Anchorage is full of characters. Some of those characters have lived in the far north for generations while others arrived yesterday.

Temperatures in Anchorage can swing wildly and everyone owns a variety of coats, pants, hats, gloves and boots. Fashion often takes a backseat to staying warm and dry. If you live in Anchorage, getting out of the house every day is important, no mater the length of day or depth of snow. The attached images were selected from the first six years of my twelve year Portrait-a-Day project while living in Anchorage.

Clark James Mishler is a documentary portrait photographer based in Calistoga, California. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design in LA in the 1970s, Clark worked as a photo editor for National Geographic magazine. In the early 1980’s, he relocated to Anchorage, Alaska where he spent four decades as Alaska’s premier environmental portrait photographer — capturing images for editorial, corporate, and fine art clients. His work has been featured in numerous books and leading periodicals, including Time, National Geographic and Smithsonian Air & Space. His photographs are permanently displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and his 2013 one-man show and corresponding award-winning book, Portrait Alaska, was featured at the Anchorage Museum.

After settling down in Calistoga with his wife in 2016, Clark has spent the last period of his career focusing on the production of new and archival fine art imagery. In 2022, The Scott Nichols Gallery published Clark’s limited edition portfolio featuring the Amish of Lancaster, PA. His ability to capture the essence of individuals and communities continues to awe viewers. [Official Website]