Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears
Katmai, Alaska
August 20-26, 2023
Giant Coastal Brown Bears, stunning landscapes and exhilarating experiences! Join me in Katmai, Alaska on a trip that will leave you breathless, in awe , and with photographic opportunities you've always dreamed of. I've had the privilege to photograph these wild beautiful bears every summer since 2013 and it continues to be one of my favourite destinations and workshops.
They are only a few places on this planet that you can safely photograph (on land/eye level) and experience Wild Coastal Brown Bears in their natural habitat....And Katmai National Park provides just that....and more! Bears gather in numbers in the Bays and along the coast of Katmai feeding on sedge grasses and clams. Our perfect wild natural photographic studio!
Having our own private chartered boat will give us the mobility to go where the action is...and our Captain knows where the bears are! Being mobile is a huge advantage over a land lodge: We have the flexibility of changing locations and finding the best spots for bears and we may also have the opportunity to view other wildlife such as otters, whales, orcas, sea lions ect. This will greatly increase our photographic opportunities. From the boat, we will embark on land, via skiff, and photograph the bears in their natural environment.
Safety - We will take every precaution to ensure your safety and that of the bears. Our guide has extensive experience in understanding bear body language, recognizing when to walk away and how to keep us in formation in the field. We listen to our guides instructions at ALL TIMES and absolutely no exceptions.
Capturing the Light - The Workshop
Being in the presence of these Giant Coastal Brown Bears surrounded by immaculate landscapes is only part of the experience. In addition, we will be chasing the best light available to create unique, intimate and powerful images that will generate emotion to your viewers. My goal is always to push my photographic creativity to the max and share my knowledge with you. Understanding the different qualities of light, it's direction and shadows it creates is key.
During down time, I will share post processing workflows in Photoshop with you. It's also a great time to review our images, recognize what worked and look for areas of improvement. A good portfolio requires variety (bears in their environment, close ups, interactions ect.) and this is best accomplished by setting daily photographic goals which we will review together.
My mandate is for you to have the best experience, walk away with a great portfolio and memories to last a lifetime.
Workshops Details
Dates: August 20-36, 2023
Location: Katmai, Alaska (departure: Kodiak Island, Alaska)
Price: $8250.00USD ($2000 deposit required)
Group size: 5 Maximum
**Reserve your spot now by sending me an email at : [email protected] **
What's Included
- 5 full days shooting, and 2 half days
- 6 nights accommodations in comfortable rooms on the boat. Double occupancy
- 1 night accommodation (day prior to departure to boat) in Kodiak, Alaska
- All meals on the boat cooked fresh daily. Fresh Salmon and Halibut meals not uncommon:)
- Guiding services in the field
- Expert Photographic instructions.
- Shuttle transportation from Kodiak airport to Hotel
What's not Included
- Transportation to and from Kodiak Island, Alaska
- Meals in Kodiak, Alaska
- Extra nights in Kodiak, Alaska (in addition to the night before departure to the boat)
- Trip insurance
- Tips/Gratuities
**Reserve your spot now by sending me an email at : [email protected] **
Equipment and Lens Recommendations
I recommend bringing all your lenses from a long telephoto lens to the your wide angle. The bears are BIG as is the Alaskan landscape. We will be close to the bears and the backgrounds present endless photo opportunities. I want my viewers to have a sense of the bears habitat and also to admire their beauty by bringing them close to the subject. If I were limited to one lense for this trip, I would choose a zoom in the 100-400 range (with extender).
For reference, here's what will be in MY photo bag:
- 2 cameras
- 500mm F4
- 100mm-500mm
- 70mm-200mm
- 17mm-40mm
- 1.4x and 2x extenders
- Lens rain covers (rain and dust)
- Lot's of cards, portable hard drive and laptop
**Reserve your spot now by sending me an email at : [email protected] **
**Reserve your spot now by sending me an email at : [email protected] **