Each fall, Amy and I make a trip to Homer, Alaska. It’s a way to break up the end of my busy summers, spend some time next to the water, and enjoy one of our favorite towns in the state. It’s also a chance for me to make some images. This year we spent a week on the southern Kenai Peninsula, and here are a few highlights.

Find this enticing? Well, I’ve just put a new Autumn on the Kenai trip on the schedule. Want to go?

Last of the days light, and autumn fireweed.
Sunrise over the creek. I love how the temperature differentials of autumn create fog. No time of year is better for photography.

The drive from Fairbanks to Homer is over 12 hours, so we usually opt to split that into two days, pausing to camp a night at one of the excellent Chugach National Forest campgrounds on the south side of Turnagin Pass. The two above images were made just a few yards from our camp.

Tern lake.

Amy and I are early risers while camping, and soon after dawn we were on the road heading south. We arrived at Tern Lake, a bit after the sun rose, and were just in time to catch the fog rising off the lake and into the surrounding forest. While I initially envisioned the final image of the scene (top above) in color, when I got a good look at the image on my computer, it was clear black and white would be the better option.

One of my favorite images of the trip is the second one. Using a longer lens, I pulled in tight on the lake and fog. That shot works for me, for sure.

One of the many things I love about Homer is that everyone, tourists, residents, visitors, kids, dogs… whoever, all venture down to the beaches in the evenings. Sunsets in Homer are definitely a social event.

Homer has some of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen. With the right conditions, from town you can see across Cook Inlet to the mountains on the far side in Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks.

Above, a harbor porpoise rises in Halibut Bay Cove.
While fall colors in the forests of Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park are not quite of the caliber I found in the Brooks Range, the highlights definitely caught my attention.
Extra tough knee boots are the best choice for hiking shoes in the wet forests of Kachemak Bay State Park.

Pulling into Halibut Cove.
The forest is reminiscent of Southeast Alaska, particularly when draped in morning fog.
I could not believe the number of Sea Otters in Kachemak Bay. They were everywhere, and paid very little attention to passing water taxi, unless they were about to get run over.

Across Kachemak bay from Homer is Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park. Despite having travelled to Homer many times over the years, I’d never actually taken the time to catch a water taxi across and explore the park. This year, I finally did. I spent a day hiking from the Halibut Bay Cove ranger station over to China Poot Lake and back. It just made me itch for more. Next time, I think I’ll head up to the Grewingk Glacier.

Augustine Volcano at sunset from Bishop’s Beach in Homer.
Evening alpenglow on the Grewingk Glacier and nearby peaks from Homer. This image was a solid reminder for me to look around during a sunset. The best shot isn’t always toward the setting sun.

The speck of Augustine Volcano can be seen in the lower right part of the image.

Our final evening we were treated to one last sunset. One in which even the distant cone of Augustine Volcano was clearly visible on the horizon.

While it wasn’t a photography specific trip, just getting out with my camera in a place I love, but see too little of, was inspiring. Homer is definitely a place, I want to spend more time, maybe even a lot more. Maybe I will.

Homer image Kenai mountains Photography Travel