alaskaphotographics.com
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Presenting the work of professional Alaska photographer Patrick J. Endres
Access to many remote roadless locations is done via small bush planes. I have several friends who are pilots, and there is nothing like catching the bird’s eyes view of Alaska’s epic vistas. While the sight of an airplane on a truck going down the road may seem odd to an average traveler, it is not out of the ordinary on the streets of Fairbanks, Alaska. Bush planes on floats allow access to the many lakes and rivers throughout the state, and as the summer heat begins to melt the ice, it is time for pilots to remove the skis from their planes and replace them with floats.
The boreal forest explodes with shiny new leaves and new grass is growing under the increasing light and sunshine. In particular, this year there is an abundance of snowshoe hares that venture from the forest to feed on the fresh green grass in open areas. Snowshoe hares turn completely white in the winter as part of cryptic color disguise that helps them hide from predators. While they are often called “rabbits”, technically they are “hares” which are distinct in that their young, called leverets, are born with a full coat of fur and open eyes.
It is likely true for most Alaskan’s, that after 8 months of white, the urge to both see and feel color and heat ramps to an all-time high at the beginning of May. As delightful as winter fun in the snow can be, I’m longing to drink in some rich colors and the pleasant warmth of a Fairbanks summer. The cumulous clouds are returning to sparkling blue skies, and the pace of life amps up in accord with the length of light. The hours of a landscape photographer during Alaska’s summers are a bit ruthless to a normal sleep cycle, but they are filled with golden light and rewarding sights.
Alaska’s southern shores vary from lush temperate rainforests to rocky cliffs, giant boulder beaches, and broad, flat sandy bars. In the Gulf of Alaska, huge beaches receive the fury of the mighty Pacific Ocean as waves develop over great fetches in the expansive sea. It is hard to perceive the scope of the symmetry while on the ground, but from the air, it becomes distinctly visible. For a sense of scale, there is a bald eagle perched on the shore in the bottom right of the picture, although difficult to see.