Denali National Park in the summer is full of vibrant color. This is a surprise to a lot of people who think of Alaska as a winter wasteland where snow lasts 11 months a year and the sun never rises. Trust me, those people exist. But we do get about four months each year of green trees, colorful wildflowers, brilliant fall colors and if we are lucky, some rich blue skies.
As a result, I don’t usually think in terms of black and white when photographing the Great Land. This gallery below however, is an eclectic mix of photos I’ve taken this summer. From the Alaska Railroad to rainbows to fireweed buds, this gallery provides a little glimpse of Alaska in grayscale.
Click on any photo to open up a slideshow view.
Alaska in Black and White Photo Gallery
This is normally a dry meadow, but after weeks of torrential rain, it was transformed into a mirror pond.
Rainbows don’t usually make good black and white photos, but Alaska plays by its own rules.
Moose, lets talk. This thing in my hand is a camera. It will not hurt you. Don’t be shy. You are a protected animal in a national park. Come out from behind that bush.
The train pulls through Denali National Park.
An experimental photo at the Denali Park Train Depot.
All aboard!
Savage River in Denali National Park
Wildflowers in black and white.
A tiny insect seen on the pistil of a fireweed flower. (Full Disclosure: I had to Google flower parts to know that was the pistil).
Sign near Talkeetna, Alaska.
Denali National Park, Alaska
Lower Dragonfly falls.
A mew gull. Normally my least favorite bird, but I like this guy in B&W.
A bench on the Savage River trail in Denali National Park.
Rain falls from an isolated cloud on the Denali Highway.
While driving across the middle of this bridge, I remembered reading a story about how thousands of bridges in America are vulnerable to collapse.
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I don’t do a lot of b/w but these are stunning.
Thank you. I don’t do a lot of B&W with landscapes but a rainy summer left me tinkering with photos instead of making them 🙂
Wonderful work, wonderful part of the world! Thank you!
Thank you for the comments. Alaska is an amazing place.
That moose is fantastic!
I like the moose also. He never would look over that bush, but that also makes it sort of interesting.
All pictures are spectacular! I enjoyed all of them. I vote them all into framed pictures!
Thank you Marilyn.
Alaska is one of those places people don’t usually choose black and white for, but these are stunning. I love black and white, it gives a picture a completely different, timeless feeling. The shot of the clouds reflected in the valley is amazing!
Thank you. I agree that there is something timeless about Black and White. The photo of the clouds is nice and I was lucky to get it because that is normally a dry meadow but after tons of rain, it filled up.
Jeff, the photos are beautiful – love the experimental shot at the station. I think the black and white really distills them to their essence … and your great captions are the icing on the cake. 🙂 ~Terri
Thank you for the kind words. B&W does have a timeless feel. Thanks for commenting!
Reblogged this on Off The Soapbox and commented:
I ran across this post today and the images just caught my eye and held me for a moment…breathtaking. I am a huge fan of black and white photography and I really enjoyed getting to know Alaska a little more via the shots.
So when you have a moment, browse through the inspiring photos and enjoy!
Chantel, Thank you for reblogging this post and for the kind words. I am glad that you enjoyed!
Truly enjoyed you work today, thanks for sharing!
I lived in AK for four years and your pictures bring me home 🙂 Thank you
I am glad that you enjoyed. AK is such a special place – I am glad these photos brought you back 🙂
So like it 🙂
Thanks!
Thank you!
Love them all…thank you for sharing! Denali has been calling me…
If Denali is calling you, then you need to visit. It is such a spectacular place that it must be experienced to totally appreciate. Thank you for commenting.
Yes!!! God-willing, it’ll be the next trip I take. Something is telling me to go there (if I told you all the details, you wouldn’t believe me) but I’m being guided somehow. It really does look amazing. Enjoy your blessings & thanks again for sharing. (not sure how I came across your blog today, took it as another sign) 🙂
Alaska is one of those places everyone should try and see – it is pure wilderness. There are so many reality TV shows about it right now; I am constantly seeing new ones. It is kind of an exotic land for many people. Hopefully you will make it up here – you won’t regret it.
Hopefully soon…
love this
Thank you!
Whoa–not to pucker up at your back pockets or anything but, damn, that is the best perspective and balance I’ve ever seen. The perfection makes me a little dizzy.
HAHAHAHA! “pucker up at the back pockets” – that is funny, can I use that sometime? Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it. Although I think that God and Canon did the hard part 🙂
How beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you.
I love this!!!!!!!! Great story-telling shots. Now I want to go!
Merilee, come visit! Alaska is great any time of year, but the 1st week of September has spectacular fall colors. See you next week.
Awesome!
Thank you!
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
VERY WELL-DONE, IN B & W.
Jonathan, Thank you for the kind words and the re-blog!
Amazing shot 🙂
Amazing shots!
Welcome to the FP circus! I’d love to have it happen again. But I’d have to post somewhat regularly.
Thanks Kevin.
Beautiful!
Ttk
Lovely photos!
Thank you!
landscapes always look more dramatic in black n white. Ansel got it right. these are stunning!
Yes, they certainly are more dramatic. You need something contrasty though like bright clouds or snow. I got lucky on a few of these cloudy days. Thank you for commenting.
They are beautiful. A fine series.
Thank you!
