In August of 2021, my wife and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Alaska for our honeymoon.
The trip was a long time in the making. We got married in 2019 and planned to have the honeymoon a year later to give ourselves time to save up some money. Then 2020 happened and we were forced to postpone the trip for another year.
The anticipation was immeasurable, but somehow the payoff still exceeded all expectations. Alaska is a place truly unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. My images won’t do it justice, nor will my words.
Our trip began with a few days of exploration in Denali National Park. From there, we traveled south to Seward, where we spent two very busy days exploring Kenai Fjords National Park, both via boat and on foot. The last leg of our journey took us to Homer, over on the other side of the Kenai Peninsula.
It should go without saying that photography was not a chief focus of this trip. Even though my camera accompanied me almost everywhere I went, my focus wasn’t necessarily on creating unique or expressive images. Rather, my approach was opportunistic: I made images quickly when opportunities presented themselves. And since breathtaking new scenes hid behind every corner, there were many opportunities. I was in full tourist mode as I clicked away at each of them.
This is not my usual approach to photography, but it was appropriate here. The focus of this trip was my wife and our time together. Maybe I will return to Alaska some day in the future, when I can dedicate more quality time with my camera in its stunning wilderness. In the meantime, I am pleased with the images I have now, not because they are exceptional photos, but because of the memories they are anchored to.
