Through the lens

Valley Life editor

Big Lake photographer Steven Nourse captures an Alaska few have seen -- until now.

In Alaska Wildlife Portfolio, Nourse teams with photographer Henry H. Holdsworth to bring readers into remote areas of Alaska, where the wildlife define the country.

The book, published by Farcountry Press of Montana, features 120 pages of bright Alaska landscapes, featuring wildlife of all shapes and sizes -- from large grizzly bears to the smallest red-backed voles.

Nourse has been photographing wildlife for more than 20 years, with credits such as Newsweek and Eastman Kodak advertisements among his many calendar and magazine photo credits.

In the book's forward, Nourse mentions an Alaska few ever visit.

"Alaska is a vast, breathtaking land that many amateur wildlife photographers dream about and professional photographers like Holdsworth and myself thrive on," Nourse writes. "This book is a collection of images created from our exciting treks to Alaska's coastline and ocean, tundra, lakes and river, mountains, and bush country. Here patience and determination -- along with luck and some knowledge -- are needed to produce memorable photographs of animals in the wild."

Holdsworth has been visiting Alaska for the last 15 years, all in pursuit of the "perfect" photograph. He has been a freelance nature photographer for more than 20 years, having work appear in National Geographic among other leading national publications.

He and his family live in Wilson, Wyo.

The hardcover book retails for $24.95 and is now available in stores, as well as through the publisher's Web site, www.farcountrypress.com.

The publisher is also releasing a second Alaska wildlife photography book, titled Alaska Wildlife Impressions.

The softcover book features photographs by Steven Kazlowski. The book is $9.95.