Accent Alaska Stock Images

Into The Wild With Accent Alaska

2011-04-27T17:44:00.003-08:00

Above is the bus where adventurer Chris McCandless got trapped and unfortunately died of starvation.

With the days getting longer, Alaskans are longing to get out into the wild!

Long days, melting snow, and the sounds of thousands of birds returning to the great land are just a few signs of spring we're starting to see up here in Alaska. In far-north Barrow, they're skipping spring altogether and jumping head-first into summer; when the sun rises there on May 11 it won't set again until August!

Here at Accent Alaska we're saying goodbye to winter and hello to summer. Check out our photos from any season at www.accentalaska.com.

2010-08-24T00:19:00.004-08:00

From cartwheels to class V rapids, summer is the time to get out in Alaska!

Even as the birds leave us for warmer climates down south, adventurous Alaskans everywhere are squeezing every last bit of fun out of our precious, short summer. A rainy July has given us raging rivers of whitewater, and as the clouds part we are greeted with rainbow after glorious rainbow. Whether with a loved one or 20 of your closest friends, there has never been a better time to get our and enjoy our great land!

There's also never been a better time to check out what's new at Accent Alaska. With almost a thousand new photos added this past month, and more all the time, you're sure to find something to help take your campaign to the next level. Give us a call today, and we're always open at www.accentalaska.com.

Oil Spill

2010-05-17T13:43:00.006-08:00

Easter 1989 Good Friday Alaskans received the news that their pristine playground, Prince William Sound, had been despoiled by (what was then) the largest oil spill in North American history. The Exxon Valdez oil tanker had ran aground at Bligh Reef eventually spilling 10.8 million gallons of crude oil. Exxon made a good attempt to mitigate the problem. A time consuming cleanup began with workers spraying bio-remediation chemicals on rocks, then manually wiping them down with paper, thus creating a mountain of clean up garbage in their wake. It cost Exxon an average of $1,000 per day to support one worker on a beach cleanup crew spraying rock faces with steam hoses. When the tide would change a new coating of oil would move onshore. Long after the manual clean up efforts were abandoned, beaches were monitored and it was assumed that oil was slowly decreasing at 0-4% per year, with only a 5% chance that the rate was as high as 4%. Even today, digging down a few inches on some beaches will expose oil.

Twenty one years later the Prince William Sound shrimp fishery finally recovered with the first commercial opener in Spring 2010.

Dancing with the stars - Alaska style

2010-04-27T11:04:00.002-08:00

Alaska's got talent, and we've got the pictures to prove it!

Alaskans (of all species) really know how to dance and compete. Every spring bear cubs wrestle and play, and every fall the cranes and geese dance their way through southcentral Alaska on their way south. Each October the Alaska Federation of Natives conference brings together human talent from the far reaches of the state for the Quyana, or dance.

We're keeping on our toes too! Accent Alaska is staying competitive with lower prices and new images. Call us to see how we can work with your photo budget to bring dynamic imagery to your projects.

People have asked us "What is the Slush Cup?"

2010-03-29T10:52:00.006-08:00

The Alyeska Resort Spring Carnival Slush Cup is a fun event that really brings the crowds out from Anchorage and beyond to watch costumed skiers and snowboarders compete on a frozen pond build especially for the event. Participants speed down the slopes to launch across the water, hoping to make it across, without having to be fished out of the frigid water by men clad in dry suits. Only 50 participants are drawn to enter. Some of them are brave disabled skiers on sit skis. They are judged on costume, speed and style. Judges decide who has ridden across the pond with the most style and that crazy and brave person wins a Seasons Pass for the following year.

Jon Cornforth in Outdoor Photographer Magazine

2010-03-26T16:43:00.009-08:00

Jon Cornforth, landscape photographer extraordinaire, has another national magazine cover image. His April 2010 cover image for Outdoor Photographer magazine was made in California's Death Valley National Park. "The Racetrack" is a flat dry lake that has strange windblown stones that move across its surface. Jon made the image during his first trip in 2006, and says that this stone is still in the exact same place today.

Alaska girls kick ass!

2010-03-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

From the summit of Denali to the finish line in Nome, Alaska girls kick ass!

