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Polar Bear On The Rocks

On one of my trips to Svalbard, our group was following polar bear along the shores and some rocks.  He was moving slowly and just wandering around while smelling.  Eventually, he just got tired and decide to sit on some rocks.  Doesn’t look very comfortable but he eventually fell asleep.  I have made prints of this image and converted it to gold leaf.  It.’s been a popular seller.


Please Visit . . .

If you are interested in seeing more work by Kevin Raber and purchasing his work for your own, please visit RaberEYES.com

Kevin also runs workshops for photographers all over the world at Rockhopper Workshops.

Kevin also has. A major website for all photography enthusiasts with articles, forums, tutorials, community, and more at photoPXL.com

Kevin also shares his work daily on Facebook and Instagram

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Wall In Mexico

When my friend Michael Reichmann was alive, I would visit him in Mexico, where he stayed during the winter.  He and I would go out photographing all over the place, and one day we found these ruins.  This is just a simple shot at those ruins.  It’s balanced and said something to me.  Short and simple.

Please Visit . . .

If you are interested in seeing more work by Kevin Raber and purchasing his work for your own, please visit RaberEYES.com

Kevin also runs workshops for photographers all over the world at Rockhopper Workshops.

Kevin also has. A major website for all photography enthusiasts with articles, forums, tutorials, community, and more at photoPXL.com

Kevin also shares his work daily on Facebook and Instagram

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The Bridge

I have traveled the highway to Key West many times.  There is only one 2 lane road.  US Route 1 and it is always an adventure if you allow it to be.  The road is one of those that seems to go on forever and last forever especially if you get behind a slow driver.  I found that you can’t be in a hurry and as a photographer you have to be willing to get off the highway and explore the side roads.  There are gems everywhere if you try to find them.

This image was made by pulling off the highway where the old railroad bridge is.  Luckily, there were some folks fishning to add the human element.  I liked the design and the receeing lines created by the bridge as it fades into the horizon.

I have been converting my Capture One Catalogs to Lightroom Catalogs and in doing so I’m revisiting many of those images that I have seemed to forget.  It’s a great excercise and I recomend everyone go back to their old files and look for fogotten images.


Please Visit . . .

If you are interested in seeing more work by Kevin Raber and purchasing his work for your own, please visit RaberEYES.com

Kevin also runs workshops for photographers all over the world at Rockhopper Workshops

Kevin also has. a major website for all photography enthusiasts with articles, forums, tutorials, community, and more at photoPXL.com

Kevin also shares his work daily on Facebook and Instagram

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Svalbard Magic

Find Svalbard On The Map

Svalbard is another of those happy places for me.  It’s located above the Northern Polar Circle.  I have traveled to Svalbard every year except for a few during the pandemic.  It is a group of Islands that team with wildlife and spectacular landscapes.  I usually take a small ship with 12 passengers on this trip.  However, things may be changing.  I think 2022 may have been the last trip for me to Svalbard.  It’s getting crowded.  It was a few years back a place that only the hearty would visit.  There were only a few ships doing cruises there, and life was fine, and the wildlife encounters were really special.

Now there are large cruise ships, hundreds of passengers thinking they are doing an expedition in floating palaces.  All these extra people have stressed the wildlife as well as the eco-system.  Because of this the country of Norwary is about to impose somemstrict regualtions on the Svlabrd Tourist Industry.  These new rules will limit how many people can visit the region, how close to wildlife people can get and shut down certain areas that have been popular to visit. And, a few polar bears have been killed that got too close to tourists.  That is not right!

In the past we had incredible wildlife encounters with wildlife that came to us.  Now running a photo tour there is pointless as we have to be hundreds of yards away from the Polar Bear and Walrus.  Like Iceland which once was unknown it is wall to wall tourists and big buses today.  I haven’t been back to Iceland in years.  This kind of thing might be good for the economy but it comes with a lot of issues.

What were once gravel parking lots are paved with room for tourist buses.  There is litter everywhere, and vendors have food trailers there.  Places that had didt paths now have steel graeted walkways.  Places you used to be able to access are blcked off with ropes and no treaspssing signs.  ANnd, even with all that people ignore the signs and go where they aren’t supposed to go.

Deaths among toruists have been numerous from falls and drownings as it seems many touirists don’t have an ounce of common sense.

I could go on and on but times are chagning,  My workshop business will change too.  I won’t be visiting these locations.  The same for National Parks in America which seem to have the dumbest people visiting them.  I’m sure you have seen in the news videos of stupid people trying to have their picture with buffalo and bisen only to get gored or trampled.  So, I am going to change things up moving forward and doing less workshiop and thiose that I do will be far away from the crazies.

