Photographing Southeast Alaska: Wildlife, Glaciers and Landscapes

Orca Whale Nature Photography

Photographing Orca Whales and Alaska Landscapes

Orca Photograph taken in Southeast Alaska

Over the last few years, I have been fortunate enough to travel through Southeast Alaska and set eyes on beautiful vistas! The air always has a refreshing crisp to it and the scenery is grand and powerful. It’s one place in the world that feels raw and untouched. If you’ve ever cruised through Alaska or have had the opportunity to travel there, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, hopefully my photographs below will help show you what I mean.

One thing that I love about Alaska is that it is ever-changing. The environment changes rapidly under the extended summer sun and the wildlife is constantly moving. It’s exciting to see a whale fluke, an eagle in a tree or a bear scrambling up a stream for a salmon. However, as a photographer, it can also be extremely challenging.

Often times, you get one shot (no pun intended). As fast as you see a whale fluke breech the water line, it disappears below the surface. A seal that was once laying on a chunk of ice is now just a tiny head bobbing above the water. A beautiful mountain range disappears under a thick cloud of fog. For all of these reasons and more, Alaska can be a tough place to photograph but if you are up for the challenge, you will have an adventure of a lifetime.

Interested in recommendations of where to photograph during your Alaskan vacation? Send me a message here and I’ll send you a few tips and locations! Happy photographing!

Humpback Whale Nature Photography

Whale Fluke, Alaska

Southeast Alaska Nature and Wildlife Photography

Mature Bald Eagle sitting in a tree

Orca breeching in Alaska

Crab Pot Buoy

Alaska Forest & Fog

Juneau Alaska Landscape Photography

Snow capped Mountains in Alaska

Glacier Photography

Glacier

Alaska Landscape Photography Equipment

In addition to the normal camera gear I tow along with me on each trip, I decided to take two weatherproofing items to Alaska. It rained almost everyday when I was there so I’m extremely happy that I had these two items. One item was for my camera and the second item was for my backpack (I didn’t want the rest of my gear getting wet while I was hiking around). Below are the two lifesaving pieces I had with me:

OUTAD Waterproof Backpack Rucksack Pack Rain Cover Bag Rainproof for Camping Hiking (Black, Middle) Buy on Amazon

Altura Photo Professional Rain Cover for Large Canon Nikon DSLR Cameras Buy on Amazon

---

London: Holiday Glitz & Everyday Glam

London Christmas Photographs

Holiday Photographs of London

Over the last few weeks of the holiday season, I have had the opportunity to spend time in the beautiful city of London. While Brexit continues to make international headlines, the hustle and bustle of the streets are filled with holiday laughter and cheer which seems to drown out the political frustrations (at least for the moment).

I have traversed through the streets making stops at places like The Photographers’ Gallery, the National History Museum and the ever so wonderful Harrods (which is currently wall-to-wall people). For the foodies out there, I would highly recommend Kimchee (make sure to try the mandu!) with a stop before or after dinner at Scarfes Bar which boasts a speakeasy, old world feel (intimate!).

One other item worth mentioning is a stop at Billingsgate Fish Market - a wholesale fish market. It’s the largest fish market in the UK and all has all of the sights and smells to go along with it. If you head there, make sure to double check the hours since most days, the market closes at 8:30 am (most people go at 3 or 4 am).

Below are a few photos from the last couple of weeks. Where’s your favorite place to check out during the holidays in London?

London Eye Photograph For Sale

Holiday Digital Wallpaper - Download Now!

Happy holidays from Mary’s Mark Photography!

Take the holiday spirit with you while you’re connecting with friends, family and loved ones. As the year winds down, we wanted to offer a holiday themed digital wallpaper that you can use as the background of your phone! Just save the image below to your phone and set it as your wallpaper in your settings.

Download this photo:

Traversing Through Central Park in New York City

Landscape Photographs of Central Park

Central Park Landscape Photographs During Fall

There’s so much to photograph in New York City! During my latest trip, I traversed through Central Park photographing the autumn colors and the park’s beauty. Below are a 3 of my favorites from the beautiful oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Bethesda Terrace, Central Park

After walking from Manhattan to Central Park, I continued towards The Lake crossing under the Bethesda Terrace. I love how the sun lit up the beautiful tile artwork.

Central Park, New York City

The Park’s Autumn colors were illuminated by the late afternoon sun. This tree begged to be noticed with it’s incredible warm hues of yellows and oranges acting as a gateway to the entrance of the walking path.

Central Park, New York City

The green ivy gives the old architecture a contrasting texture.

Capturing Beautiful Lighthouses in Maine

Photographing Maine Lighthouses

I traveled up the coastline of Maine starting in Portland and ending in Acadia National Park in an effort to capture the ‘Essence of Autumn’. I’ve been intrigued by Maine’s lighthouses and the natural beauty of the rugged coastline for awhile. Add in the beautiful colors that Fall brings and I could not have imagined more stunning scenery.

Portland, Maine

I arrived in Portland during a ‘Nor-Easter’ which included high winds, ferocious waves, and a lot of rain. Mother Nature’s intense backdrop provided a unique photography opportunity to capture the lighthouse.

Portland, Maine

The following morning, the sun greeted us for about 3 seconds. Just enough time to capture the light peaking through the clouds. Temperatures were frigid but at least the rain held off.

Rockland, Maine

I continued up the coastline of Maine and stopped in Rockland. Right before sunrise, I scrambled over the ocean rocks to catch the lighthouse’s reflection. The crashing of the nearby waves kept me on my toes the entire time I was shooting.

Acadia National Park, Maine

What this photograph does not capture are the jagged rocks and boulders between the end of the footpath and where I took this photograph. It was quite the adventure getting to this location but I think capturing this angle of the lighthouse was well worth it.

A Few More…

Here are a few more photographs from trekking along the coast of Maine. There’s so much to see and do - it’s a location worth a thousand visits!