Photographer Patrick J Endres

Alaska has been my home for nearly 30 years, and its epic landscape continues to lure me, both personally, and professionally as a freelance stock and assignment photographer.

I grew up in a small town in southern Wisconsin, surrounded by the rolling hills of green farmland and hardwood forests. Adolescent curiosities and dreams of the future turned my vision north, and at age eighteen I ventured to Alaska—that seemingly mythical realm of adventure and land of extremes. I am not unlike many northern sojourners, lured to Alaska for reasons of intrigue and fascination, and compelled to remain by its giant space and rugged wilderness. Adventure is the seed of discovery, and Alaska is a place fertile and rich with opportunities for both.

Alaska’s natural world serves as a gateway into ubiquitous photographic material, from which I have sampled abundantly, but it is the layers and depth of its landscapes that now lure me most. While style is often found in the rear view mirror, I know that my long-time fascination with color and light, two fundamental aspects of painting and photography, weave their way into what may be descriptive of my work. I’m constantly intrigued by the influence of one upon the other.

My professional career is best summarized by nearly 30,000 images that span the last 17 years. These images are marketed through my business stock photography website www.alaskaphotographics.com and they represent isolated moments in a fluid journey across Alaska’s vibrant landscape. Some are the result of serendipity, some of extensive planning and scouting, but all tell a small part of larger story. The process of their creation has been a voiceless, but not silent teacher, and I as the student am perpetually exhorted that the gift of seeing requires more than the eyes that see.

I’ll be sharing some visual goods and comments about my ventures here so stop back often and let this be your virtual Alaska.

Thanks for visiting,
Contacts

AlaskaPhotoGraphics
2923 Moose Mountain Road
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709
907.750.4065

Business office hours: 8am to 5pm Alaska Time (4 hours behind NY)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Waved Albatross, Espanola Island, Galapagos

No comments

Nesting pair of Waved albatross, Punto Suarez, Espanola Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 100-400mm f/4L IS (200mm), 1/400 sec. @ f/7.1, ISO 200

The Waved Albatross, sometimes called the Galapagos Albatross, breeds primarily on Espanola Island. Like other albatrosses, it comes to shore only to breed and rear young. In the Archipelago, this happens in response to food availability, which is generally in early April, and we were fortunate enough to see the very beginning of their arrival to land. They are a beautiful, large bird, with a wingspan of about 7 feet, and enter into an elaborate courtship ritual which includes bill clacking and bowing. There were just a few pairs on land, with many flying over looking for nesting sights and mates.