Moments for Photography in Alaska

At the end of May and into the first week of June, I traveled to Alaska with my family. It wasn't a photography assignment, but photography was an important part of why I wanted to go. I planned the trip knowing I'd have limited windows to work— early mornings and late evenings— so I brought gear that allowed me to be efficient and focused when those moments came.

All of the images from this trip were made using the Hasselblad CFV 100C digital back. It's a system that offers an unusual level of versatility for travel photography. I used it in two distinct ways: paired with the compact Hasselblad 907x and XCD lenses for more spontaneous, handheld work; and mounted to an Arca-Swiss Pico technical camera for more deliberate compositions with large-format lenses. This flexibility allowed me to adapt to a wide range of conditions and shooting styles without sacrificing image quality or packing multiple full systems.

Girdwood – Forest Floor and Waterfall Studies

Winner Creek Trail Forest
The forests around Girdwood felt more like the Pacific Northwest than the Alaska I had imagined. I suppose that's exactly what this part of Alaska is— temperate rainforest, green and damp and teeming with detail. The Winner Creek Trail in late May was dense with fresh growth and filtered sunlight. Photographing forests in full daylight is often a challenge— everything competes for attention— but by focusing on a patch of illuminated moss and ground cover, I was able to isolate a calmer composition that emphasized texture and quiet light.

Virgin Creek Falls – Close-up
Just minutes from town, Virgin Creek Falls is a short but worthwhile walk through lush, mossy terrain. I spent some time exploring different compositions here, and this tight, vertical stitch isolates the main chute of the waterfall. The scene reminded me of falls I've photographed in Oregon— water streaming over moss-covered rock, everything dark and saturated.

Virgin Creek Falls – Wider View
Of all the compositions I made at Virgin Creek Falls, this was the last one I set up— and my favorite. The canyon walls help direct your attention toward the main waterfall, while the foreground flow adds a sense of movement and structure. The evening light filtering in from above softened the contrast and added depth to the scene.

Seward – Mountain Forms in Mist

Cloud-Covered Peaks over Resurrection Bay
Seward sits at the head of Resurrection Bay, where dramatic mountains rise straight from the water. When we visited, thick clouds rolled through constantly, shifting the visibility by the minute. This photo looks black and white, but it's in color— just a naturally monochrome scene of snow, rock, and clouds.

Matanuska Glacier – Like Walking Through Ice Sculptures

Icefall Forms
Touring the Matanuska Glacier was one of the highlights of the trip. The icefall section looked like something from a movie set— towering spires of fractured ice, blue and white with streaks of black sediment. Wandering among these forms felt similar to hiking through a slot canyon in Utah— narrow, winding paths and walls that seem to glow when the light hits just right.

Detail of Glacial Striations
This detail photograph shows the striations and layered tones in the glacial ice. Using the XPan crop helped emphasize the horizontal flow of the structure and created a more abstract composition.

Anchorage – Kincaid Park Ferns

Ferns Along the Trail
My final images from the trip were made in Anchorage's Kincaid Park—a bright, green pocket of forest right on the edge of the city. Much like the forest in Girdwood, this area was thick with fresh undergrowth. I found these ferns growing along the trail and composed a simple top-down frame to emphasize their repetitive pattern and lush color.

Final Thoughts

Alaska is vast, and this trip only scratched the surface. I returned with a better sense of what's possible photographically—and what I'd like to explore further. We also made it up to Denali, but the weather wasn't on my side. I went out one morning with high hopes, but the cold wind and steady rain kept the camera packed away.

Still, I'm grateful for the time—both behind the lens and with family. I had to be selective about when and how I photographed, but that led to a tighter, more focused set of images. The CFV 100C's flexibility—switching between the 907x and technical camera setups—was ideal for this kind of trip. I'm already thinking about when I can go back.