I just completed a new album entitled "Sandhill Cranes." The cranes are my favorite bird to photograph. They are tall, statuesque and graceful in flight. Each spring and fall they migrate between Alaska, Florida and New Mexico. I am not sure which birds go where, by they come to Alaska in the thousands. My favorite spots to photograph them include Creamer's Field, a bird sanctuary in Fairbanks, AK, The experimental farm in Wasilla, AK, an open field near the airport in Wasilla, AK, and Potter Marsh, just on the outskirts of Anchorage, AK. I am told that the birds can fly as high as 20,000 feet as they pass through the Alaska range on their way north or south. Imagine the endurance to fly with the limited oxygen, high winds and cold of 20,000 feet. There is more to come from this summer's images, so keep looking and enjoy.

I truly had some great photographic opportunities this summer. It started with a six day jaunt along the Katmai Coast aboard the Coastal Explorer. We saw and photographed clamming bears, eagle nests, shore birds, landscapes and wild flowers. To be able to be close to truly wild animals in pristine wilderness is an experience of a lifetime. To be able to photograph the experience is something to make one truly grateful. I also had an opportunity to fly into another part of Katmai National Park to a stream chocked full of Red(Sockeye)Salmon high above the tree line. The fish attracted the bears and the river, narrowed by a deep gorge, concentrated them. It was an incredible opportunity. If that were not enough, my brother in law and I won a ticket in the annual road lottery in Denali National Park. Once a year, 400 cars get to drive the road into Denali. It is an opportunity to stop and go, to photograph at your leisure. Again, gratitude is the word. We usually get a lot of images of bears, but this year they were scarce. What we did see were caribou trekking across the open tundra. We also happened upon two full-curl Dall Sheep Rams high up in Polychrome Pass. I had never seen them in Polychrome before. These two were not only there, but decided to pose for us for nearly an hour. I updated the web site today in three albums, "The Katmai Coast," "Bears of Alaska," and "The Other Mammals. Take a look, and I hope you enjoy.

I just completed an extensive update of the photo pages. Chief among the changes is an added album titled "Ktmai Coast." I had a great opportunity to spend six days aboard a boat called the Coastal Explorer. Using the Explorer as a base of operations, we then worked our way around the countless beaches, inlets and islands of Kukak Bay and Geographic harbor in Katmai National Park. During the trip we must have seen over fifty individual bears, and got close enough to photograph at least twenty of them. By close, I mean within ten feet. I also added some new images to the Denali National Park Album, and the Moose Album. I am on a roll, so stand by for more.

I have just completed a major update of the website. This summer has been good to me. I have added a number of new bear images. I also added a new album called "The Other Mammals." Although bear and moose generate the most excitement among visitors, there are lots of other creatures to enjoy in Alaska. This album show a few of them and hopefully will grow in the future. Speaking of moose, I added a number of new images to that album. Since I was lucky enough to hit Denali National park and the height of the fall colors, I added some landscape images to that album. Hope you all enjoy, till next time

Early this spring I bought a new macro lens. I have been playing with it ever since. It is not surprising that my update this month is mostly spring flowers shot with the new lens. Needless to say I enjoy the sharpness of the lens and its capability to get close. More to come...