thursday morning that certainly was one of my best sessions in more than twenty years of aurora chasing! We also had great weather to drive over Atigun Pass onto the north slope, where we were welcomed by dozens of caribou.

I will be sharing more aurora images in the coming days, so please stay tuned…

Colin 

 

Joe and Nadia watching the aurora dance across the sky

A small herd of barren ground caribou in Atigun Pass

A dirty Four Runner with extra fuel on top is a sign of a great road trip to the far north…

More Knik River Auroras

Two more images from Tuesday night's colorful display, taken while guiding for Alaska Photo Treks. I explained to my group how the colors of the aurora are caused by charged particles colliding with different gas molecules at varying altitudes and how red can be difficult to see. Lo and behold, within the hour we had visible colors in the aurora and the guests were elated...

Colin

Auroras over Knik River, Alaska

The sky was active over the Knik River last night and I had the pleasure of guiding a group of visitors for Alaska Photo Treks, all but one of whom had never seen the aurora borealis before. As many times as I have witnessed and photographed this beautiful phenomenon, it never gets old, and being able to share it with first timers and watch their excitement is a gift...

Colin

Aurora Borealis over Knik River, March 22/23, 2022

Namibian Independence Day

Namibia, one of Africa’s youngest countries and one of the continent’s best functioning democracies. Today marks 32 years since gaining their independence from South Africa. With a storied and at times, brutal history, it’s also a country with rich culture and a promising future. Roughly 40% of Namibia’s land is protected - land that is home to the world’s oldest desert, scenery that is otherworldly, and an array of wildlife that includes at least 50% of the world’s remaining black rhinos.


I look forward to returning to Namibia in October, and I am happy to say that our tour is now 100% full. I hope our guests will be inspired as much as I was on my first visit last year. For anyone interested in joining us, we will be starting a waitlist for 2023. Please contact me for more information, or visit our website: www.natexpotours.com

Colin

 

Damara Living Museum

Damara Living Museum

Himba Community

Damara Living Museum

Kirkjufell Rainbow

Kirkjufell, Iceland's most famous/photographed mountain, under a heavy wind & rainstorm last summer...

Great news - Iceland recently lifted its Covid travel restrictions! Visitors are no longer required to test prior entry or show proof of vaccination. We are optimistic that things will continue trending in the right direction and we now have 6 people confirmed for the August 2022 Iceland tour with Nat Expo Tours, LLC. If you or anyone you know is interested in visiting Iceland this summer, visit our website for more details or message us if you have any questions. Dates are Aug. 13-22 and we are still offering early-booking discounts: www.natexpotours.com

Takk 🇮🇸!

Colin