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 leading an action packed brown bear photography workshop to Lake Clark National Park that will put you face to face with these undisputed kings of the ecosystem.
Lake Clark National Park and Cook Inlet are a wildlife photographers dream. Towering snow capped mountains. Lush primeval forests. 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.
Cost: $7000
Deposit: $1000
Dates: August 9 – 16 | SOLD OUT
Included: 5 nights lodging at Silver Salmon Lodge, all meals while at lodge, and local flights.
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Difficulty: Moderate due to some mud and water
Lodging: Silver Salmon Lodge
Airport: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Lodging in Anchorage: Not provided. We recommend the Courtyard Marriott Airport Hotel for the night of the 9th and 15th
- 6 days and 5 nights at Silver Salmon Lodge in Lake Clark National Park
- A small group limited to 6 participants
- hands on in the field instruction throughout the duration of the workshop
- opportunities for one on one instruction
- reviews and critiques of images in both formal and informal situations
- brown bears galore
- puffins
- bald eagles
- and let’s not forget that this will be a first class experience and one heck of a good time!
What about additional lodging?
We will be leaving Anchorage at around 9am to travel to the lodge by bush plane. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you arrive in Anchorage the. day before. Likewise, we will leave the lodge at around 10am on the last morning. However, there are times when weather delays departure from the lodge. The owners of the lodge recommend that guests do not book flights before 4pm. But, as a safety precaution, I recommend leaving out the following day – just in case.
We recommend staying at the Airport Courtyard Marriott if you come in early and / or stay a day later. These additional hotels are not included with the price of the trip.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes. For the Alaska Brown Bear workshop, we do require travel insurance. Given the use of small bush planes and boats to access our destination, both our company and the lodge company we use in Alaska require this – though you will only need to provide proof of insurance to us.
Are we in bush planes?
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.
Is there weight restrictions on the bush planes?
Yes there is. Typically, this restriction is 50lbs for gear. However, we have arranged for you to be able to bring 70lbs of gear total. This weight restriction is a combination of you luggage and camera gear.
As some items such as waders can be quite heavy, there will also be an opportunity for you to ship your waders to the lodge ahead of time in order to cut down on weight for planes.
Will I need to bring waders for this workshop?
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 lenses will I need to bring?
We highly recommend the ability to reach out to at least 500mm. 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 600mm lens and a 200-400mm lens for this workshop.
Though we recommend at least 500mm, this does not necessarily mean that you need a 500mm 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
Registration is pretty simple. We just need two things from you:
- a signed and completed registration form. This is an online form to make things as easy as possible and we will send you this link just as soon as you tell us you are ready to hop on board!
- The deposit. We accept both credit cards and checks. Just let us know which one you would like to pay with, and we will let you know how to do so.
We want you to be sure that this is the right choice for you. So, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us!
Have Questions about this or another workshop?
Are you ready to sign up?
Just shoot us an email:
workshops at Jared Lloyd photo dot com
Travel insurance
Fact: flights get canceled, airlines overbook, snow storms shut down airports, family members get sick, doctors occasionally deliver unexpected news. Pandemics happen. Life is what happens as we are busy making plans. John Lennon said that, and it’s about as true of a statement that can be made when it comes to travel.
With so many variables and possibilities out there that cannot be foreseen or planned for, we highly recommend purchasing trip insurance for this workshop.
The costs are surprisingly low and well worth the small expense. Trip insurance gives you peace of mind and allows you to know that if one of those little inevitabilities in life happens to pop up, you will not lose your money spent on your workshop and flights.
CSA and Travel Guard are the two big ones out there. But you can get instant comparative quotes through www.insuremytrip.com