Kayaker's Cove

There is nothing like unplugging from civilization. Places like Kayaker's Cove in Alaska's Resurrection Bay, near the town of Seward, are perfect to retreat from the worries of civilization, even if only for a short while. You cannot get service at Kayaker's Cove, so unless you paddle out around the tall rock escarpments that surround the tiny cache of cabins, you are forced to entertain yourself the old fashioned way: with good company, and a sound mind.

We've made a point to take an annual trip out to Kayaker's Cove. Unfortunately, this year the weather didn't co-operate perhaps as we'd hoped. The rain didn't let up, not even for a moment, for the entire three days we were out there. From a photography standpoint, however, the mist and fog presented a different opportunity. Challenging conditions force me to look for compositions that differ from my normal style. I find myself finding shots that I might not have if the light and the weather had been different. 

So here is a small collection of shots from or three-day trip to Kayaker's Cove. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And if you really enjoy, consider liking my Facebook or Instagram pages, or sharing this post with your friends. It is always much appreciated.

(Click for higher resolution images)

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Eagle River Nature Center Photography

Black and white of dramatic peaks at the
Eagle River Nature Center

The Eagle River Nature Center is a nature reprieve near the town of Eagle River, Alaska. Resplendent with towering mountains and lush Alaska forest, this incredibly scenic area is shared by a bevy of wildlife such as bears and moose and a strong contingent of hikers, backpackers, packrafters and, of course, photographers. After hearing about it, and seeing photos of it for years, I finally had a chance to see it for myself last weekend and it did not disappoint.

While spending two night in the Rapids Camp Yurt about two miles up the Eagle River Nature Center trail, it was hard to know what to point my camera at. Incredible sights surrounded camp. Low clouds and fog gave the jagged peaks a moody, dramatic appearance, and frequent wildlife casually walked all around us. We had close-ish encounters with several bull moose, a mom black bear with two cubs and heard reports from other hikers about sightings of brown bears as well. When we hiked out on Saturday morning, signs at the Nature Center itself warned that a "small group of hikers" had been charged by a brown bear the day before. Needless to say it is a place where you want to keep your bear spray close at hand at all times.

A smattering of other images. Click for higher resolution

Bull moose at the Eagle River Nature Center

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Butterflies on the shores of the Eagle River

Dramatic mountains 

Snow capped peaks and low clouds

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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

The Magic of Long Exposure: Capturing Movement in a Still Image

At Hogwarts, in the world of Harry Potter, still images come alive with movement. However, most of us are muggles and our photographs must seem dull and boring compared to those wizards. Lucky for us, there is another way to infuse motion (or at least the impression of it) into a still photograph. That secret magic is long exposure....

Long exposure is created by opening the shutter for long periods of time. Whether it's "short" long exposure, like one-sixth of a second (just long enough to give a pleasing blur to moving creeks or ocean waves), or long long exposure that can last for several minutes or more, this technique creates images that have that mystic and ethereal quality that I have come to love in photography.

Long exposure came to me at a time when I was reaching a stagnation point. I felt like I was going to the same locations and taking the same compositions over and over. Discovering long exposure, however, opened my mind to a whole realm of possibilities and I've been scurrying about to all the familiar locations with fresh ideas ever since. Here is a sample of images I have created since discovering a passion for long exposure. Which of these images are your favorites? What do you think of long exposure? I would love to hear your feedback and criticism in the comments.

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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