Dates:
July 21-24, 2013 with Canon Live Learning
FULL – sign up to be on the waiting list by signing up. Click Here for Registration
Seeing eye to eye with a brown bear is an experience to remember! And we will have many opportunities for that. We may see them digging for clams in the flats, eating grasses or even a scuffle and while this is not the time for salmon fishing it is great for the cubs that will be smaller this time of year. We may see them nursing. There are more than just bears, although that is what we will be looking for and photographing most of the time. I have seen bald eagles, fox, wolf (that is not very common) and shorebirds.
The bears are king and they know it. Yet they are not really interested in people and pretty much ignore us. They may watch us, slyly with an eye peering back at us as they walk right by. The bears have much to eat here and they are use to people in this area, which allows us to get close.
We will photograph bear portraits and bears as an element in the scene for environmental portraits. A bear in the landscape tells one story and details of their paws digging for clams or running cubs tells another.
We will be in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska at a private lodge. There will be a few other people at the lodge as well but no crowds of other locations. It is a special place with breathtaking beauty. Perhaps it is the fresh air or mountains or free wild rivers that make it so wonderful just to be there. It is very peaceful due to the remote access, only by plane or boat.
With bears at our footstep, pristine land and home cooked food, it is a once in a lifetime experience. Come experience the beauty of Alaska with us!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
Jennifer, having participated in your “Brown Bears in Alaska” was a once in a lifetime exciting experience for me. Your planning, scheduling, personal attention and instructions, rates as outstanding, and it is way beyond the standard one would expect from a workshop.
“Your professionalism is beyond reproach, your talent is unbelievable, your patience is limitless, and your energy boundless. I cannot thank you enough for the knowledge I have gained through your workshop.
I highly recommend it to anyone, who is looking to gain more knowledge about their equipment, composition, etc. You will also receive assistance on a personal level, while participating in a wonderful adventure of wildlife in Alaska.” Frank
“Jennifer exceeded my expectations in every facet. She had checked out and researched all of the details. The photo excursions, accommodations, logistics and equipment were well planned to make the most of the trip. Her enthusiasm is contagious and it helped to make for an awesome trip and experience. The Grizzly bear photo opportunities were outstanding and I will have great memories and photos for a lifetime. I think everyone got more from the tour than they expected. Thank you for providing such a rewarding experience.” Cam
INTINERARY
Day 1: July 20: Fly to Anchorage, Alaska. Meet in the lobby of the hotel in the evening for registration, welcome, introductions and information about the workshop.
Day 2: July 21: Breakfast at hotel. We take a morning flight to Lake Clarke National Park and our private lodge. This is a small plane and we will travel light. The scenic flight goes over braided rivers, mountains and Cook Inlet. It is worth photographing out of the plane window. We land on the beach and put our luggage on ATVs to the lodge close by. This is our first experience to go out and photograph the bears
Days 3 & 4: July 22-23:Two exciting full days to photograph the brown bears! In the morning we will head out on ATV drawn carts to photograph the bears with our bear guide. The guide is great at keeping us safe and finding them, often close by and knowledgeable in bear behavior. Sometime near the lodge! The ATV drawn carts are a great way to get around and not have to carry our gear. We will take time for lectures and critiques when we have any rain or weather issues. We return for lunch and downloading images. Then more bear photograph in the afternoon and evening with possible for some landscapes and details too. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided at the lodge each day.
Day 5: July 24: We have breakfast and possible to do some bear photography in the early morning. Then we take our small planes back to Anchorage. Return home this day with a late afternoon flight or the next.
VIEW IMAGES
Jennifer Wu’s images from Alaska – View Images
SKILL LEVEL
The tour is intended for intermediate and advanced photographers, however any skill level will enjoy photographing the brown bears. Participants should have a working knowledge of their equipment. We will be doing some hiking over uneven ground during the day. We will ride to their location then walk
around while there. Please email Jennifer if you have any questions.
GETTING THERE
Book a flight to arrive in Anchorage the day before the workshop and depart the last day of the workshop or following day. You can fly home on last day of the workshop in the afternoon but there might be possible flight delays with the small plane from the lodge due to weather.
REGISTRATION
COST
Cost: $4,300 for Double occupancy. Single occupancy for a fee (around $400) may be available but we may not know until we arrive at the lodge.
Your meals and accommodations at the Lake Clark lodge and flight from Anchorage to the lodge are included. The lodge serves delicious meals. Let us know before hand if you have any dietary needs. Anchorage hotel, flight to Anchorage, meals in Anchorage and gratuities are not included.
ACCOMMODATIONS
We will stay at the lodge for the photographic tour. You are responsible for your hotel before and/or after the lodge in Anchorage, Alaska. The lodge will provide rubber boots so you don’t need to bring them.
TRANSPORTATION
Flight by small plane from Anchorage to the lodge is included. You are responsible for your flight to Anchorage, Alaska.
PHOTO TOUR LIMIT
We limit to 8 participants. We have a small group for wildlife photography.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Payment is required in full since we have to pay the lodge for each space. There is no refund for cancellations unless we fill you space with someone from the waiting list less a processing fee.
SPOUSES / PARTNERS
Spouses and partners are welcome to attend. They should know that we are focusing on photography and we will be staying out very late and getting up early. Sleep is at irregular hours. There is no discount for a spouse or partner.
EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Canon will provide a variety of long lenses and camera bodies that will be shipped directly to the lodge for your use. Jennifer and Canon will coordinate with you before the tour to find out your needs and what we will bring for you.
A wide-angle lens such as 24-70mm is helpful for scenery and environmental portraits. A 100-400 range is good for portraits and/or a 500mm or a 400mm fixed with an extension tube. You will not need more than a 500mm but a tele converter is nice to have to easily photography the just the eyes or face of the bears. A sturdy tripod is needed. A gimbal head is recommended but not required.
QUESTIONS & INFORMATION
We are happy to answer your questions. Please use the Contact Us page to email or call us. Details about the schedule, airlines, accommodations, clothing and equipment recommendations are provided with registration or upon request.
JENNIFER WU, has lead brown bear and landscape workshops in Alaska. She is a nature and landscape photographer with a special interest in photographing the night sky. She received a BA in Photography from California State University, Sacramento. Jennifer was named by Canon USA to the elite group photographers, The Explorers of Light. A group comprised of the top 62 professional photographers in the country. Canon made Jennifer an Explorer of Light on the strength of her night photography, techniques she developed over years of experience.
Jennifer’s images, featured in numerous magazines and books, have won a wide variety of prestigious awards. Whenever she is not on nature expeditions at some of the most beautiful locations in the world, she exhibits her images at nationally recognized galleries and art shows. She teaches workshops for the Light Photographic Workshops, Sierra Club, Canon and aFilm International Film Workshops (Barcelona).
To register:
Tour One:
July 21-24, 2013 with Canon Live Learning.
Click Here for Registration