Alaskan women aren't the kind to let the guys have all the fun. Whether it's mountaineering or fly fishing, dog mushing or extreme skiing, Alaskan women make it crystal clear that they have what it takes to not only keep up but kick ass! Let the awesome active women of Alaska help bring a fresh face to your next campaign. Check out our extensive collection of active Alaskan women on our website, www.accentalaska.com!

It's Iditarod time again

2010-02-15T17:24:00.000-09:00

Get a closer look at the real Iditarod. See it through our lens!

They don't call it the last great race for nothing! Every year a handful of the toughest men and women on the planet battle 1,049 miles of Alaskan wilderness on the race from Anchorage to Nome. And every year our photographers are there to cover it. From the start in downtown Anchorage to the finish line in Nome, we're there to capture the images you need. See photos from years past, including last year's race at www.accentalaska.com.

The odds are good... but the goods are odd in Alaska!

2010-01-15T17:16:00.000-09:00

Maybe it's the cold, maybe it's the darkness, but there's no denying that winter in Alaska can make you a little crazy!

Alaska is a unique state, with more than it's share of interesting individuals. Whether you're looking for crazy bathers in a hot springs at 40 below, high-jumping snowshoers or fur-hat wearing dogs, we've got the Alaskana-themed photos you're looking for. This cold winter, browse through our constantly-updated website 24/7 from the warmth of your den at www.accentalaska.com.

Happy Holidays from Accent Alaska!

2009-12-15T17:14:00.000-09:00

Thank you for keeping Accent Alaska in mind for your photo needs this holiday season.

Things are looking up in our Alaska image collection

2009-11-15T17:07:00.000-09:00

Get your projects off the ground with our Alaska action collection.

Whether you are looking for the most extreme heli-skiing photos from Valdez or the smoothest dogsled ride in downtown Anchorage, Accent Alaska has just what you need. We have a diverse collection of winter action photos that can help get your next project off the ground. Our Alaskan photographers work and play in our beautiful state all winter long, and it shows. Get started on your next project right here: www.accentalaska.com

Governor Sarah Palin resigns

2009-07-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin resigned today. Check out our gallery of Sarah Palin images!

By the way, we also have a few pics of the former lieutenant governor, now governor Sean Parnell.

Jon Cornforth in Backpacker Magazine

2009-05-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

Accent Alaska photographer Jon Cornforth's Backpacker magazine cover photo, June 2009. Here's what Jon has to say about his photo (by the way, Backpacker changed the yellow leaves to green for a more "summer" feel):

"The image is of Prusik Peak reflected in Gnome Tarn during the fall when the larches turn a golden yellow.... I created this image in September 2005, after my 3rd hike up into the Enchantments to capture the reflection. It is not an easy hike to get up there, but when I have gone I prefer the “shorter” route over Asgard Pass from Colchuck Lake. I don’t mind the elevation gain as much as I do the elevation loss hiking back down the Snow Creek trail. Ouch on my knees! I used my Pentax 67II, 55mm lens, Singh-Ray 3-stop Soft GND filter, Fuji Velvia 50 film, and a tripod."

Check out Jon's newest images on accentalaska.com!

A summer with the bears of Katmai

2009-04-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

Accent Alaska photographer Paul Souders spent the summer of 2008 photographing the bears of Katmai National Park. Using wide-angle lenses, remote cameras and underwater housings, Paul captured unique and intimate images never before seen. Paul's patience over two months in remote Hallo Bay was rewarded with outstanding images of wild bears in their stunning natural habitat.

Here's what Paul had to say about his experience with the bears of Katmai:

"For more than 15 years, Katmai National Park has held a special grip on my imagination. I'd thought about exploring that coastline for years, and finally worked up the nerve last summer to make the long crossing from Kodiak Island across Shelikof Strait in my 22-foot C-Dory. Setting out on a sunny late June day, I spent a long time staring out across 35 miles of open ocean at the distant line of jagged peaks. I really had no idea what I might be getting myself into. Even with the GPS, charts and satellite phone, it felt a little like sailing off the edge of the world.

I settled into Hallo Bay for three weeks, photographing dozens of brown bears gorging on the spring sedge grass. Hauling my small inflatable up on shore and hiking out into the meadows felt like an enormous leap of faith. I've spent a great deal of time with wildlife in Alaska and Africa, but walking alone, spending hours with these bears was a vastly different and far more intimate experience. After my first nervous day or two, I settled into a routine. Wake up early, head for shore and spend each day walking the meadows watching bears as they ate, slept, fought, played and mated and not returning to my boat until around midnight when the sun finally slipped behind the mountains. After some initial curiosity, the bears studiously ignored me. I had to keep reminding myself that they were, in fact, bears. Not large dogs or small buffalo.

