On my way back from photographing Megan and Jeff’s wedding in Homer, I stopped to photograph the wildflowers that grabbed my attention on they way down.  Chocolate lillies, arctic lupine, buttercup, and all manner of alpine flowers were blooming and I took about two hours to walk around and spend time with the diversity of subjects available.  There was fortunately a bit of sun hitting the ridge in the background to provide some accent in the otherwise dark and overcast conditions.  A couple of Lee graduated neutral density filters helped me to balance out the exposure.

There are few more beautiful places on the road system in Alaska than Homer.  Nestled along the shores of Kachemak Bay with the iconic “spit” reaching out into the Bay’s waters, Homer is a worthwhile four hour trek from Anchorage.  Great arts, good local breweries, including the amazing Ring of Fire meadery, it is also a great place to get married.  Megan and Jeff chose the scenic Driftwood Inn along Bishop’s Beach for their ceremony location, with reception at the aptly named Land’s End Inn.  At the end of the Homer spit, the Land’s End is one of the best and most comfortable places in Alaska for prime bald eagle viewing.  We even had one land on a post a mere ten feet away from the balcony outside the reception room.  Congratulations to Megan and Jeff!  I am sure glad the rain stopped just in time for the ceremony.

While I was in Homer to photograph a wedding, I was constantly on the lookout for other photo opportunities. On the way back out onto the spit from the rehearsal at the ceremony site, I looked to my right at the wetlands to the west of Beluga Lake and saw movement. I slowed down and saw two adult sandhill cranes strutting through the grasses with a fluffy blonde chick, backlit by the late afternoon sun. I pulled over as soon as I could, got the right gear together (my 500mm f/4.0 lens and heavy Gitzo tripod) and walked back to a good spot for a photo. Unfortunately, the cranes were not moving toward me or even parallel, but slowly working at an angle away from me. It was a treat, though, as I did not expect to see any sandhill cranes in Homer at this time of year.