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)
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What makes the colors so pastel? Is there lots of moisture in the air or the angle of light in the far north?
Here ( high desert Nevada) a fire photo is very orange no mater time of day.
Your fire is very pretty.
Jan, The sunrise was quite pink this morning, so the angle of light here, although the sun is not risen yet, is coming from a near perpendicular angle and probably contributes to the pastel, more pink color.
Hi Patrick,
Nice shot of the fire, sad to hear about your leaves being blown away with those high winds. I saw from Anchorage Daily News that winds around Girdwood were pushing a 120 mph with the Portage Glacier area received 5 inches of rain. I have a feeling this winter will come early & harshly-stay warm & dry as you can Patrick!
Look forward to your next photo
Shalom
Chuck Ashley