For this trip report, we are heading to the beautiful state of Alaska to photograph bears.
We started at home in Michigan and flew first to Seattle, then on to Anchorage. From there, we made our way to the small plane airport, where we had to weigh ourselves and our bags so the weight could be properly distributed for the flight.
Then we boarded the plane for the one-hour flight down toward Cook Inlet, where the adventure would really begin.
Arriving at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge
The location was absolutely epic. We came in surrounded by snow-capped mountains, water, and some of the most beautiful scenery you could imagine.
Our base for this part of the trip was Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, run by David, Joanne, and their son Oliver. We love this lodge. It is one of the iconic places to stay in this area, with comfortable beds, fantastic food, great staff, and a really wonderful atmosphere.
After storing our bags, we were ready to head out into the wilds to photograph bears.
Our transportation was by ATV-pulled wagons, which worked really well. We carried our gear on our laps, and most people only needed a couple of lenses. I used my 200-400mm, had a 70-200mm on my hip, and carried a small backpack with a wide-angle lens. That covered about 99% of what I needed.
Our guide, Mark, was fantastic. He put us in some really great situations, knew a lot about bears, understood their behaviour, and was just an all-around great guy to be around.
Photographing Alaskan Bears in the Landscape
Of course, this trip was all about the bears.
One of the things I loved about this location is that the grass was low, so we could get down and photograph from a really nice low angle. In some situations, I was lying on the ground photographing up at the bear with this beautiful mountain background behind it.
The bears were out in the meadows feeding, but they were also always alert and watching. It was surprising how often they stood up on their hind legs. At this time of year, the boars are coming down, and the females are in the area feeding, so there is a lot of bear activity and a lot of awareness.
After feeding for a while, of course, the bears sleep. Everyone needs a nap.
One of my favourite little details was a sleeping bear’s foot. You don’t often get to photograph the bottom of a bear’s foot, and those quieter moments are part of what makes the experience so much fun.
Bears on the Clam Flats
A big part of the rhythm of the day was waiting for the tide to go out.
Once the tide dropped, the bears headed out onto the clam flats to dig for clams. It was amazing to watch. They can delicately open razor clams with their claws and teeth, getting the meat without eating the shells.
All around us was this 360-degree panoramic view of mountains, water, and wild Alaska. It is an incredibly beautiful place to photograph.
When the tide came back in, the bears would return to the sedge meadows or head back into the woods to rest.
Why This Location Is So Special for Bear Photography
One of the things we really love about this location is that, unlike many lodges, we are actually on the ground with the bears. That gives us a huge photographic advantage.
We can move, change position, work for better backgrounds, get low, and choose our angles. In other places, you may be limited to viewing platforms and simply have to hope the bears walk into a good location.
Here, we have much more control over the backgrounds and perspectives we use.
We are often asked how close we can get to the bears. The answer is: pretty darn close. We do not approach them closely, but if the bears come up to us, we let that happen.
Special Bear Moments
Of course, what we are always looking for are those special moments.
We had mother bears with cubs, bears standing on their hind legs, and even two males coming down to the beach for a little sparring match. It probably only lasted five or ten minutes, though it felt much longer at the time. No bears were harmed. It was more play than anything, but it was still incredibly exciting to see how powerful and fast they are.
Another highlight was watching a mother bear lie down in the meadow while her two cubs came over and started nursing right in front of us.
Then there was a wonderful play session between a mother and cub in shallow water. The cub came up to her as if to say, “Hey mom, want to play?” Eventually she gave in, and they played for several minutes in beautiful light, with water flying everywhere.
There was running, jumping, tackling, and all kinds of great behaviour. It was a ton of fun to photograph.
One of everyone’s favourite moments came after that play session, when the cub was so full of energy he just had to run it off. He came running right toward me. It lasted about ten seconds, and I took 90 pictures.
Of that whole sequence, one frame really stood out. The paw position, the water, and the expression on his face all came together. That was my favourite from the entire series.
Prince William Sound
After our bear experience, we headed down to Whittier and boarded the Kayak Chief to explore Prince William Sound.
The boat was comfortable and roomy, with plenty of space inside and an outside deck that worked really well for photography. Prince William Sound is filled with scenic splendour, including glaciers, ice chunks, and floating icebergs.
We were able to photograph sea lions, marine birds, puffins, harbour seals, and sea otters.
The puffins are always a favourite, and we saw both horned and tufted puffins. We also saw harbour seals resting on the ice, including pups, which was really special.
My favourite subjects in the sound were the sea otters. We had one sea otter up on a chunk of ice that posed beautifully for us, and we also saw sea otters with pups, although they were a little skittish and did not let us get too close.
Alaska Provided a Whole Host of Photography Opportunities!
This was a scouting trip, so most of the group were people who had travelled with us many times before. It was a great group, and we had an awesome time sharing this adventure with them.
Between the bears, the mountain scenery, the clam flats, Prince William Sound, the glaciers, the puffins, the sea lions, and the sea otters, Alaska gave us an incredible range of photography opportunities.
It was wild, beautiful, exciting, and a whole lot of fun.
Are you ready to walk with bears?
Join us for an epic Alaska adventure to photograph Brown Bears inside the iconic Lake Clark National Park. From intimate bear portraits and interesting behaviors to beautiful “animal scapes” of bears in the snow-capped mountain vistas, the photographic opportunities of this trip are amazing!
There is a reason why Lake Clark National Park is one of the most sought-after destinations to photograph the majestic Alaskan Brown Bear, and it begins with the incredible density of bears that call this great place home.
Filled with sedge marshes and wonderful clamming flats, it is the place where bears come to gorge after their winter slumber. Unlike a lot of lodges in this area, at our location, you will not be tied to a viewing platform. Instead, you will spend your time on the ground with the bears in their world, enjoying and photographing their many behaviors.
As a bonus, at the end of our trip we visit Prince Williams Sound for opportunities to photograph whales, sea otters, sea lions, puffins, glaciers and more.
Find out more about upcoming Alaska tours here on our website and watch the video below for more highlights of this trip.
Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve and Nicole