Featured Photographer - Brent Reynolds

Enjoy the gallery below of beautiful scenes of Alaska by Eagle River photographer, Brent Reynolds.

Brent Reynolds Photography - Capturing Alaska Title: Winter's Dawn | Winter in Alaska means quite a few things, cold among them. I set out one morning in hopes of capturing a beautiful winter sunrise, knowing I could find open water in the Eagle River Valley. Standing on the bank near the water, knee deep in snow, and hands freezing trying to get the settings correct on the camera was all worth it to witness the landscape changing. I completely forgot about the 3 °F temperature as the sky began to change and focused on the beauty before me. Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com   Title: The Great One | Even residents of Alaska still visit and frequent Denali National Park every chance we can. The park rangers will tell visitors that only 30% of those coming to Alaska will actually “see” Denali. Living here has its perks and this is most definitely one of them. On an unheard-of cloudless day inside the park at the Stony Hill Overlook located at milepost 62 on the Denali Park Rd., I was finally able to capture one of my bucket list images, the road leading to Denali. Standing at this spot, looking at the tallest mountain in North America is humbling and awe inspiring.  Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com   Title: The Golden Moment | One of my favorite places to frequent is Beach Lake in Chugiak, Alaska. It has often been a morning routine for me to watch the sunrise over the Chugach Mountains and marvel at how the scene reflects off the water. This morning was probably one of the most beautiful sunrises I have witnessed in quite some time as the lake was completely still and I watched the sky turn from purple, to red, to a brilliant yellow. I was completely alone and able to enjoy this beautiful morning with nothing but the sounds of nature waking up. Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com   Title: Spring Reflections | My wife and I absolutely love the great outdoors and how could you not while living in Alaska! We try and find new places every year to hike to, to explore, and to simply enjoy the beauty Alaska has to offer. Winter of 2016 was pretty mild, so the hiking season started early for us. It was a postcard perfect morning in the Eagle River Valley hiking out to Dew Lake and our lunch spot was perfect with the reflections of the Chugach Mountains still wearing the remnants of winter. Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com   Title: South Fork in the Fall | When temperatures start to cool our landscape in Alaska comes alive.  I set out on a cool September morning with the goal to capture some wildlife, and although I was not successful at seeing any wildlife that day, I came away from my hike in the South Fork Eagle River Valley seeing some of the most beautiful fall colors I have ever seen. Never in my life have I witnessed an entire landscape with such vivid and contrasting colors. For Alaskans, this is one of the first signs that winter is around the corner and we enjoy every second of it! Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com   Title: Nomad's Sunrise | This boat, the Nomad, may not seem like much but it has quite the history. It has sat on the Knik-Flats for over 40 years and was once used by Joe Redington Sr., the “Father of the Iditarod.” It has become a landmark for Alaskans, a popular subject for photography, and on this morning, it was my subject during an amazing winter sunrise. Of course, I would have loved to stayed longer but with 30 mph winds blowing across the flats and single digit temperatures, I didn’t want to wear out my welcome. Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com Title: Face to Face | Everyone wants a close encounter with wildlife, that is, a safe close encounter. The salmon had started their run during the fall of 2015 and I wanted to capture a grizzly fishing. I had that chance one morning as I set out into the Eagle River Valley. I had been visiting the same spot for two or three weeks in a row, changing the time of the day I went in hopes of catching sight of a grizzly. Shortly after arriving, here came a young grizzly splashing in the water, picking up salmon and having a feast. Not too long into the feeding, she simply stopped, looked directly at me, and I was able to capture an almost perfect shot of this magnificent animal. Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com   Title: Eklutna Lake | Eklutna Lake is one of the most popular recreation areas during both summer and winter offering miles of trails, fresh glacial water for kayaking in summer, frozen water for biking and skiing in winter, and mountain views in every direction. I was headed up the Twin Peaks Trail towards Pepper Peak and stopped about halfway up to capture this shot. Many people don’t believe just how beautiful the water is, but fed by a glacier the water of Eklutna Lake is a brilliant turquoise that simply takes your breath away. Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com Title: Arctic Night | During summer, the daylight seems like it will last forever even though we all know it is fleeting in Alaska. High above the Arctic Circle near Galbraith Lake the sun shines all the way into the late evening. We used this creek to re-supply our water during our camping excursion and made this area our base camp for exploring the North Slope of Alaska. On this day, the clouds started to part around 10 P.M. and by 11, the sun was shining as it made its way closer to the horizon. Photo: Brent Reynolds / www.photographsbybrent.com

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  BIO: I served in the United States Coast Guard from 1998 to 2006 and shortly after picked up my first camera. I fell in love with photography after seeing Ansel Adams photography on display at Yosemite National Park in 2008 while attempting to capture a family vacation. I was in awe of how his photos transported the viewer to a place they may never visit. That was my goal; to capture places people may never be able to see and share those places with everyone. Living in Alaska allows me the opportunity to capture wildlife and landscapes that some may never be able to witness and to share my home with others. Ansel Adams once said, “A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.” The highest praise anyone could ever give me isn’t purchasing one of my photographs, it is simply telling me they have no words to describe it. I have been honored to have my photos featured in the annual The Alaska Frontier calendar, the pages of Alaska.org, and most recently as the cover photo for the new Alaska map being put out by Alaska.org. More of my work can be seen at www.photographsbybrent.com, Facebook.com/brentreynoldsphotography, and you can find me on Instagram at BrentReynoldsPhotography.