New Face at Alaska Stock!

Hi everyone! I’m Kristina, the newest member of the team here at Alaska Stock. I’ve been here for 3 weeks now and loving every minute of it. It’s an in-depth job to get the hang of and I imagine I’ll be figuring it all out for a little while, but I’m working with a great team of professionals as well as patient clients! :) The best part of the job though, by far, is the opportunity to view so many amazing and beautiful images! It really makes me want to get out there and see all that Alaska has to offer.
On that same note, I’m so glad that summer is finally, and officially, upon us. I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of the winter months here, seeing as how I’m not originally from Alaska, so now is the time that I really get out there and enjoy the great outdoors….hiking, camping, cycling, etc. Although, now it’s also time to get out the black-out drapes for the windows…it’s kind of hard to sleep with the sun shining in your eyes…however, it does make it a little easier to wake up in the mornings!
Happy summer!!

Here comes the sun!

Happy Solstice!

It's the longest day of the year and here in Alaska we couldn't be happier about it. The weather is gorgeous, the salmon are runnin', the views are stunning and we'd like to keep it that way as long as possible! Today our sunrise came at 4:20am and sunset is expected around 11:42pm. Yippeee! 19 hours & 22 minutes of vitamin D. here in the office, we've got all the doors open ... it's almost like we're working outside!

And to summer solstice celebrate Anchorage residents make their yearly trek to the the summit of Flattop Mountain in Chugach State Park. The end of this trail offers breathtaking panoramic views of Mt. Susitna, Fire Island, Cook Inlet and downtown Anchorage.

Wishing you lots of summer fun,

~ Laurie

Downtown Anchorage goes wireless!

Ok, not yet, but it looks like the mayor of Anchorage is moving that direction. Reports in today's ADN tell that a wireless company has been selected to provide free wireless internet throughout downtown Anchorage. This will be the trial area for the company and potentially the whole city could go to free wireless!

Alaska has always been known for being one of the most wired states in the US. Because the state is so large and so many people live in very rural communities, once the internet became accessible, these rural areas jumped at the chance to get wired. Everything from educational opportunities to Christmas shopping has become normal life for the remote villages.

So, this July, dowtown will also become an oasis for internet users...locals and visitors alike! But beware Big Brother, the mayor could also have plans to run a high-performance camera enabling police officers in their cars to send or receive video from the scene of an accident or incident.

But the upside is that perhaps one of our next blogs will be from a cafe downtown while sipping on a cup of coffee!

~ gina

New upcoming images!

Holiday images what.... in June?

This past week I've been working on a large submission of about 300 +/- holiday images into our system here at Alaska Stock. It's been a bit weird entering in all these keywords when it's sunny outside and our office is just heating up. My head is filled with words like; winter, Christmas, holiday, celebration, and seasonal; but outside I'm thinking warm, sun, and how much more I want this summer inching it's way to us to just kick in.

We always have a plethora of images coming in from our various photographers; great new creative ideas, always newly captured adventures, truly "Alaskan" inspiring photos. We feel very fortunate to be spread out in order to cover our entire huge state, to bring you those fresh photos you may be looking for. So jump on in and take a look at some great images that say Alaska; to see what our creative photographers are seeing through the eyes of their camera; something that may inspire you to pick up your own and GO WILD in the state that's now called "Big Wild Life."

-Emily Sloth

I finally arrived and have settled once again in the land of the 48! My recent move from Alaska to Boise, Idaho was a fantastic journey filled with tons of sites, wildlife, and goodtimes with my long time friend of 16 years. Also accompanying me on my journey was my 12 year old "puppy" Chester.

Some of the fun items included the worlds largest hat collection at Toad River, the last remaining tressel bridge from the original Alcan highway, and the outrageously cute little town of Kimberly, BC (Bavarian Capital of Canada) which hosts an annual accordian contest in their town "Platzel."

I think what surprised me most was how much wildlife there actually was to see along the highway. Our "bear count" was a total of eight and included two grizzlies and six black bears (one of which was an adorable cub who loved climbing and romping among the trees...a real treat to watch)!

After spending a week to finda place to live and unload my belongings, I am now back to work for Alaska Stock via "telecommuting" and working out the kinks that come along with this new reality! So far so good, and I look forward to seeing and hearing from everyone once again....

~ gina

Green At Last!

This past weekend was the first weekend here where everything is finally green again and blue skies throughout! So practically everyone here in Anchorage was out doing something. Biking, hiking, gardening, flying kites and definately grilling. Our state birds, the mosquitoes, haven't taken over yet, but the salmon are running so the fishing types are already reelin' em in.

It's been hanging between 50 to 70 degrees so combine that with the incredible view, a helping of sunshine and the sweetest smelling fresh air on the planet and you've got a recipe for delight! Yippeee ... just in time for the long weekend!

~ Laurie

Just months after Alaska entered into statehood, Hawaii became the 50th state in the Union. Recently I had the pleasure of experiencing my first visit to this gorgeous Polynesian paradise. I truly felt blessed to have the opportunity to see Oahu. The plants and flowers there are amazing ... so lush, wild and fragrant! All the locals I met were kind and helpful. And I got to visit our friends at Pacific Stock, who have the best photos of Hawaii!

Though I stayed in the Waikiki Beach area I was fortunate enough to make several lovely drives exploring the sights and smells around the island. I found each area has something special about it. The peaceful refuge of the 400 acres of Hoomaluhia Botanical Gardens at the foot of the steepled Koolau Mountains. The North Shore with waves as wild as their dedicated fans. And although Waikiki beaches are often crowded, there is still something wonderful about them. Everyday I saw people from all over the world on these tiny stretches of sand and shore ... all different shapes and sizes, infants to elders and I witnessed one thing they all had in common in spite of the barriers of language and culture. They were all having fun ... not just kinda-sorta fun, but the kind of exuberance only you feel when you are truly engaged in something. Whether it was a three year old discovering the ocean for the first time or an old timer getting reacquainted with the rhythm of the surf, their hearts seemed happy.

Maybe it's the Pisces in me, but I've decided that I am indeed a beach girl at heart, because I found myself to be supremely happy just standing in the waves. So I may have to make it my life's goal to visit all the beaches in Hawaii! My favorite escape was a fleeting afternoon searching for ocean treasures on My beach ... more commonly known as Kaaawa beach : - )


~ Laurie