The challenges of capturing your Alaskan story A line of folks leaned against the cruise ship railing, staring toward Harvard Glacier. An all-day blanket of fog and drizzle had dissolved; shafts of sun cast the glacier, the surrounding mountains, the water, even the air itself in magical, silver-tinged tones—the sort of scene that would stop anyone in their tracks. You could practically hear a whispered, collective wow hanging over the fjord. Naturally, pretty much everyone in the crowd held cameras—mostly cell phones and compacts, with a few advanced amateur and pro-grade rigs mixed in. Some took careless-seeming, rapid-fire snapshots; others worked on selfies and group stuff with the glacier as a backdrop; a few studied the scene, composed careful images, then stood, lips pursed, staring into their screens, then tried again. And again. I didn’t have to peer over shoulders to know that the more serious photographers were struggling to…
Nick Jans remembers Romeo, a wolf that lived near Juneau and captured the community’s heart by interacting with people’s pet dogs.
Nick Jans on what it’s like to be a snowbird who splits his time between Florida and Alaska.
Nick Jans has observed a new breed of wilderness traveler, one that relies on technology he couldn’t dream of 40 years ago.
From charters to luxury lodges to do-it-yourself backcountry excursions, options abound for anglers in Alaska.
Nick Jans writes that The Darkness, capitalized, is what defines winter in the far north. Combined with extreme cold, it can be soul-crushing.
Nick Jans remembers taking photos of caribou bulls in the Kobuk River 23 years ago, before digital photography. Did he get the shot?
Nick Jans has a pile of tent stories, and he shares a few from times his tents were tested by the harsh Alaskan elements.
Nick Jans recalls the truly memorable wildlife encounters in which two species recognized and acknowledged one another.
Nick Jans writes that the real work of hunting begins after the animal is down, in the diligence needed to properly take care of the meat.