Alaska Brown Bear Photo Adventure
Highlights
Hands-on photography instruction from two award-winning, professional nature photographers: Alyce Bender, a Tamron Ambassador, and Jennifer Leigh Warner, a Nikon Professional
Photograph Alaskan Brown Bears in five distinctly different habitats. This is a great way to walk away with a variety of different brown bear images.
Enjoy personalized field instruction with small instructor-to-participant ratio ( 1:3! )
Visit two of the nation’s largest National Parks with some of the highest concentration of brown bears in North America.
Explore the Alaskan wilderness via both float plane and boat.
Dates August 15-21, 2027 7 Day/6 Nights
Cost 2026: TBD Deposit: 50% Single Supplement: $1200
Physical Requirements Medium
- Walking up to 2 miles at easy pace with gear
- Be able to bend and climb in and out of float planes
- Be comfortable on a small boat for several hours at a time
Max Group Size Maximum 6 participants for a 1:3 ratio with instructors.
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Alaska is the best place in the world to photograph brown bears and in the summer months these bears are gorging themselves on brightly colored red salmon. While visiting five distinctly different bear fishing habitats, this photography tour is the perfect brown bear portfolio builder. Your guides, Jennifer Leigh Warner and Alyce Bender have spent a considerable amount of time photographing in Alaska and have created the ideal itinerary to get the most out of your Alaskan Brown Bear Photographic Adventure.
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Day 1 - Arrive in Anchorage and check into the hotel.
We will meet this evening for dinner and a meet and greet. Here we will also discuss the coming week, photography strategies, logistics, and expectations.
Day 2 - We will head out early to catch our float plane to Brooks Falls, located in Katmai National Park and home to one of the most iconic Alaskan photographic locations.
After a brief introductory session at “bear school” we will hike out the half a mile trail to Brooks Falls, where we will spend the next several hours photographing Alaskan Brown Bears from the viewing platform.
In the mid-afternoon we will make our way back to Anchorage.
Day 3 - On this day we will say goodbye to Anchorage and head to our new home for the remainder of the trip in Soldotna.
Roughly half way we will stop at an area known for good bear activity on the Kenai Peninsula. There we will enjoy a gentle hike along well maintained trails looking for bears that are fishing in the local rivers.
After our mid-morning stop we will continue to Soldotna and check into our hotel.
Day 4 - We will take an early morning float plane ride into Lake Clark National Park. Here the action and bears can only be summed up with one phrase: up close & personal. The action is non-stop as the bears in this area spend their time snorkeling in the water for fish.
We will be photographing from a Jon boat which allows us to get eye level with the swimming bears without having to get in the water with them ourselves.
Day 5 - Up early, we will take a drive down the coast to catch a chartered boat (larger than the Jon boats we have been using up to this point) to cross Cook Inlet to access the coastal mudflats and grass flats of Lake Clark National Park. As on other days, the boat allows us maneuverability and flexibility to go where the bears are along the coast, rather than just sitting in one spot. This boat also allows for us to be able to get on and off the watery platform for ground level perspectives.
Day 6 - On our last full tour day we will take an early morning float plane to a different location in Lake Clark National Park. This is one of the premier bear viewing fly-in experiences located in the wilderness of Alaska. Here you will see bears fishing for salmon in the shallow waters, where you will see how each bear uses their own personal fishing tactics, including rushing, snorkeling and diving for fish. Jon boats will again be our floating "blinds" for the duration of our time on location before we return to Soldotna mid-afternoon.
Day 7 - Return Home.
Depending upon flight departure times, we may choose to spend the morning photographing along the Kenai Peninsula again. From here, we will say our farewells and depart our separate ways upon returning to Anchorage for late afternoon/evening flights home. -
Ground Transportation in AK during Tour
Float Plane and Boat Transportation
In-field Photography Instruction w/2 Pro Instructors
6 Nights Lodging
Pre-tour Zoom Meeting
All Entrance Fees & Permits
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Transportation to/from your home to Anchorage, AK
Meals, Snacks, and Beverages
Any pre- or post-tour AK lodging or transportation
Personal Purchases
Guide & Instructor Gratuities
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Two camera bodies to limit lens changes
Telephoto lens – 400 mm or larger (for bears and other wildlife)
Mid range variable – 24-100mm (for environmental and landscape images)
Monopod for extra support or help with creative images
Camera sling/harness/strap of some sort to secure it to your person while not in a pack
Plenty of batteries and memory cards
Laptop or other system for backing up images
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Waterproof Outer shell jacket and rain pants
Layers of quick dry clothing as August in Alaska is frequently rainy but the temperatures can vary from low 40F in the morning to as high as 80s on sunny afternoons.
Warm brimmed hat and gloves that are comfortable to photograph in
Waterproof hiking boots. Or a lightweight boot dryer. Option to rent waders is available.
Wool socks – plus extra pair in your camera bag.
Sunglasses, sunscreen, personal water goes here
Meet Your Instructors
Jennifer Leigh Warner
Nikon Professional
Jennifer Leigh Warner is a fine art conservation wildlife photographer, writer, public speaker and workshop leader, living in Central Texas and specializes in creating meaningful images that convey a message of hope for the natural world. Jennifer is a Nikon Professional, a certified Texas Master Naturalist, serves on the Board of Directors for the North American Nature Photography Association and has been serving as the Chair of the Ethics Committee since 2018.
Alyce Bender
Tamron Ambassador.
Tamron Ambassador Alyce Bender uses photography to connect people to wildlife and environments across the world focusing on ethical photography practices. Bender leads tours, writes, and is a speaker/instructor promoting conservation, protection, and ethical photography of the natural world while helping students tell the story from their perspective. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally throughout the years.