Antje Carlson Photography

09/10/2026

I took this photo shortly before the other sunset image from the same location, but this time I chose a landscape orientation, which left the clouds out of the frame.

And what a difference that makes! It really strips the scene down to its bare essentials. There is almost nothing left but color, lines, and that wonderfully irregular reflection in the water.

Without the clouds, the sky becomes almost purely about color, while the reflection becomes the main point of interest. And with the image evenly devided between sky and water, it feels quieter, simpler, and even more minimalist than the other version.

Now I'm having a hard time deciding which one I like better. The first has the drama of the clouds, while this one has the simplicity of letting almost nothing distract from that beautiful reflection.

Sometimes taking something away from an image is exactly what makes it work.

09/10/2026

With sunset approaching, I decided to drive down the road and see if the Dall sheep might make an appearance. Well… they had other plans! Not a single sheep showed up.

But sometimes when one door closes, another scenic view opens up. I discovered a new little spot along the road and ended up coming home with this image instead.

There really isn't a specific subject here—and that's exactly what I like about it. I was drawn to the clean, simple lines of the landscape, interrupted only by that beautiful vertical reflection of the setting sun stretching across the water and the irregularly shaped clouds in the sky, but lines nonetheless.

Sometimes you don't need a moose, a sheep, or a spectacular mountain peak to make a photograph work. A few simple elements, beautiful light, and the right moment can be enough.

Minimalism at its best—and a pretty good consolation prize for the missing sheep!

09/10/2026

There aren't nearly as many birds around these days, and Potter Marsh is slowly falling quiet—except, of course, when the chatterboxes of the marsh, the Greater Yellowlegs, are in town!

I stopped by the marsh late in the afternoon and caught this little guy getting ready to call it a day. He was busy bathing and grooming himself, making sure everything was just right before settling in for the night.

And, naturally, after a good bath comes the next important step: drying off those wings!

There is something so enjoyable about watching these little everyday routines in nature. Even when the marsh is getting quieter, there always seems to be something going on if you take the time to look.

A little late-afternoon bird bath, some grooming, and a good wing-drying session—just another peaceful evening at Potter Marsh.

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

Sometimes, all it takes is one little break in the clouds for a dreary-looking landscape to suddenly turn into a happy place.

That’s exactly what happened here. Just a bit of sunshine slipped through the clouds and lit up the yellow meadow, completely changing the mood of the scene.

And if you look closely, you’ll spot a little bonus: a moose standing in the meadow, looking up at me as I passed by on the train. I couldn't have planned that if I tried!

These are the kinds of unexpected little moments that make photography so much fun. Scenes like this are my happy places.

09/08/2026

A look into the abyss! A gushing stream of water emptying probably into Placer River somewhere.

09/08/2026

This photo does not look any different in color, it was naturally black and white. Doesn't that tell you already how 'yuk' that weather was? And still I had a great time. I truly believe it's in the attitude one brings to the game. I thought this sort of displays the force of nature pretty dramatically.

09/08/2026

One Moose resting, another one standing guard in the beautiful fall Alaska backcountry. This image was taken from a moving train.

09/08/2026

Here is Alaska backcountry for you! No roads go into that area, only trains slowly drive through there. The opportunity always presents itself to see wildlife and I was definitely in luck: three Moose perfectly lined up in a row, the ducks could not have done it much better. A beautiful fall backcountry scene unfolded in front of me and I grabbed the camera.

09/08/2026

(Posted with permission)

Occasionally, I like to step outside my photography comfort zone and accept a challenge that has absolutely nothing to do with my usual landscape, nature, or wildlife subjects. This was one of those times—and what an adventure it turned out to be!

Benjamin wanted to have his Senior high school photos taken, and he had one very special request: he wanted to include something he has loved pretty much all his life—a "train"

Well… okay!

Except, I immediately thought, *How on earth are we going to make THAT happen?* I know that security around transportation systems can be pretty strict, and for very good reasons. I wasn't exactly sure how we were going to get close enough to a train to create the kind of Senior portraits Benjamin had envisioned.

But Benjamin was undeterred. He came up with the perfect solution: he booked us seats on the "Alaska Railroad", including a spot on the upper deck of the Dome Car. And let me tell you—that Dome Car is pretty darn cool!

There was just one more little challenge: the weather. It wasn't exactly what we had hoped for. In fact, “dry” would have been a nice starting point! But we decided to go for it anyway. Little did we know that the rain, clouds, and less-than-perfect conditions would become part of what made the experience so memorable.

So off we went!

Once we boarded the train and it pulled away from the station, there was no turning back. And I have to say, we were incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful and helpful train engineer and conductor. They went out of their way to help us capture those special moments for a young man who has loved trains for as long as he can remember: from sitting in a freight car, to standing on the steps in front of the Alaska sign written across the engine, to stopping at a glacier and to opening the doors so he can have a glacier backdrop.

And then there were the trains themselves. Our Alaska Railroad trains, dressed in their striking blue and yellow Alaska colors, certainly know how to make an entrance! They look pretty snazzy against the Alaska landscape—and even better when you have a young man whose face lights up every time he sees one.

What started out as a photography challenge quickly turned into something much more meaningful. Benjamin described the experience as “an experience of a lifetime,” and honestly, I think it was that for me, too.

I loved every minute of this adventure—the train, the scenery, the unexpected weather, the creative challenge, and most of all, being able to create something special for Benjamin that brought together two things he loves: his Senior year and trains.

Sometimes stepping outside our comfort zone is exactly where the most memorable adventures begin. And I am so glad I said yes to this one!

Lea Bouton