Spending time photographing gulls swooping over the dark waters of Kasitsna Bay was one of the great pleasures of my Alaska trip.
Into the Light
Alaska Golden Hour
Golden hour in Homer! I don’t remember what time it was- maybe 11pm?- but the rain had stopped and the golden light had lit up the clouds over Kachemak Bay and surrounding mountains.
Lupine in the Rain
When we were driving in Homer, I noticed lupines growing all along the bike path where the old wooden boats were displayed. I remember seeing them when I was photographing the wonderful boats several years ago, but it seemed like there were even more now in 2021- just a sea of violet blue! I kept saying we needed to stop so I could take some photos.
The evening before we left Homer, we parked across from where the bike path started and hustled across the street to take photos. It was raining, but well, it’s Alaska! I made quite a few shots, including some with intentional blur. This image is a composite of two images, identical except that one was blurred (intentional camera movement).
Classic
Vacation photos from Alaska aren’t complete without an eagle photo! They were everywhere- especially where we stayed on a beach on Kachemak Bay. This photo was taken on one of our excursions to Gull Island.
Lily
Another Alaska photo- from the Anchorage Botanical Garden- a Turk’s Cap Lily, the sign said. We had so much fun wandering around with the boys. We had been there before- last time we saw a bear!- but it was great to go back. Their plants and displays are beautiful and so different from the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I’ll post more in the future- all taken with my Lensbaby.
Wings
I have been doing intentional camera movement (ICM) for many years off and on, but I have never enjoyed it as much as I have when photographing birds this summer. The image below is gulls over Alaska’s Kasitsna Bay near the cabin on the MacDonald Spit where we stayed for our fiftieth anniversary.
Gull Island
One of the highlights of our Alaska trip was a two hour boat trip to Gull Island in Kachemak Bay. We enjoyed it so much that we actually returned the next day!
Gull Island is the breeding ground for several types of sea birds who return every year to make (and reuse) their nests and lay their eggs. There seemed to be many more kittiwakes (the white gulls) than the other species, and you can see them flying around and dotting the cliff in their nests. There were also many common murres and some puffins. A few eagles were sitting on the tops of the cliffs. Otters played in the waters below.
Low Clouds Over Kachemak Bay
Our first day and a half in Homer, Alaska were rainy. The surrounding peaks were mostly invisible behind clouds. But at the end of our first full day, the rain had mostly stopped and light was peeking through the clouds.
Moose!
We returned yesterday from Alaska- arriving at 6:15am in Phoenix after a smooth but excruciating overnight flight from Anchorage. It was a smooth flight with the potential for a good night’s sleep in the darkened cabin, BUT. . . the lady behind us had brought her CAT which yowled continually the entire time! Sleep was beyond reach for me- I watched a movie and tried to calm my frazzled nerves by playing a meditation album on my iPhone and taking photos out the window. Lonnie actually managed to sleep for a few hours.
None of the above diminished the joy I felt from our wonderful reunion with our daughter and family and our 50th anniversary vacation within a vacation! It was perfect!
I’m posting an iconic Alaska photo first, because previously I had managed to travel to Alaska at least 5 times without capturing a moose image! It was raining lightly as we drove along the Seward highway as we were leaving Anchorage. We spotted a small group of moose, pulled over, and managed to get a shot of this young moose before he turned back to resume eating. The others had already disappeared into the brush. I love the look in his eye as he spotted us!
In the Woods
I don’t know what these wildflowers are called, but I was attracted to their wild shagginess.
Seen on our 2018 Alaska trip.
Into the Forest
A L A S K A- green trees and wildflowers!
Of course it’s also majestic peaks, glaciers, icy seas, and incredible wildlife . . .
Blue Poppies
Himalayan blue poppies became one of my favorite flowers on a previous visit to Homer. Here’s an image from 2018. I hope to see more on this year’s trip.
Alaska Bound!
We will be in Alaska for the next two weeks! I am scheduling a few posts of some photos from previous Alaska trips to publish while I’m gone. We’ll be seeing our Alaska family for the first time in a year and a half; their youngest, Henry is now 10 1/2 and Miles is a teenager- 13 1/2! AND we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary!
Here is where we’ll be celebrating- Homer, Alaska!
Here Come the Pelicans!
Here is another almost abstract image created by using intentional camera movement and slow shutter speed. Although it might look like I added a texture, this is almost straight out of camera. I find it so interesting the different effects that can be created this way.
Morning Flyover
The morning fog was just beginning to give way to a bit of sunlight as I took this photo of a gull flying overhead at Newport Beach. I love the quiet of mornings at the beach!
melinda anderson photography 