Stay tuned as I work this out and in the meantime enjoy these images from my last visit to Svalbard.


January 2023

Please Visit . . .

If you are interested in seeing more work by Kevin Raber and purchasing his work for your own, please visit RaberEYES.com

Kevin also runs workshops for photographers all over the world at Rockhopper Workshops

Kevin also has. a major website for all photography enthusiasts with articles, forums, tutorials, community, and more at photoPXL.com

Kevin also shares his work daily on Facebook and Instagram

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Fall In Zion

Zion National Park is one of my favorite places to visit. It never disappoints.  As a photographer, there are loads of possibilities for great landscapes.  The park has been super crowded over the last few years and there is no vehicle traffic allowed until after November 1st.  Some of my best landscapes have been made at this park.

One of the popular locations is the bridge overlook.  It looks down a river to beautiful mountains and a setting sun late in the day.  Throw in some clouds and it quite magnificent.  Many photographers would get to this location hours in advance to get a spot on the bridge.  There can be a hundred or more photographers and tourists trying to get a spot on this bridge.  These days I just bypass the bridge and head to some of my other spots.  The park doesn’t allow photography from this bridge now, as it is a safety hazard for pedestrians and cars.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

If you visit Zion, the fall is the best time to go. The crowds are smaller and the colors are just exploding.  You’ll find a ton of like-minded photographers there so beware. I have been fortunate enough with the numerous images I have of Zion to feel I have it pretty well covered.  However, I do look forward to visiting again.

Please Visit . . .

If you are interested in seeing more work by Kevin Raber and purchasing his work for your own, please visit RaberEYES.com

Kevin also runs workshops for photographers all over the world at Rockhopper Workshops

Kevin also has. a major website for all photography enthusiasts with articles, forums, tutorials, community, and more at photoPXL.com

Kevin also shares his work daily on Facebook and Instagram

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Svalbard Austfonna Glacier

Austfonna Glacier, Svalbard
Austfonna Glacier, Svalbard

This was shot a few weeks ago as we traveled along the Austfonna Glacier.  This Glacier is huge and goes on for hundreds of kilometers.  Our plan was to travel along the whole edge of the glacier but we had to turn around.  The glacier had progressed out by quite a bit and the tracks needed for navigation would have taken us through the glacier.  It was good to see this glacier growing while so many others have been retreating.

This really is a site to behold and I felt privileged to photograph this magnificent wonder.


Please Visit . . .

If you are interested in seeing more work by Kevin Raber and purchasing his work for your own, please visit RaberEYES.com

Kevin also runs workshops for photographers all over the world at Rockhopper Workshops

Kevin also has. a major website for all photography enthusiasts with articles, forums, tutorials, community, and more at photoPXL.com

Kevin also shares his work daily on Facebook and Instagram

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Svalbard First Night 2022

The beauty of a late season trip to Svalbard
The beauty of a late-season trip to Svalbard

 

I just returned from two weeks in Svalbard, one of my happy places.  I took 11,000 images which will be edited down to around 100.  That’s the hard part. This is the sunset from one of our first nights in Svalbard.  Lots more to come.


Please Visit . . .

If you are interested in seeing more work by Kevin Raber and purchasing his work for your own, please visit RaberEYES.com

Kevin also runs workshops for photographers all over the world at Rockhopper Workshops

Kevin also has. a major website for all photography enthusiasts with articles, forums, tutorials, community, and more at photoPXL.com

Kevin also shares his work daily on Facebook and Instagram

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The Rock Stars Of Iceland

Iceland is a land of beauty in so many ways.  One of the special things is the horses in Iceland. They are unique to Iceland and they are just plain cool.  They are sturdy little horses that can put up with the harshest weather.  Their tales and mains are long and flowing.  You see horses all over Iceland and if you stop and visit with them, they will come right up to you and show signs of affection, especially if you have an apple or carrot in your pocket.

You cannot import any horses into Iceland.  If you export an Iceland horse that is fine, but that horse and/or offspring will not be allowed back into Iceland.  They are doing their best to keep the breed pure.

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Time For Breakfast

One early morning the year before the pandemic I visited Great Smokey National Park. It’s about an 8-hour drive from my home and I like to explore the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding areas.  This morning I enter the park way before sunrise stopped at a spot I was familiar with and waited.  I knew that every morning around sunrise the horses that have been out in pasture are called back to the barn for breakfast.  This particular morning it was foggy with a deep yellow sky as sunrose started.  Sure enough, like clockwork, the horses showed up.  I took my photos and moved on to the next location.  Shot on a Sony a7r iii with a 100-400mm lens.