On a recent Sunday afternoon, Marty and I took a gaggle of photo-friends on our boat to a small island, an hour’s run from downtown Kodiak. Once anchored, we piled into the inflatable skiff with our tripods and camera bags and hit the beach to hike among
To a plant, it’s all about light. Light is the magic engine that drives growth. It also drives my gardening activities here in Kodiak, Alaska. Not to poo-poo gardeners in the Lower 48, but during August, we lose a whopping two hours and 20 minutes of daylight. Poof. Just like that. So, what to do?
My best times in the garden happen in the early morning: Dew-kissed strawberries, slow bumblebees (an oxymoron, I know) and flowers backlit by the new-day sun.
Sunday morning arrived with calm winds and a sky dotted with pudgy clouds. So my husband and I packed some carrot-berry muffins and took our boat for a short cruise around our front yard, the waters off Kodiak Island.
During last night’s organic gardening class, my students brought me down to earth. Don’t get me wrong, I love to teach. Problem is, I always feel a little nervous at the first class with a new group of students peering at me
When I grabbed my camera bag and headed out the door, I had no particular agenda in mind. The sky was still peppered with stars and faint outlines of clouds meant the sunrise had potential. So did the day, as I soon learned.marion_owen_photography.
If you’ve been toying with the idea of growing some of your own food, it’s time to get serious about it. Thanks to California’s current drought–reported to be the worst in 100 years–food prices are on the rise…
In Kodiak, Alaska, I’m an organic gardening geek. I teach the stuff through the University of Alaska and write about weeds, seeds and the beauty of kelp in my weekly newspaper column. My husband and I grow a lot on our ‘postage stamp’ property. In the summer, it’s mostly greens, herbs and edible flowers
Early this morning, I read a bold statement that caused me to set my coffee cup down: “All who are willing to snatch time from the greedy material world to devote it instead to the divine search can learn to behold the wondrous factory of creation out of which all things are born.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda
Isn’t it cool how answers show up in the most unusual ways…when we have burning questions, problems that need solving, or lessons to learn? Allow me to share a story with you…
During the wee hours of St. Patrick’s Day 2013, I stood with two fellow photographers on a gravel causeway flanked by mountains on one side and the Pacific ocean on the other. Above us, the northern lights shimmered and flowed like
I live on Kodiak Island, in the NW corner of the Gulf of Alaska. It’s a piece of heaven. Bears, northern lights, puffins, fishing boats–all great stuff to photograph.
I’m pleased to announce my new calendar for 2014, “Flavors of Kodiak Island: A kaleidoscope of photos, recipes and other inspirations from Alaska’s Emerald Isle.” [0rder direct from MarionOwenPhotography.com]
This post was originally published on October 11, 2013, and updated on May 23, 2020. I paddled my kayak toward a ‘circus’ of puffins. It was a cloudy-bright afternoon and their white cheeks and large, citrus-colored beaks stood out against the deep blue water. When I felt close enough, I quietly
This post is short ‘n sweet. I have 5 minutes before heading down to the harbor to lead a wildlife viewing trip on our boat. My summers are pretty crazy: Co-running a B&B, cooking for our dinner cruises, leading photography workshops…
I’m not a gadget gal, but when I find a great tool (one that improves, not complicates my life) I like to share with others. So during a photography workshop I recently lead for Natural Habitat Adventures, I handed my Hoodman HoodLoupe to one of the participants who was squinting (and groaning) at the display
Spring doesn’t arrive in Alaska, it splashes, blooms, buzzes and erupts. Let me describe it in pictures for you…