While staying at Camp DenaIi, I shot this image from the north end of Wonder Lake with Denali casting a mirror reflection during a late August morning. Denali, in Denali National Park and Preserve, is North America’s tallest mountain at 20,310 feet, or 6,190 meters. This image illustrates the month of September in the 2023 Alaska […]
Denali National Park
Bull Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska #3437
In the Juneau area where I live moose sightings are very rare. When I travel to Denali National Park, I usually find a moose to model for me. I photographed this massive bull moose as he played hide and seek with me in the thick willow bushes. Moose can be quite aggressive and dangerous, so I used a very long […]
Denali Dream Scarf, Denali, Alaska
I am very excited to announce the early release of my newest silk dream scarf at the upcoming local Juneau Public Market next week. The Denali Dream scarf showcases Denali surrounded by the pinks and blues of an early morning Alaska sunrise reflected in Wonder Lake. Denali, Koyukon Athabascan for “The High One”, is North […]
Willow Ptarmigan, Denali National Park, Alaska #3423
The willow ptarmigan is Alaska’s state bird and one of my favorite birds. Instead of migrating south for the winter, ptarmigans stay in Alaska. This bird is well adapted to survive the Alaska winter. Its feet are covered in feathers for insulation and act like snowshoes, keeping the bird on top of the snow. This […]
Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska #3372
As a photographer I am always searching for a new and unique view of well-photographed subjects like Denali in Denali National Park. I discovered this vantage point totally by accident. I was traveling the Park Road, beelining for Wonder Lake about 80 miles into the Park, when I got held up for a day by […]
Caribou, Wonder Lake, Denali NP, Alaska #3369
I arrived in Alaska in August 1974 to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). I showed up a week early to visit Denali National Park and immediately fell in love with the park. For the next four years at UAF I skipped the first week of classes to head to Denali for ten days. […]
Caribou and Denali, Alaska #3135
Over my forty-plus years as a photographer in Alaska, I have had the privilege of photographing and publishing thirteen books on Alaska. I love all my books, but my favorite and most fun book to work on was the kids’ book “Once Upon Alaska.” I so much enjoyed reading Nick Jan’s rhyming verses and letting […]
Cow and Calf Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska #3124
Just like the image of the rainbow in the waters around Juneau in the previous post, this image of a cow and calf moose hung around for a number of years before I found a place for it. I am happy it found a spot as the April image in my 2020 Alaska Calendar. I […]
Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska #3119
Denali casts a mirror reflection on Wonder Lake at sunrise. I shot this image at the north end of Wonder Lake looking south at Denali and the Alaska Range. It is my favorite go-to spot in the park. On clear mornings I always start my shoot here. I first visited the park in 1974 and […]
Denali and Wonder Lake, Alaska Range, Alaska #3101
Our annual inventory has arrived! The Mark Kelley Alaska Calendar 2020 is now available. It might seem a wee bit early for a 2020 calendar, but believe it or not, the Alaska tour season is starting to kick into gear with the first cruise ship arriving at the end of April. We are busy filling […]
Caribou, Denali National Park, Alaska #3097
Springtime is a busy time in the office. Each year we look forward to receiving our new product inventory, and this year is especially exciting since we have worked hard to improve the quality of our magnet line that we sell at a few exclusive locations around Alaska. You may already be familiar with this […]
ALASKA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
January 2019 One of the most stunning views in all of Alaska is the sunrise over Denali, the Alaska Range, and Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. Spending a sunny morning walking around the northern end of the lake is the closest thing to heaven I know. I am happy the Alaska Conservation Foundation was able […]
Alaska Conservation Foundation #3090
One of the most stunning views in all of Alaska is the sunrise over Denali, the Alaska Range, and Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. Spending a sunny morning walking around the northern end of the lake is the closest thing to heaven I know. I am happy the Alaska Conservation Foundation was able to use […]
Alaska Calendar 2019 #3084
One of the most stunning views in all of Alaska is the sunrise over Denali, the Alaska Range, and Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. Spending a sunny morning walking around the northern end of lake is the closest thing to heaven I know. Come and visit me at the Alaska-Juneau Public Market this Friday […]
