brown bears of coastal alaska
Brown bears are North America’s largest predators and the undisputed king of any ecosystem in which they live in. Alaska holds more of these bears than anyplace else in the Western Hemisphere, and contains 95% of the US population. And Lake Clark National Park, where this workshop will be based out of, has densities of over 200 bears per 50 square miles – one of the densest populations on the planet!
This August I will be taking a small group of photographers on an action packed brown bear photography workshop to Lake Clark National Park, that will put you face to face with these extraordinary animals.
Lake Clark National Park and Cook Inlet are a wildlife photographers dream. Towering snow capped mountains. Lush primeval forests. Bald eagles. Sea birds galore. And of course, bears – EVERYWHERE. If you are looking for adventure, for big wilderness, for massive predators up close and personal, then this workshop is for you.
In addition to the bears, we will also spend time photographing a puffin colony, as well as the incredible numbers of bald eagles that make this place their home.
There is also an optional extension for this workshop. We offer our Epic Brown Bears workshop just afterwords that can be added on to this at a discounted price. The Epic Brown Bears is completely different, filled with float planes and boats and adventure and photographic opportunities that are completely unlike our Brown Bears of Coastal Alaska workshop. Adding these two together creates the ultimate bear photography experience.
We conduct this workshop differently than others who visit this area and require specific items of gear to create the types of photographs that we are targeting such as chest waders and ground pods. This does not increase the difficulty of the workshop. Instead, it enhances the photographic opportunities for participants allowing us to move beyond creating cliche images of bears.
Cost: $8700
Deposit: $2000
Dates:
August 7 - 14, 2024 | SOLD OUT
August 20 - 27, 2025 | Space Available
Included: 5 nights lodging at Silver Salmon Lodge, all meals while at the lodge, and local flights.
Not Included: Lodging and meals in Anchorage, gratuities for guides and lodge staff
Classroom Session: We will spend a full day in a classroom session discussing the important photographic concepts needed to take full advantage of this workshop. From low-light photography to mastering birds in flight, this classroom session is designed to insure that each participant is fully prepared for the opportunities to come. This one day will completely change your success rate for the entire workshop, without sacrificing days spent in the field photographing wildlife.
Airport: Ted Stevens International Airport. ANC. Anchorage, Alaska.
Location: Lake Clark National Park, Alaska
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Physical Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Participants: This workshop is limited to 6 participants.
Frequently Asked Questions
will I need waders for this workshop?
Our lodge is not accessible by automobile. The only way in and out (other than a very long boat ride) is by small planes that land and take off right from the beach. Typically these planes are Cessnas but may include slightly larger planes such as Beavers. We will travel in multiple small planes for the flights there and back.
The flight from Anchorage to the lodge will be around 1 hour as you fly along the coast of Cooks Inlet where glaciers, volcanoes, labyrinths of salt marsh, and waterfalls will all dominate the view.
Are Bush Planes involved?
Yes, you will need to bring waders for this workshop. Though many will suggest that hip waders are sufficient for photographing in this area, we require you to bring a pair of chest waders instead.
Hip waders will do fine for you while walking and kneeling, however this can be a very wet place at times. You will find yourself sitting and even laying down here – for which hip waders will be of no use to you for keeping dry in those situations. Even if you do not feel comfortable with sitting or laying down on the ground for better angles with the bears, you will appreciate the added protection when simply riding around looking for bears.
Even if you have been to Silver Salmon Lodge or know someone else who has and did not need waders, you will need them for our workshop. This will be a critically important component to your gear and we conduct our workshops in Alaska accordingly. Trust us, you will thank us for this one!!!
What size lens will I need?
We highly recommend the ability to reach out to at least 400mm. Zoom lenses are great options on this workshop given the changing situations that we will encounter. At times out distance from the bears will be measured in feet. At other times we may be 50 yards or more depending upon the situation. Jared carries a 400mm f/2.8 lens with a 1.4 TC as his primary setup for this trip.
Though we recommend at least 4000mm, this does not necessarily mean that you need a 400mm prime lens. There are a variety of zoom lenses that will allow you to reach this focal length. Additionally, if you are shooting with a crop sensor camera, this should be taken into account as well.
As always, please do not feel the need to rush out and purchase a lens just for this workshop. It is OK to use us an excuse to do so, but this is not necessary as we suggest renting equipment you do not have for workshops. We can help you with a discount through both www.lensrentals.com as well as www.borrowlenses.com
