Author: Michael Fuchs Photography

Cracks in the upper snowfield of a glacier in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska

This is a large male Stone Sheep in northern British Columbia that I photographed watching over a small group of other Stone Sheep.

Arctic tundra is a bit different than I originally expected.  From a distance it looks like rolling hills of short brown or green grass.  A bit closer up, you notice that it often has small flowers, Arctic Cottongrass, and clumps of different plants.  Looking even closer, it is neat to observe that it is a very dense ecosystem of many small plants mixed together. It is often quite soft when not frozen.  Walking on it is difficult as you sink down into the soft mossy surface and into the mud that separates the tundra from the underlying permafrost.

The midnight sun shines across the arctic tundra covered foothills of the Richardson Mountains.

I photographed this female Stone Sheep in northern British Columbia in the Canadian Rockies. It’s impressive how easily they maneuver along the rocky cliffs.

I photographed this Starburst Sea Anemone along the California coast.  I like all of the subtle color, textures, and slight transparency.

The east side of the Sierras is one of my favorite areas to visit.