Grizzly, Denali National Park, Alaska #3077
I love a big beautiful face-shot of a bear, but every once in a while I like to show my wildlife subjects in their environment. In the photo business this image is called an environmental portrait. The bear walking up a mountain on a windy day, and the river running through the valley below, defines […]
Bull Caribou, Denali National Park, Alaska #3051
For the past several years a bull caribou has been consistently hanging out around the northern end of Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. I was working my way up a small hill to get an advantage point overlooking the lake. The brush and clumps of small spruce trees can be very thick in this […]
Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska #3050
While morning fog is clearing my friend, Ryan O’Keven, photographs Denali. Ryan and I were traveling under a Denali National Park photographer’s road permit which allowed us to travel the park road in our personal car. We were up before dawn and traveled much of the morning in fog. As the fog started to lift we parked and […]
Denali, Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska #3044
Denali casts a mirror reflection on Wonder Lake at sunrise. I shot this image at the north end of Wonder Lake looking south at Denali and the Alaska Range. It is my favorite go-to spot in the park. On clear mornings I always start my shoot here. I first visited the park in 1974 and […]
Bull Caribou, Denali National Park, Alaska #3036
Two summers ago I was the lucky guy who got to spend a week in Denali National Park. First out of my camera was this image of a bull caribou standing in the shadow of Denali. In photography we talk about a concept called pre-visualization. This image is a perfect example of visualizing a shot […]
Moose Family, Denali National Park, Alaska #3027
Who does not love baby moose with their mother, and isn’t this an “aww” moment. In fact, I was swooning the entire time I was shooting this scene. I started shooting and was so taken; I almost missed the reflection in the pond. I readjusted and got off a few more frames before the moose […]
Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska #2995
Last summer I spent two weeks in Denali, which included a one-week stay at Camp Denali to lead their fall photo workshop. I shared this Wonder Lake moment with ten friends in the workshop. I never tire of photographing Denali at the northern end of the lake and cannot imagine a place more magical. During […]
Room with a View, Camp Denali, Alaska #2994
Last summer I spent two weeks in Denali, which included a one-week stay at Camp Denali to lead the fall photo workshop. After an evening presentation in the original hand-hewn log structure build in 1954, I sat at the desk enjoying the view from the library/lecture room. The worship participants had left to prepare for […]
“Line Up,” Denali and Wonder Lake in Denali National Park, Alaska #2993
Last summer I spent two weeks in Denali, which included a one-week stay at Camp Denali to lead the fall photo workshop. We were able to spend a morning at the end of Wonder Lake with the “High One” looming large. Once I got my photographers set up, I moved back to change my reference […]
Caribou Autumn, Denali National Park, Alaska #2992
I shoot and travel so much during the summer, I usually do not have time to edit my images. I know that during the quiet months of January and February I will finally have time to look back, and so it is again this year. Last summer I spent two weeks in Denali and now I […]
Northern Hawk Owl, Denali National Park, Alaska #2990
Last August I conducted Camp Denali’s fall photography workshop. While on a bus with all the workshop attendees we came upon this northern hawk owl perched in a willow tree. Most of the photographers decided to shoot extremely tight shots. Sometimes wildlife photographers choose to feature that super tight shot that shows the animal but not […]
Rainbow, Alaska Range, Denali NP, AK – Image 2979
When it comes to shooting rainbows I seem to have the best of luck during my trips to Denali National Park. Mountain weather moves through the Alaska Range quickly and brief storms are often followed by sun bursts. I usually use a polarizing filter when shooting rainbows because the filter improves the contrast between the colors. This image illustrates the month of October in […]
Bull Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska Image #2972
In the Juneau area where I live year round, we don’t really see moose. Every once in a while, we hear of a moose, but the sightings are very rare. When I am Denali, I always plan on finding a moose. I hope to find one this week while I am the photo leader for Camp Denali’s annual fall photo seminar. Last […]
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska – #2971
