My New Youtube Channel

It is with great excitement, and a lot of anxiety, that I announce the launch of my new photography/vlog/humor Youtube channel, Alaska Brian. Many Alaskans are world-class adventurers, daring boat captains, self-sufficient homesteaders and hunters... I am none of those. Instead, I am a mediocre photographer, coward adventurer and all-around sleepyhead who is in bed by 9:30 pm more often than not. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy being mediocre and embrace being a goofball at the same time.

My channel will not get too deep into photography how-to's and gear reviews; there are already so many great channels that do that better than I ever could. Instead, I want to share my strange but beautiful corner of the world and give insight to what it's like to be to be a landscape photographer, outdoors enthusiast and family guy above 60 degrees latitude. I've embedded my most recent episode below. If you enjoy, please consider liking, subscribing, and commenting. They are easy to do and help me out a lot!

You can help me out a ton by subscribing to my channel. Just click the icon below!

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Visit THE ARCHIVE: A list of most of my articles and posts sorted by category

Copyright notice: This website and all its contents are the intellectual property of Brian Wright Photography. None of the content can be used or reproduced without expressed written approval.
For information about how to contact us, visit this link

Eklutna Lake: An Endless Cruise

 

Eklutna Lake, a large reservoir on the fringes of the Anchorage Municipality, provides a hub for recreation of all types. On warm summer afternoons bikers, kayakers, hikers and backpackers flock to the 7-mile-long lake. The rugged peaks of the Chugach Range surround the upstream ends and melt from the Eklutna Glacier spills from the mountains to replenish the water. As the main source of drinking water and electricity for the City of Anchorage, it is not an overstatement to say that Eklutna Lake is a central figure in the life of Alaska's largest city.

On a recent trip to Eklutna Lake, my wife, daughter and I passed a night at one of the cabins on the lakeshore. I took the opportunity to photograph yet another new location, something I have been lucky to do quite a bit this summer. Though I found it somewhat difficult to find ideal compositions during my trip, there was plenty of curvy lake bends, side streams, and nearby mountains to frame up a few good shots. Though I doubt any will end up in my portfolio, I got a few worth sharing here in my blog. With an abundance of cottonwood and poplars, I imagine that fall colors can really explode here at the lake. I would love to return in mid-September when finding a true masterpiece might just be possible.

Besides the photography, however, spending a couple days in a cabin along the lake proved well worth the time and effort. Though the first mile of the trail was fairly busy, once we got down to our cabin a sense of calm and peace fell over the landscape. The trail is very easy, and more or less flat, making it ideal for a getaway without too much of a challenge. However, the twelve-mile trail provides an almost endless cruise for the taking for anyone motivated to try it. 

Eklutna Lake Image Gallery- Click for higher resolution images

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Visit THE ARCHIVE: A list of most of my articles and posts sorted by category

Copyright notice: This website and all its contents are the intellectual property of Brian Wright Photography. None of the content can be used or reproduced without expressed written approval.
For information about how to contact us, visit this link

Denali: From the National Park and Beyond

Denali boasts many accolades. It is North America's highest peak and one of the Seven Summits. It is the world's third most prominent peak by the official "topographical prominence" measure. It has, by far, the highest latitude of the Seven Summits. By all measures, it is an incredible mountain. 

Denali is also elusive. A widely used anecdote claims that only 30% of visitors who seek the mountain even get to see it. The other 70% find only a swirl of clouds where the mountain should be. That is why on a recent trip when we got three full days of completely unimpeded views of the "Great One," we were truly lucky.

A visit to Denali National Park & Preserve, however, is much more than just a visit to this great mountain. Along the way we also saw two grizzly bears, six caribou and three Dall sheep, three of "Big Five" Alaskan animals (wolves and moose were elusive on this trip, though I have seen both, especially moose, before). Though many of these encounters were too far even for the 400 mm lens to capture a good image, there were times when I just had to put the camera down and realize this adventure wasn't just about photos.

After leaving the park, we were treated to incredible views of the big mountain all along the Parks Highway. The glaciated summit and ridges swan in and out of view like a ghost rising and sinking through the trees. We made several pit stops to frame up new views of the mountain's many facades. And before heading back to my home on the Kenai Peninsula, we passed a night in the quaint town of Talkeetna where the views of the mountain somehow seemed even better.

Though the skies were too blue and there was no sunrise and sunset in July to make for ideal photography conditions, it is hard to complain about three incredible days circling one of the world's iconic mountains, and some of the images I captured were good enough to satiate the photographer inside me.

Denali area image gallery (click to view higher resolution images)

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Visit THE ARCHIVE: A list of most of my articles and posts sorted by category

Copyright notice: This website and all its contents are the intellectual property of Brian Wright Photography. None of the content can be used or reproduced without expressed written approval.
For information about how to contact us, visit this link