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,
AlaskaPhotoGraphics
2923 Moose Mountain Road
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709
907.750.4065
Business office hours: 8am to 5pm Alaska Time (4 hours behind NY)
by Patrick Endres
5 comments
Patrick - Jim,
That sounds nightmarish indeed. I have a love-hate relationship with rafting. It is great since you can take so much stuff, including decent food and camera gear. And then, well, you can take so much stuff that you have to schlep it all the time. As a photographer, there is not much of a way around that issue I guess. It is just impossible to go super-light. All in all though, those river trips are fantastic. So far, no major dragging for me, I hope to keep it that way.
Jim McCann - Patrick,
I’ve been fortunate to float many of Alaska’s rivers and know exactly what you mean! I once pitched camp a comfortable distance from the Kiwolik River on the Seward Peninsula knowing full well the river couldn’t rise high enough overnight to cause me any problems. Wrong! I awakened earlier than expected to a warm, moist feeling around my feet and in my down sleeping bag. Not quite the same feeling as the movie producer in the “Godfather” movie when he woke up and felt the blood from the horse head left in his bed, but close. I moved camp immediately and learned a valuable lesson or two.
But my worst memory of remote river floating had to do with a lack of water, not too much water. I dragged a raft and heavy gear for days, falling dangerously exhuasted into my sleeping bag each night and tossing and turning not so much from aches and pains as the nightmarish idea of repeating the drudgery in a few short hours. And all the time it poured down rain!
Jim
P.S. Had a nice talk with Hugh today.
Patrick - Eli,
I’ve not ventured into the time lapse video. Many colleagues have done it, but I find I’m not usually willing to dedicate a camera to it. It makes some great vids though.
Tim Newton - Very Interesting! Thanks!
Eli Mitchell - Have you ever done time-lapse videos? This would have been an interesting scene.