I am the lucky guy that got to spend the first week of August in Denali National Park, and now I get to go back again for the last week of this month. I am returning as the photo leader for Camp Denali’s annual fall photo seminar. The highlight this time of year is the autumn tundra colors, plus wildlife in its […]
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska…Image #2969
I just returned from a rainy week photographing Denali National Park and this image of a grizzly bear is one of my favorites. Folks often ask me just how patient one has to be in order to be a successful nature/wildlife photographer. This shoot is a great answer to that question. I spent six days in […]
Denali Dream, Denali National Park, Alaska-Image #2954
What a special moment to experience: pink clouds, Denali, and the Alaska Range casting a mirror image on Wonder Lake. I shot this classic view last August. I was that lucky guy that got to spend a week in Denali National Park traveling the road with a photographer’s special use permit, in my own car and on […]
Denali Park Road, Denali National Park, Alaska #2951
On the road again… Mount Denali lies in the heart of Denali National Park. The 90-mile road is the only artery that links the front of the park with the back. Without a special permit, everyone has to ride a bus to see the wonders of this great national park. The bus pull-out at Stony […]
Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image #2948
This is another image taken on my week-long pass on the Denali Park Road in August 2015. The most classic view of Denali and the Alaska Range is taken from the north end of Wonder Lake, almost at the end of the park road. My new Facebook banner features this great view with Denali reflecting […]
Bull Caribou, Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska-Image #2947
This past August I was the lucky guy that got to spend a week in Denali National Park traveling the road with a photographer’s special use permit, in my own car and on my own time schedule. It was an amazing productive week. I plan to showcase some images from the shoot these next two months. […]
Dall Sheep, Denali National Park, Alaska-Image 2932
I gave up my film cameras and switched to digital cameras in 2007 and I guess I was a late adopter. All of my professional photographer friends had changed over years before I jumped in. Every once in a while I find an image in my film library that seems to meet the sharpness that is standard […]
Cow Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska-Image 2931
This photo is all about fall colors. I shot this image of a cow moose in the lush fall colors of the tundra in Denali National Park. I was there in fall of 2014 leading a photo workshop for Camp Denali, the only lodge that has a 24-7 view of the Denali (formerly known as Mt. […]
Nugget Pond, Camp Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska-Image 2928
Fall in Denali National Park usually starts sometime in late August with the peak colors arriving in the first week of September. Usually by mid-September the rich crimson tundra turns to brown. I shot this photo from the dining room steps at Camp Denali. I was there in fall of 2014 leading a photo workshop for […]
Photography in Action, Denali NP, Alaska – Image #2915
Camp Denali has invited me to lead the Autumn Nature Photography Workshop in 2016 and one spot has already been taken, wow!While the photography should be great, the food will be divine! The lodge provides a 24/7 view of the mountain, as long as the weather cooperates. I shot this image of photographers photographing Denali […]
Dreadlock Caribou, Denali National Park, AK – Image #2914
I am one lucky guy! Last week Denali National Park Service issued me a professional photographer’s pass for this summer to travel the park road to capture more photos like this one. I photographed this caribou on the park road last August while conducting a photo seminar at Camp Denali. Unlike mountain goats and Dall sheep, which […]
Rainbow, Muldrow Glacier, Alaska Range, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image #2911
I have had more luck photographing rainbows in Denali National Park than almost anywhere else I have ever been. The mountain environment creates an ever changing weather pattern so necessary for healthy rainbows. But, I am still waiting and watching for the rainbow over Denali. Thank you for visiting. Camera: Nikon D200, Lens: 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom, Digital capture, polarized […]
Rainbow, Alaska Range, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image #2910
A beautiful rainbow appears over the Savage River drainage in the Alaska range. I have had more luck photographing rainbows in Denali National Park than almost anywhere else I have ever been. The mountain environment creates an ever changing weather pattern so necessary for healthy rainbows. But, I am still waiting and watching for the rainbow over Denali. […]
Dall Sheep, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image # 2909
