Kayak Alaska

Enjoying an afternoon kayaking on Clover Pass. One of the excursions we opted for on an Alaskan cruise we took a few years back. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, even if we didn't spot a whale while we were out. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Finding Forrest

Taking photos in a forest can be difficult. It's often hard to find something that turns out well in a photograph. It's difficult to convey the depth of a forest in a two dimnensional medium. But if you look hard enough, sometimes you get lucky. I made this shot on Deer Mountain in Ketchikan, Alaska when we were went on a hike on one of our excursions from an Alaskan cruise last year. This stream bed provided just the right reference point to make a shot inside the forest.

Polar Express

I made this on one of our Alaskan Cruise excursions in May on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. We were headed back to Skagway after a quick trip to Canada for the day. Looking at this scene reminds me of the movie Polar Express, one of my favorite holiday movies. It felt like an appropriate photo to share as we are quickly approaching Christmas.

Kenai Rocks

We saw this scene as we were leaving Kenai Fjords National Park in May as we were driving over a bridge. My wife asked if I had noticed the view and we decided to go back for a second look. Glad we did because the view was pretty nice and well worth capturing for future enjoyment.

Solo Flight

A lone bird flies across the waters off the coast of Alaska. This was the scene I saw as we were leaving Glacier Bay National Park. Definitely an adventure of a lifetime to see such a beautiful place in this world.

Hiking Alaska

I posted the black and white version of this shot last month, but thought I'd share the color version today. If you are ever in Ketchikan, Alaska and would like to do a hike, I recommend checking out the Deer Mountain Trail. Nice hike through the beautiful Alaskan rainforest.

Bryn Mawr

Our last destination on our Alaskan cruise was College Fjord. From where College Fjord is, it appears it would be difficult to get to by any other means than a cruise. You'd really have to want to go here. Even on the rainy, cold day we visited the fjord it was quite stunning. This is a shot of Bryn Mawr glacier that I had to do quite a bit of editing to cut through the rain the area was receiving the day we were there. I'd love to see this place on a nice day. Even shrouded in clouds and rain it was amazingly beautiful. The only scary part was listening to the ship forge through the ice and hoping we wouldn't spring a leak.

Turning Kenai

Low tide on the Turnagain Arm looking south to the mountains in the Kenai Peninsula. This was taken just south of Anchorage, Alaska on what I consider one of the most beautiful drives I have ever been on. The highway to Seward, Alaska was lined with alpine lakes and snow-capped mountains. The railroad plays an important part in moving people and goods in Alaska and I felt it was nice to capture it in this shot. Too bad there wasn't a train coming when I was staging the shot. I wish we had more time to stop along the way to capture it's beauty, but we were limited on time and trying to reach Kenai Fjords National Park before it closed. Hard to believe half of 2014 is behind us. Thinking about the great places I've seen in the first half and looking forward to more adventures this year.

Cantilever Bridge

For you train buffs, this is on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad in Alaska. This steel cantilever bridge was the tallest such bridge when it was built in 1901. A piece of architectural ingenuity that was unmatched at the time.

Juneau Glacier

A view of the Mendenhall Glacier from Auke Bay. I think this shot gives you a pretty good idea of how large the glacier is when compared to the mountains it's splitting.

Whale Watching

I took a lot of photos of whale spray and whale tails while we were out whale watching in Juneau, but those don't convey the story of whale watching nearly as well as adding some people into the picture. At some point I may post one of the whale spray shots I got, but in my opinion, this type of shot is much better and actually makes you wish you were there enjoying this experience with the others in the shot.

Water and Ice

This was our last stop in Juneau, Alaska before our cruise ship departed. On the right is Nugget Falls, with the Mendenhall Glacier in the background. My wife and I raced to get to this spot from the tour bus to get this shot. We had about 45 minutes to do a 2 mile hike, find the right spot for the shot and return before the shuttle bus departed. I don't like rushing when I'm making photos, but in this case, I didn't have another option. I used a longer exposure so the waterfall would look like the big waterfall that it is. But this also resulted in movement of the people at the glacier. I actually think that movement looks pretty cool.

Rainforest Dreams

In the rainforest in Ketchikan, Alaska. For more on this shot, check out my blog at http://www.stevecoylephotography.com/Blog/Exploring-the-World.