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 one of the nation’s largest National Park with some of the highest concentration of brown bears in North America.
Explore the Alaskan wilderness via both float plane and boat.
Dates August 8-14, 2027 7 Day/6 Nights
Cost 2027: $9850 Deposit: 50% Single Supplement: $800
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 - Our first full day in Alaska will have us transitioning down onto the Kenai Peninsula with the potential of wildlife photo opportunities along the way. That afternoon we board our first float plane into Lake Clark National Park where concentrations of bears are thick and the views are stunning. 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 3 - This morning we hop back to the lake for another float plane flight over to Lake Clark National Park but to a different location than the day before. Different bears with different backgrounds and different foraging behaviors happen here. Again Jon boats will be our floating "blinds" for the duration of our time on location before we return to Soldotna mid-afternoon.
Day 4 - On this day we switch it up a bit and go further afield to the small harbor town of Homer before catching a bush plane to the costal beaches along Chinitna Bay. Here we will be able to see bears from the air before landing along sandy beaches to photograph them on mud flats and grazing in the sedge grasses. We will have several hours on that side of the bay before returning to the Kenai.
Day 5 - We will take an early morning float plane returning to the first location in Lake Clark National Park we visited, however this time we will be there in the morning. This is one of the premier bear viewing fly-in experiences located in the wilderness of Alaska so we think it is worth the visit twice at different times of the day. 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.
Day 6 - On our last full tour day we remain flexible in the off chance one of the activities has to be postponed due to weather, a potential at all times in Alaska. However, it is still not a down day. We will explore areas of the Kenai Peninsula that are known to also have both brown and black bears, as well as other Alaskan wildlife, further diversifying your Alaskan bear portfolio.
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.
If weather delays any of the activity flights beyond what our schedule can reasonably accommodate rescheduling, refunds will be issued to participants for the seat fee on those missed flights.
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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.