As a German I know people who think about a dark, snowy wasteland. I’ve been there multiple times and I can truly say: These people missed something. This country really is breathtaking. Not just by its natural beauty, also the people. The way they are to foreigners was absolutely new to me and I instantly fell in love with Alaska. I can’t wait to get there at least once again.
That is great to hear that you were welcomed by Alaskan people. I too, love the people here. I have had my car breakdown on the side of the road and just about everyone that passes by stops to help. It is still possible to safely hitchhike here. The people here have an independent, pioneer spirit. Great place.
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These are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing 😊
Thank you!
amazing!
These are really beautiful! I adore black and white photos, and combined with such a naturally beautiful landscape, they’re stunning.
Dominique, Thank you for the kind words. These landscapes are really stunning here.
Captivating!
Woohoo Jeff … and now we see you’re Freshly Pressed! Your black and white photos are stunning. Congratulations – so well deserved. 🙂 ~Terri & James
Thank you Terri and James. It is a nice honor to be Freshly Pressed. We had a week of miserable, rainy days so I converted these photos to B&W because there were no new photos to take. I guess that rain paid off for me 🙂
Jeff, we’re so happy for you getting FP again because we enjoy your blog immensely. We also celebrated your success on our Facebook page. ~T
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gallivance/192895447510751
Thank you James and Terri. I really appreciate it!
Reblogged this on Just Things About Web Design.
Jeff a huge congratulations on being Freshly Pressed! Well deserved!
Sue, Thank you! I feel very lucky and humbled to get the honor.
I’m so excited for you Jeff. You have such a great blog and I enjoy it very much. I frankly thought your bear spray series deserved the award but delighted these amazing photos and narrative did the trick.
HAHAHA! I am glad you liked the bear spray stories. I still have the grand finale to draw. People now are sending me links about bear spray accidents. There was one the other day in an Anchorage thrift store. I was even the victim the other day when a guest at the hotel I work at shot some off in their room.
Talk about good blog material, albeit painful. 🙂 Congrats again Jeff. 🙂
Nice bw pics. Love it
Thank you!
Reblogged this on raresivanoiu94.
Thank you for reblogging my post!
Reblogged this on A Beautiful Catastrophe and commented:
black and white at its finest
Thank you for reblogging my post!
you’re welcome. i really love em in black and white
These are breathtaking!
Thank you!
What fun to come across your blog! I was in Alaska this time last year and we are excited about our departure again just two weeks away! There is beauty everywhere you look. The black and white images are quite stunning and conjure very pleasant thoughts and memories of my time there. I might have to see what a few of my shots looks like in B&W! Thank you for sharing yours!
Thank you for the kind words! Where did you visit in Alaska last year and where are you headed this year?
Last year we flew to Anchorage, drove through Denali up through Fairbanks and into Delta Junction where we camped and hunted for goose and crane for 4 days. Then we drove back to Anchorage via a different route. From Anchorage we drove to Seward and went halibut fishing for a few days. Then back to ANC to fly home. This upcoming trip we are doing the same hunting in Delta Junction and then back to ANC with many of our days unplanned. It’s a fun time of year to be there if you can catch it right. We got to experience the very short-lived fall season last year and it made our experience just spectacular!
Very cool. All the caribou hunters are out in force in the area and moose season starts on Sept. 1. I’m not a hunter myself but it is that time of year where they all get excited about it. Have fun on your trip!
An incredible series of photos…so well done! Thank you.
Thank you!
I stumbled across this post and fell in love with each photo as I scrolled through. I am such a huge fan of black and white photos. Great work!
Thank you for the kind words. I am glad that you enjoyed them.
Reblogged this on The Poetic Odyssey and commented:
Although the cold isn’t my true definition of bliss , I’m ready to change my perception.
Thank you for the re-blog. Cold isn’t always my definition of bliss either, but spectacular mountains are! It is hard to get one without the other :0
These are beautiful.
Like it, gives a different perspective
Nice photos! Gives a beautiful glimpse into a misunderstood region. Black and white adds a nice touch too.
Thank you.
exciting!
Alaska! Instant joy and homesickness for me, but I can’t get enough – how have I not found you before?
Love the photos.
Thank you! Where are you from in Alaska?
I lived in Fairbanks for three years and Anchorage for four. I also traveled to Juneau, Ketchikan, Seward, Homer (briefly) and Seward (also briefly) for work. I much prefer small-town Alaska to Anchorage, but that’s just me.
But anyway, I felt so at-home up there that in my mind that’s where I’m from, even if I didn’t technically grow up there.
I much prefer small town Alaska also, but I do enjoy visiting Anchorage and Fairbanks to get supplies and a taste of civilization.
They are beautiful!
Thank you!
Perfect.
Oh, this was a lot of beauty! Very nice!
Thank you!
Just found you through Sue. Will be looking forward to your trails through Indonesia later this year! We were almost going to go there ourselves (I realise that totally doesn’t count but you have to work with what you’ve got sometimes).
Thank you for following along! I think about to about go somewhere counts for sure.
These are amazing! Check out my blog to view a photo taken by my 14 year old daughter (the sunflower). I hope she’s as good as you one day with the opportunity to travel and showcase her work!
Thank you. Hopefully she is much better than I am! Thanks for commenting and for the link.