Tom and I celebrate great photos from photographers on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For March we chose an image from our Iditarod Photo Workshop. The image was taken by Richard Epter at the official re- start of the Iditarod in WIllow, Alaska. Richard is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Augusta, Georgia.
Congratulations to March 2026 ‘s featured photographer – Richard Epter
The Story…
There had already been a handful of mushers through the starting chute. Jessie Holmes was number 7. We had all talked about who would win this year. He won last year and was a likely candidate for this year as well. When I saw him coming around the curve and at me I started taking frame after frame.
I saw him lifting both of his hands into the air closer to the chute and banner. Then he started getting close to the crowd as he was coming down the hill. He touched one person’s hand and that was the frame I captured.
It was an emotional second. I was thinking, here he is at the beginning of a 1000 mile journey and he is making a connection with the crowd. The dogs were just raring to go. It was electric energy at the beginning of the race in Willow.
Photographing the Iditarod was a life changer for me. Five years ago I did not even know what the Iditarod was. After we signed up for the workshop, I listened to a book on tape about the race with Wendy. It was all very intense: the challenging trail conditions, the worry for the dogs, possibly going over a cliff or running the dogs into open water. It really changed my idea of the race.
In Anchorage, it was a magical day with the snow. We used high shutter speeds to photograph the teams in falling snow. Taking photos in the snow with fast shutter speed. It was amazing being so close to the sleds in Anchorage. We were down very low to the ground to get eye level shots when they ran past us.
These dogs and mushers who do this race are like Olympians. They train for years. They breed the dogs and live with them. They are like family. Seeing that special bond was one of the coolest things ever.
EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon Z9
Lens: Nikon 100-400mm at 210 mm
Aperture: f5.6
Shutter: 1/3200
ISO: 1250
Manual Mode, auto ISO
About Photographing at the Rainy Pass Checkpoint
That was amazing. We took a bush plane into Rainy Pass. I did not know what to expect. I had never been to a remote checkpoint before.
As we were flying there, I was looking at Denali on my right. I was looking down and I could see the tiny teams below us. The sleds were surrounded by white snow and magnificent scenery. Everything looked so small within the context of the vast Alaskan Range in winter.
When we landed it was breath-taking. It was a large frozen lake with cabins and outhouses. The planes coming in and taking off were very photogenic as well. Getting to ride on a snow machine was very cool.
It was a tranquil environment. The teams were magnificent coming into the checkpoint. You can read about it, but you have to be there to really understand it.
When they check in they have to show they have all the mandatory gear. The dogs are checked to make sure they are healthy and don’t have snow on their paws. I was relieved to see how much care there was for the dogs at the checkpoints.
We had gone in front of the officials to get a bit ahead so we could lay down on the ground. There was a person in a blue jacket taking pictures of three teams coming in at once. I wondered if it was normal to see three teams at once. I was laying down a little bit off the trail.. I wanted to make sure I got all three in the frame. It was an unbelievable site. It was lucky to be were I was. I’ll never forget that photo.
Richard’s Tips for Photographing Dog Sledding
1) Shoot wide open with your aperture. Use a telephoto lens. You only have fractions of a second to capture the perfect moments. Shoot at 20 frames a second. You have to be ready with your finger on the shutter, even in cold temps.
2) Decide whether you want the focus to be on dogs in the front, the whole team or the musher.
3) When choosing the best images in post, look for images that are sharp and have great dog expressions. Look for paws that are in the air. The bacon tongues just crack me up.
On Richard’s Horizon:
Katmai National Park in Alaska
Kenya
Northern Lights in Alaska
Iceland
Upcoming Online Events:
Happy Hour – Spring Image Celebration: Join us to celebrate images created by our community of photographers. Send in 3 of your best images from this spring and see what others have created. Tuesday May 19, 2026 at 6 pm Denver time. Everyone welcome! Send a note for the link.
Just 1 Space Left: Alaska Black Bears August 8-14, 2026 Photograph huge Black Bears in Alaska’s coastal rainforest near the town of Wrangell. Cruise the pristine waters in a small boat and photograph whales, sea otters, calving glaciers and flaming sunsets. Read more
Northern Lights in Alaska – February 23-28, 2027. Join Tom and Cree at the Chena Hot Springs Resort for aurora photography at the top of a mountain dome. Read more
Thanks for reading our trip reports!
Happy Spring
Tom and Cree
