I’m sure this won’t be the last- there were gorgeous views everywhere you looked!
This is somewhere near Palmer- I think.
Icy Sunset
Another view of sunset at the Eagle River Nature Center
Alaska Blues
Every day we were in Alaska, I would wander out onto the deck and take photos of the view.
Here is an afternoon blue hour shot:
Five
This row of trees seems to stand guard at the gap in the mountains at the nature center. In browsing through other photos of this area, I noticed everyone seems to take a photo of these same trees. They are somewhat ragtag and gawky looking, but there is just something about them!
At sunset, everything seemed to have a rosy glow.
I did another edit in black and white, but couldn’t seem to get the effect I wanted. Then I added a teal color layer and a texture, which gives it a snowy look. Just playing!
Frozen
Here is another view of the frozen landscape at the Eagle River Nature Center.
Alaska Drive-by
There is so much beautiful scenery in Alaska, and you can’t stop for every view- so you sometimes have to just keep clicking your shutter as you go down the freeway. In fact, my shutter jammed as I kept firing it in burst mode as we drove along (it did recover, thank goodness). I don’t know exactly where this was taken- somewhere between Palmer and Wasilla, I think.
Brrrr!
I think all my Alaska photos should be titled Brrrr– it was cold. We didn’t spend a lot of time outside, but I did accompany Justin and Caitlin- and Penny, the golden retriever, on a quick walk at the Eagle River Nature Center, at the Chugach State Park. I saw a very different scene from my visit in August!
That’s ice on the trees; the only snow was on the mountains. I think this photo was taken around three- thirty.
Aurora!
We have just returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving visit with our daughter’s family in Alaska- our first trip there in winter (I know it is technically fall, but it was WINTER there!). There was no snow, but the ground and many of the trees were covered with icy hoar frost. Daylight was limited, and the weather averaged in the low teens. Brrrr!
I was hoping to see the northern lights, but Caitlin had warned me that most nights had cloud covered skies, which blocked the view. I think it was the second morning we were there that she woke us up to tell us that she could see the aurora from the front deck. We staggered sleepily outside (it was not really that early- 7 a.m.- but it was dark, of course), and, after a few minutes of allowing our eyes to be accustomed to the darkness, we were treated to the sight of a faint aurora dancing around the dark skies. I grabbed my camera and set up the tripod for a long exposure. I hadn’t prepared for this and didn’t think anything was showing up on the LCD monitor. Caitlin offered to drive us a few miles down the road toward the state park, where she thought we would be able to see more. We pulled over in a likely spot, but alas, we could only see stars. I set up the tripod anyway and took three 15 second exposures anyway, stopping when I kept hearing rustling in the bushes. It wasn’t until I looked at the images on the computer that I realized that there was indeed a very small part of the aurora visible. My images were underexposed at 15 seconds- perhaps I needed to increase ISO or use a longer exposure. Next time, I will be more prepared!
Below is my favorite view, although the aurora is mini. This was taken from a pullout on the road.
Blast from the Past (well, August)
This is overlooking part of the town of Eagle River, outside Anchorage, Alaska, where our daughter’s family lives. In the distance you can see a bit of the Knik Arm- and an overcast sky, and in the foreground is fireweed, which was everywhere during our visit. We are returning to Alaska to spend Thanksgiving- and I’m sure it will look quite different!
Blue Hour
The harbor at Seward, Alaska during the blue hour (which is about as dark as it gets in August).
A Cruise through the Clouds
On our last morning in Seward, Alaska, we woke up to this view of a cruise ship, which had docked during the night. The early morning fog gave an air of mystery and magic to this gigantic ship, which looked like it was sailing through the clouds.
What Lies Beyond
I’m still going through my Alaska photos, which bring back memories of the beautiful sights we saw everywhere. This shot is from our boat trip out of Seward along the Kenai Fjords.
Shades of Green
Alaska is SO GREEN- at least in the summer. This was taken at the Eagle River Nature Center on our walk with the kids. As I look ahead to Fall, I am wondering what it looks like there now. I am imagining some golds among the greens.
Thank you, You came Here
Before we headed to Alaska last month, we looked at places we might visit during our short stay there. One of the places that caught my eye was the Eklutna Historical Park, near Eagle River, where our family lives. Advertised as an “Alaska Native and Russian Orthodox cultural experience“, the site includes two churches and an old cemetery, irresistible to this photographer/genealogist! As soon as we arrived, it started to rain, so we were only able to spend about a half hour there, but I managed to take a few photos while protecting my camera from the rain. The site is a blend of the Russian influence and the native Athabaskan tradition of building spirit houses over the graves of their family members. The church above is the new church, built in 1962.
Below are some of the colorful spirit houses in the old graveyard, which is still used. The log church is the original Russian Orthodox Church, built by the Russians some time between 1830 and 1870 in Knik. Around 1900, the building was moved to the old graveyard in Eklutna. The spirit houses show a blend of the Orthodox and native traditions, often decorated with the Orthodox cross.
Seward
The view from our balcony in Seward, Alaska during our stay:
melinda anderson photography 