Still, every day Katmai found a new way to scare the crap out of me.

The storms blowing in off the Aleutians were a big wild card. Hallo Bay offers precious little in the way of shelter, and I spent three memorably awful days pinned down, my boat pitching and rolling like a bathtub toy. Sleep would have been nice, but I kept busy praying that my anchor would hold.

I returned to Katmai in late August and spent another month with the bears, exploring more of the coastline as the late summer salmon runs arrived. That is when the bears are in their element, fishing the coastal rivers and gorging themselves. Again, I slept and lived on my small boat, setting out each morning to hike along the river banks and watch the bears at work. In early September, the first autumn storms roared through, bringing 50 knot winds. I hunkered down for days on end, listening to the rain spattering horizontally against the boat and using the down time to catch up on sleep, reading and editing. Between storms, I ventured back to shore and tried using my underwater camera to capture the spawning salmon. The bears were nice enough to ignore me, and they didn't even laugh when the current swept up my camera in its underwater housing, sending it tumbling down more than a mile of river.

By late September, storms howled in off the Aleutians every two or three days, whipping up impossible seas for my small boat. During a short calm spell, I reluctantly pulled up stakes and raced back across the Strait. Looking back, another wall of clouds was already closing in over the coast."

View the complete gallery of images from Paul's summer with the bears of Katmai.
Let Paul's dynamic images drive your next Alaskan campaign.

Mt Redoubt erupts again

2009-04-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

With Mt. Redoubt quiet after a period of eruptive activity, it's time to take a look at Alaska's volcanos. Check out the gallery for everything from historical photos of Augustine and Spurr erupting to a recent flyover of Redoubt by Accent Alaska photographer Nathaniel Wilder.

Alaska's National Parks

2007-06-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

We have begun to update our permanent gallery pages with more recent material, highlighting the National Parks of Alaska. Did you know that Alaska is home to the largest national park in the nation? Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the largest unit of the National Park System. This spectacular wilderness includes the continent's largest assemblage of glaciers, and greatest collection of peaks above 16,000 feet, including 18,008’ Mount St. Elias, the second highest peak in the United States.

Not too shabby, considering that the highest mountain in North America is a mere 400 miles away!

Concerned about the plight of the polar bears in their shrinking habitat? Wondering how the caribou will fare against big oil? Perhaps you are thinking about the last great wilderness? Our library of images from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will inspire and enlighten you. Herds of prehistoric musk oxen, thousands upon thousands of migrating caribou, and endless vistas of pristine wilderness all represented in our stock photo library.

Spring has Sprung

2007-05-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

We have been welcoming back the warmer temperatures and longer days, watching as the snow slowly disappears revealing the waking ground below. Mornings are filled with birdsong, and days are filled with the process of making new material available to the world. A good number of our photographers made good use of the dark months to catch up on their photo submissions, and the results are astounding. New material from the Inside Passage, US Ski Nationals, tourism around the state, and so much more has made it into our files and available for all to enjoy.

Tom Walker, a 35 year veteran of photography, recently made the switch to digital and has been producing incredible material. New eagle material from the Kachemak Bay area, as well as some outside material from Yellowstone.

Ken Graham has dedicated some time to winter Anchorage aerials, when the snow and frost were in their prime.

Leo and Dorothy Keeler sent some new wildlife imagery from their home in Montana, capturing the very essence of nature in their portfolios.

Ron Niebrugge has included a submission from his Chugach National Forest and Wrangell St Elias portfolios, providing aerials and intimate looks at both majestic landscapes.

You can find these photographers' works and so much more in our online database at accentalaska.com

And summer is just around the corner!

New Polar Bears

2007-02-01T09:49:00.000-09:00

A November trip to Manitoba provided photographer E.C. Gilbreth an excellent opportunity to capture some polar bear imagery before the long dark winter encompassed their shrinking habitat. Here is a quality site that gives great information on the Polar Bears and their struggle for survival.

