Wild Shots: A Photographer’s Life in Alaska

How many people can pursue a chosen life? Tom Walker has lived in Alaska for half a century and affirms his lasting pleasure in photographing the wildlife there. Wild Shots travels along the paths taken by caribou, moose, wolves, Dall sheep and, even more particularly, black bears and grizzlies. Each species, and he includes several others, has a distinctive lifestyle and relate differently, though usually warily, to the presence of humans. In different locations, sometimes within a reasonable distance from his home near Denali, the author shares the result of his skill, his inviting style both complementing and defying the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words. Photography is not a quick snapshot here. The images in the book are the result of solitude and patience sitting in extreme cold.

Wildlife are the protagonists, but Walker acknowledges the value of friendships cultivated over the years, their importance in a vast area where silence and the absence of traffic are the norms. He records, sadly, the violent death of friends who, despite familiarity with rural Alaska and respect for animals with aggressive behavior, make a single mistake that costs their life.

Tourism is growing and hunting remains popular, but the enormity of Alaska makes a map alongside while reading necessary to recognize why Walker’s achievement is so admirable. Whether describing the rutting season of moose or his warm welcome to a friend’s cabin where tradition and modern amenities blend together, the book is captivating, a winning introduction to an unfamiliar world.