During the fall road lottery opening in Denali National Park, visitors line up to photograph two Dall sheep. The road running through the park is 92-miles long and during most of the season is closed to the general public except for the first 15 miles to Savage River. Each year the Park Service opens the […]
Spruce Grouse, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image #2908
I was leading a photo workshop for Camp Denali last year when we came across a covey of spruce grouse hunkered down in spruce trees on a drizzly day in Denali National Park. A spruce grouse is a close cousin of the willow ptarmigan. We almost walked right by this covey because the grouse were so […]
Willow Ptarmigan, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image #2907
The Willow Ptarmigan is the official Alaska state bird, and one of my most favorite Alaska critters. In true Alaska style these birds hang out year round and don’t migrate south to avoid the harsh winter. The Willow Ptarmigan changes color from winter (all white) to summer (a dappled brown). Being a ground-dwelling bird it […]
Denali National Park, Sunrise Wonder Lake, Alaska…Cover Image of my Book, “Alaska: A Photographic Excursion” – Image #2906
This image was shot on the same morning I shot last week’s web image, #2905. This photo was taken about 45 minutes later when the first rays of sunrise started to light up the top of Denali and other peaks in the Alaska Range. I chose this image for the cover of my Alaska book over […]
Denali National Park, Pre-Dawn Wonder Lake, Alaska – Image # 2905
I took this photo from the north-end of Wonder Lake in Denali National Park while staying at Camp Denali in 2006. Camp Denali is the only place in the park where one can see Denali, or Mt. McKinley, 24 hours per day. Denali is famous for only showing itself about 25-30% of the time. Its view often clears […]
“Once Upon Alaska” Opening Spread…Image 2860
I shot this image in 1976 as a photojournalism student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). During my four years of undergraduate work at UAF, I would always skip the first week of school and head to Denali National Park for a week of shooting. Over the past 35 years, I have spent months in […]
Alaska: A Photographic Excursion book cover – Image 2506
This week marks the release of my newest book on Alaska. The book starts in Ketchikan travels up the coast through Southeast Alaska, then onto Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords, then up through Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks, and finally ends up in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The book premieres this Friday […]
Brown bear mom and cubs, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2221
A mom and two cub bears wander the road in Denali National Park. Wildlife viewing is great along the only road running through the park. I shot this photo from my open car window. The photo was taken on an Nikon F/5 camera body and a Nikor 300mm F/4.5 on Fuji Velvia slide film.-Mark Kelley
Camp Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2223
Camp Denali is a grouping of small logs cabins that all share a commanding view of Mt McKinley. The cabin in the this picture is used as the library and meeting room for Camp Denali’s guests. I shot this photo shortly after sunrise with a Nikon F5 camera body using a 35-70mm f/2.8 polarized zoom […]
Caribou, Alaska Range, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2508
A bull caribou eats its way along the tundra in Denali National Park. I was fighting the weather, mostly rain the entire week I was there in the summer of 2006. I had this incredible break in the weather over the Alaska Range with the dark storm clouds obscuring clear skies behind them. I shot […]
Caribou, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2311
A caribou in full velvet rests in the arctic tundra in Denali National Park.Velvet grows all summer long, and in the fall animals begin shedding theirvelvet, signaling the onset of the breeding season. This photo illustratespage 88 in the Alaska 2004 Engagement Calendar that features one of myphotos for every week of 2004.-Mark Kelley
Cow Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2222
The road running through Denali National Park is a great place to view wildlife. I shot this moose from my car window on our summer vacation in the park a year ago. She hung along the side of the road for 5 minutes then crossed in front of our car. I shot the photo using […]
Dall Sheep Ram, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2559
This image was shot on the same day as the previous portrait. The rams in the late summer hang out in male groupings and there were three rams in this group. I spent the better part of an afternoon with them. What I was trying to illustrate in this photo was the incredibly steep and […]
Dall Sheep Ram, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2563
