Led by Art Wolfe
Assisted by Gavriel Jecan
Limited to 8 participants
Moderate hiking involved
Due to popular demand we have decided to offer three trips this year. You will see the dates for each trip listed below, when signing up to get on the pre-registration list please note which trip you are interested in.
Transportation and Accommodation
All meals during the workshop, lodging, and transportation to and from the lodge is included. You will be responsible for your flight to and from Anchorage Alaska and for your hotel in Anchorage. You are requested to arrive one day prior to the workshop so that the entire group can convene the afternoon of Aug 1st for departure. We have secured group rate rooms at an Anchorage hotel. Upon registration you will download a PDF that includes the hotel information. Please call the hotel directly and reference the Art Wolfe workshop to make your reservation.
Activity Level
The activity level for this workshop is moderate with proposed field outings that may involve approximately 4 miles of hiking over uneven ground to the photographic location. Please be aware of this before signing up. If there is any question regarding your ability to participate please call our office.
Itinerary
Shooting schedules have the ability to be altered to effectively cater to the photographic desires of the group, as well as to adapt to changeable weather conditions.
Day 1
- Meet and greet at 6pm no host dinner at restaurant in Anchorage.
Day 2
- Depart Anchorage for Katmai lodge
- Cabin assignments, waders and boots provided to each participant for trip, and settling in to lodge
- Discussion of proper procedures around bears and the float plane
- If there is time Art will provide a short lecture before dinner
Day 3,4,5,6
- Breakfast at lodge, and lunches distributed for field
- Full day in the field with Art and Gavriel
- Lessons will be provided throughout the field outings
- Flight back to lodge
- Download images from the day. Dinner at lodge
Day 7
- Arrive in Anchorage at approximately 11am. **Please check with Libby Pfeiffer before making your flight arrangements to confirm the arrival time back in Anchorage.**
It was magical. The coastal brown bears of the Katmai spend their summers in the rivers and streams gorging themselves on salmon in preparation for the coming winter. They are so focused on the fish that they did not give us a second glance; even when we set up our tripods in the middle of their stream. The river that we went to is unlike the normal bear viewing sites like Brooks Falls and McNeil River where hundreds of visitors are shepherded by park rangers and restricted in their movements. We were in true wilderness – just the six of us and as many as forty bears at one time. And, we felt completely safe. In the midst of all this, Art found the time to provide guidance and instruction on how to best capture the experience. In the end, I came away with many images that I am very happy with, and even better memories of an extraordinary experience.
—Michael R.
It is the last frontier, a place where wild dominates humankind. A place known as the land of the midnight sun, here alpenglow lasts for hours, not minutes. Imagine venturing into this wilderness where the bears do not fear humans, where the minimal human population has learned and adapted to live in harmony with them. The bears rule, not only because they are strong, large, and on the top of their food chains, but because the humans believe that they should. Now imagine being able to capture photos of these magnificent creatures from 15 feet away. This is Alaska!
All aspects of outdoor photography will be covered, including composition, field techniques, technology, and the unique philosophy of this highly specialized profession. There will be informative lectures, rigorous critiques and portfolio reviews. Instead of concentrating only on f-stops and equipment, we will work on composition, imagination, and the control of every element in the image. We do more than just take you to the location; we help you to maximize your creative and technological skills as a photographer.