High Risk Photography

2006-12-14T10:00:00.000-09:00

Jim Oltersdorf, Master Photographer, will be showcased on Discovery Channels "Risk Takers" program. Tune in and check out what it takes to be an Alaskan Pro!

New Photographers

2006-12-13T17:18:00.000-09:00

Accent Alaska is happy to welcome some new names into our collection. Professional Photographers Jon Cornforth, Wayde Carroll, Roy Williams, and Terry Chick have all honored us with a significant amount of new work from their libraries. Sharing our growing collection of Alaska and Pacific Northwest imagery is our primary goal here, so please feel free to enjoy our latest imagery via our Newest Images link.

Caribou on Curry Ridge

2006-10-31T17:19:00.000-09:00

Heading out to greener pastures. Caribou on Curry Ridge, Denali State Park.

Kevin Schafer in Outdoor Photographer Magazine

2006-08-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

Congratulations go out to Kevin Schafer and the recent article in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, "Through a Lens Brightly" by James Lawrence. Incredible photography accompanies the informative article on how Kevin's photography career began, and flourished throughout the years. the article also mentions Kevins latest book, Living Light which is available here.

You can see Kevin Schafer's photography in our collection by simply keyword searching for "Schafer" in our image keyword search field.

Red Onion Saloon

2006-07-18T16:24:00.000-08:00

Tourists and Locals alike enjoy the cold beer and period costume at the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska.

From the Red Onion Menu:

The Red Onion Saloon, now a National Historic Building, was Skagway's most exclusive bordello. Built in 1897 with planks cut by Capt. William Moore, the founder of Skagway, the Red Onion Saloon opened for business in 1898, serving alcohol on the first floor while the upper floor satisfied more than the prospector's thirst. The brothel consisted of ten tiny cubicles, called cribs, each ten foot by ten foot with three exits, one into the hallway, and one into each of the ajoining rooms. Each room also had a hole in the floor which connected to the cash register in the bar by means of a copper tube. In order to keep track of which girls were busy, the bartender kept ten dolls on the back bar, one for each of the girls in each of the rooms. When a girl was with a customer, her doll was laid on its back. When she sent her money down the tube, the doll was returned to the upright position signaling to the waiting prospectors that she was ready for business. The bartender safeguarded the girl's earnings, usually $5.00, preferably in gold, while in the crawl space between the floors, loose floorboards hid nuggets and private tips. Because the rooms were divided by single planks toe nailed into the ceiling and floor, not much sound proofing was provided. To decorate their cribs, the women stretched linen across the rough planks, then glued wall paper to the cloth. Remnants of the original wall papers still cling to the planks. Some of the girls who worked in Skagway were Birdie Ash, Big Dessie, Popcorn Lil, the Oregon Mare, Babe Davenport, Pea Hull Annie, Kitty Faith, the Belle of Skagway and Klondike Kate.

By late 1899, business began to suffer. Most of the women moved North to Dawson which was closer to the gold fields and had big gambling casinos and dance halls. As the railroad became the center of business for Skagway, numerous buildings were moved closer to the depot. The Red Onion was moved in 1914 with one horse from Sixth and State Street to its current Broadway location. Unfortunately, the Onion was dragged around the corner backwards and the front and back of the building had to be removed in order to switch them. During World War II the building was used as an army barracks and in subsequent years housed a laundry, bakery, union hall, television station and gift shop. In 1980, Jan Wrentmore purchased a liquor license and opened the building once more as a saloon.

Columbia Glacier Imagery

2006-07-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Recently, we have received a quantity of imagery from Prince William Sound's Columbia Bay and Glacier from backcountry guide and professional photographer, Hugh Rose. The beautiful blue ice sculptures have been captured in utmost clarity and is truly an amazing portfolio of nature's glacial ice. These images are available for licensing and review through our agency,
please have a look!

Vancouver, British Columbia

2006-05-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

Fresh from the mailbox, a new collection of Vancouver imagery from local British Columbian, Roy Williams. The addition of new Vancouver imagery is timely with the beginning of Cruise Ship Tourism season, whose boats will often stop at British Columbia's largest city. Nestled into the Coast Mountains and surrounded by oceanfront views on three sides, this new imagery will take you to beautiful Stanley Park, the renowned Vancouver waterfront, and the exciting multitude of activities that encompass the beautiful city by the sea.