Grizzly Bear Photography Workshop
Lake Clark National Park, Alaska
Join Scenic Aperture for a thrilling Grizzly Bear Photography Workshop at Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska! Lake Clark National Park is a land of stunning beauty. Active volcanoes, salmon, rugged mountains, and grizzly bears are featured in this remote corner of Alaska. Silver Salmon Creek is one of the best locations to photograph grizzly bears in their natural habitat.
During our Alaska Grizzly Bear Photography Workshop, we will photograph bears as they forage in nearby salt marshes, mud flats, and glacial outwash plains along the coast of Cook Inlet. We will photograph these bears, many with cubs, while they roam in their natural environment in the most beautiful, pristine area imaginable.
Summer days are long in Alaska. Our first shoot each day begins around 6:00 AM and the last shoot ends around 10:00 PM. We will typically have three or four shoots per day with the occasional digital darkroom session included to hone your wildlife photography skills.
Grizzly Bear Photography Workshop
Strictly speaking, we will be shooting Coastal Brown Bears, not Grizzly Bears. What’s the difference? While grizzly bears and brown bears are technically the same species, Ursus arctos, the distinction is based on where they live and what they eat.
“Grizzly Bears” live on mountain slopes, tundra plains and inland forests and are typically smaller in size than “Coastal Brown Bears”. Grizzlies typically eat roots, grubs, and small rodents. Because of the difficulty in finding abundant food where they live, Grizzly Bears tend to be smaller than Brown Bears.
The term “Brown Bear” is commonly used for bears found in coastal areas of Alaska. Their habitat includes coastal grasslands and salmon filled streams which offer plentiful food. Brown Bears typically eat salmon in the summer, as well as clams, and sedge grass. This plentiful food supply allows them to grow larger than Grizzlies.
The Experience
There are no roads or bear jams at Silver Salmon Creek! This is a remote, diverse, and dynamic place offering a truly wild experience. Two active volcanoes, Redoubt and Iliamna, tower over 10,000′ above the nearby coast line. During this workshop you will be immersed in the pristine wilderness of Alaska.
Our Alaska Grizzly Bear Photography Workshop begins in Anchorage for an orientation and dinner on the first evening. Early the following morning, our group will board two specially equipped and modified bush planes (big tires with heavy duty landing gear) for a one-hour chartered flight to our lodge at Silver Salmon Creek. Each person is allowed 65 lbs of luggage, including camera gear. After landing on the beach, we will be greeted by our lodge hosts followed by a 5-minute ATV ride to our luxury lodge.
Yes, you read that correctly. Despite the remote location, luxury accommodations at Silver Salmon Creek and gourmet meals are included in this all-inclusive workshop. In addition, our personal and highly trained bear guide will insure we have the best possible bear photography opportunities while emphasizing safety for everyone.
Our group will be small with no more than 8 photographers. This allows customized instruction tailored to each person’s skills and interests. Our goal is to help you make great wildlife photographs. We go beyond just the mastery of fundamentals. We strive to take advantage of abundant Coastal Brown Bears, spectacular backgrounds, compelling compositions, and nearly 16 hours of daylight each day.
Optional Puffin Shoot
During our Grizzly Bear Photography Workshop, there will be an optional excursion for anyone interested in visiting Bird Island by boat to capture images of the Horned and Tufted Puffins and other sea birds. This excursion is weather dependent as the sea must be calm in order to travel to the island. The cost for this optional excursion is $150 (cash only).
Grizzly Bear Photography Workshop – Sign Up Now!
Sign up now. Space is strictly limited to 8 photographers on a first come first served basis. Travel insurance is HIGHLY recommended. Due to the nature of this workshop, location, and anticipated demand, refunds for cancellations for any reason are NOT available unless we can fill your space in the workshop.
Scenic Aperture, LLC is an authorized Permittee of the National Park Service.
Workshop Details
- September 4-10, 2021
Location
- Lake Clark National Park, Alaska
Cost
- $5,995 USD as follows:
- $2,000 deposit at registration
- $3,995 due July 1, 2021
Itinerary
September 4 (Anchorage)
- Workshop begins; Orientation and Introductions
- Dinner
September 5
- Air charter to Silver Salmon Creek
- Lodge orientation
- Late AM shoot
- Lunch
- Early PM shoot
- Dinner
- ate PM shoot
September 6-9
- Early AM shoot
- Breakfast
- Late AM shoot
- Lunch
- Early PM shoot
- Digital darkroom
- Dinner
- Late PM shoot
September 10
- Early AM shoot
- Breakfast
- Adjourn
- Air charter to Anchorage
Participants
- Limited to maximum of 8 photographers
Minimum Skill Level
- Intermediate to advanced photography skill level req’d
- Competent in photography fundamentals
- Competent in basic post-processing software
Physical Difficulty
- Moderate
- Hikes up to 1/4 mile on mud flats, sand, & grassland
- Bumpy ATV travel
Includes
- Lodging (double occupancy)
- One night in Anchorage
- Six days/five nights at Silver Salmon Creek
- All meals
- Bear guide
- Muck boots
- Air charter between Anchorage & Silver Salmon Creek
- National Park entrance fees
- Photographic guiding & instruction
- Digital darkroom
Not Included
- Transportation to and from Anchorage
- Optional Bird Island Puffin shoot ($150 cash additional)
- Lodge staff gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Additional costs associated with weather delays
- $110 per additional day plus meals (lodge)
- Actual costs for lodging/meals in Anchorage
- Travel/cancellation/emergency evacuation insurance
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