Wednesday, September 4, 2024

A Year of YouTube: Did I Get Rich? Did I Learn Anything?

Alaska landscape photography
Callisto Peak, Resurrection Bay, Alaska
What can Youtube offer creators? What has a year of Youtube taught me? Is it still worth it to have a Youtube channel even if you have less than 1K subs? 

Are you thinking about starting a YouTube photography channel? It can be a fun and worthwhile experience despite the amount of work and lack of financial reward that most channels experience in their first year. I learned a great deal about videography, how to set up great shots, capture crisp sound and tell a compelling story. I still have a long way to go and haven't gained as much traction as I hoped, but the process has been a lot of fun. Ultimately, if you are having fun, then creating a new YouTube channel is worth it.

In this episode of Alaska Brian I look back at a year of posting videos almost weekly on Youtube and think about what I learned from using the platform and what I plan to do going forward.

Here is the short film I made to celebrate a year of YouTube and ponder a bit of what I've learned and whether or not it was worth all the work.



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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.

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Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Five Alaska Photography Locations You MUST See!!

The Harding Icefield in Kenai Fjords National Park
The Harding Icefield in Kenai Fjords National Park
Alaska is a state of incredible natural beauty. Wildlife, mountains, glaciers, flowers… It is a photographer’s paradise. There is an endless list of photography locations to visit, all of which will provide stunning landscape photography that will dazzle your friends and social media followers. But here are five Alaska locations for landscape photography and wildlife photography that you shouldn’t miss the next time you’re visiting the Last Frontier.

Hatcher Pass

One of Alaska’s great playgrounds is Hatcher Pass. Located just outside of Palmer, Alaska, Hatcher Pass is accessible, dynamic and spectacular. Casual hikers can find excellent views along the road, from the Hatcher Pass lodge or at the historic Independence Mine. And even more drama is available to the more adventurous with one of several long day hikes, such as the Gold Mint Trail or Reed Lakes, or for backpackers who take on the ultra-classic Bomber Traverse.

Kesugi Ridge (Denali State Park)

A lot of travelers make a beeline for Denali National Park when they reach Alaska, and for good reason. But some of the best views of Denali and the Alaska Range are found in Denali State Park. And though some of these views can be seen when you drive the Parks Highway north from Wasilla towards Denali National Park, the very best views come from Kesugi Ridge, a raised escarpment in the Talkeetna Range that parallels the highway. A classic multiday Kesugi Ridge backpack trip is the best way to experience the numerous compositions for photographing Alaska that Kesugi offers, but for those with less time, several trailheads allow you to day hike up to ridge and find those classic views of North America’s tallest mountain and its friends.

Kachemak Bay State Park

Located a short boat ride from the scenic coastal town of Homer, Kachemak Bay State Park is a relatively accessible wonderland for adventure and photography. Individual locations are numerous, but some favorites include Grewingk Glacier Lake, the town of Seldovia, and Grace Ridge.

Harding Icefield

Though the Harding Icefield Trail, known locally as the “H.I.T,” is a strenuous nine mile hike that gains nearly 3,000’, it epitomizes Alaska and climaxes with an astonishing view of the Harding Icefield, the largest icefield entirely in the United States. The Harding Icefield and the many glaciers that flow off it form a continuous sheet of ice approximately 1,000 square miles in size. It is one of the crown jewels of Kenai Fjords National Park. The sheer scale of the icefield is almost impossible to believe when you stand its edge from the end of the H.I.T.

Boat tour

All right, this feels like a cop-out because it isn’t really a location. But one of the best ways to see and photograph the stunning coasts of Alaska is on a boat tour. From the sea you get views of some of the most beautiful but otherwise inaccessible terrain in the state. In the process you’ll almost assuredly see whales, puffins, sea lions, and other Alaska wildlife. There are many locations from which you can launch on a boat tour, but some of the best include Glacier Bay National Park, Prince William Sound, and Kenai Fjords National Park.

Here is the video:



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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.

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Monday, August 19, 2024

The Mt. Marathon Racer Who Disappeared (With Video)

July 4, 2012. Seward, Alaska.  During one the most popular foot races in state, Mount Marathon, a racer disappears, never to be seen again. 

This is the story of the vanishing of Michael LeMaitre.

The Mount Marathon Race is one of America’s oldest foot races. Almost every 4th of July for well over 100 years people have gathered in Seward, 

Alaska to cheer on runners as they scale the steep, barren slopes of Mount Marathon. Starting near sea level on 4th Street in downtown, the relatively short race ascends nearly 3,000 feet to a false summit called Race Point on the great mountain’s eastern flank. To win Mount Marathon is to become an instant legend in the circles of Alaska athletics. And though many compete to steal that honor, only one can stand atop the victory podium and bask in that glory. The names of those who do are etched into race lore forever….

Will Michael LeMaitre ever be found? What happened to Michael LeMaitre? I climb to Mt. Marathon's Race Point to examine this curious, eerie disappearance for myself and try to guess at what happened to the racer who disappeared during the Mount Marathon Race.

Online theories to explain his disappearance range from alien abduction, to interdimensional portals, to an intentional disappearing act pulled off by LeMaitre. 

Until some sign of LeMaitre is discovered, the real truth of what happened that day, will always be one of Alaska’s greatest outdoor mysteries 


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

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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