Dall sheep and mountain goats live in a crazy vertical world of cliffs that for anything but them are sure death to cross. I shot this photo in Denali National Park using my 500mm lens braced on my backpack. I have very little luck with big lenses on tripods. Whenever possible I try to lie […]
Dall Sheep Ram, Denali National Park, Alaska Image – Image 2558
In spite of having one of the most spectacular mountains in the entire world (Mt.McKinley or Denali) and the tallest in North America, Denali National Park was made a national park to help preserve the dall sheep populations. This full curl ram was hanging out with three other large rams in late August at a […]
Denali (Mt McKinley), Reflection Pond, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2638
Reflection pond is one of the most photographic spots in Denali. It is about 80 miles back along the park road, past the Wonder Lake Campground, about half way down Wonder Lake and just off the road. It is the most accessible pond that goes mirror calm mostly in the morning and evening. I shot […]
Denali (Mt. McKinley), Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2637
When I decided to do my book on Alaska, I knew I wanted Denali on the cover because it is the iconic image of the state. I set out to get this image, and I booked a cabin at Camp Denali that has a 24-7 view of the mountain for the last week in August. […]
Denali (Mt. McKinley), Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2655
I ran much of this same caption with Image #2637 on 9-30-2010 which ended up as the cover of my Alaska book. This photo was shot just 15 minutes before the eventual cover image. I am showing this image to illustrate just how tough the editing decisions can be between two or three really successful […]
Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2316
I shot this photo from my open car window on a drive though Denali National Park. The park road is a great place to view wildlife since so many of the critters use the road as a travel corridor. On this trip we saw bear, moose, caribou, ptarmigan and a fox. This photo appears on […]
Moose in Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2887
A lot of photography is luck and being in the right place at the right time. This is a photo I could never plan. I thank my lucky stars for aligning and making it happen. I have shot or driven by Wonder Lake probably more than 100 times and only once did I see a […]
Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2486
I photographed this cow moose from my rolled down window along the road in Denali National Park. I had taken the family to the park for their first time. There are not many moose in the Juneau area so my boys were fascinated by how large this moose was. This moose eventually crossed right in […]
Mount McKinley in Nugget Pond, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2063
I photographed this scene of Mount McKinley reflecting in the Nugget Pond while visiting Camp Denali. I took the photo at about 6am in early August on a trip with my family to Denali National Park. I shot this photo with a Nikon F/5 equipped with a Nikor 80-200mmm f/2.8 zoom lens on Fuji Velvia […]
Mount McKinley, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2064
This is Nugget Pond shot about an hour after sunrise. I was staying in the Eagles Nest cabin at Camp Denali. I shot this with a F/5 camera body equipped with a 20-35mm F/2.8 polarized lens with Fuji Velvia film.-Mark Kelley
Mt. McKinley reflecting in Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2061
I spent five days in Denali National Park near Wonder Lake renting a small cabin from Camp Denali. It rained constantly for the first four days. If I had been tent camping, I would probably have given up. The fifth day dawned robin egg blue. I started shooting at 5am and stopped around 9:30am. Three […]
Mt.McKinley or Denali, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2557
This image was shot on the same evening and at the same place as the previos image #2556. Again, Camp Denali has the ultimate view of Denali and I love staying there because of this to-die-for vista. I shot this photo about half an hour before the previous photo and used a wide angle zoom […]
Mt.McKinley, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2556
Mt. McKinley is North America’s tallest mountain standing at 20,320 feet. I shot this photo in late August from Camp Denali between 9pm and 10pm. What I liked about this image was how the clouds almost turned black while the golden light of the sunset lit up the mountain. I love staying at Camp Denali […]
Willow Ptarmigan, Denali National Park, Alaska – Image 2328
In fall plummage, a willow ptarmingan stands on the edge of the park road. It is the state bird. Its coloration provides excellent camouflage changing from brown in the summer to almost pure white in the winter. This photo illustrates page 95 (week of November 7-13) in my 2004 Alaska Engagement Calendar featuring one of […]