brown bears of the Alaskan COast
July 3-9, 2026
Alaska.
Vast, green valleys. Endless seas of snow-capped peaks. Sweeping, wild rivers and untamed bush. Glaciers, volcanos, and lush temperate rainforests. But most importantly for us, the stronghold of the mighty brown bear.
This place is truly a heaven on earth for wildlife photographers, and in 2026, I want some of you to join me in experiencing the best brown bear photography in the world!
This workshop will be a multi-day adventure on the beautiful Bear Coast of Alaska. The Bear Coast encompasses the region from southeast Katmai National Park all the way up to northeast Lake Clark National Park - over 300 miles of wild, untouched coastline, all of which is fantastic brown bear habitat.
We will see bears - and lots of them. We will walk alongside them, watch them play, eat, court, and live their lives in some of the most stunning landscapes on earth. And it’s not like we’re viewing them from afar… our average distance will be maybe 20 yards, and at times even closer! I’ve had bears walk within 6 feet of me here, and, believe it or not, this is all done safely. We will be with a bear viewing guide that keeps us safe the entire time.
The bears here are different than most bears you might’ve encountered. They live easy lives with plentiful food, and thanks to all the hard work put in by the lodge staff, they trust and are comfortable around humans. In their 41 years in operation, this lodge has never had an attack.
They have also never gone a day without seeing a bear.
If you are someone who wants to capture gorgeous photos of brown bears, and get an intimate look into their lives in the process, this is the workshop for you! From courting bears to wresting bears to spring cubs riding on mom’s back, the encounters we get here are truly incredible. I guarantee you will leave this place with a enormous appreciation for these bears, and an even more enormous collection of files to go through and edit.
Quick Details
Dates: July 3-9, 2026
Cost: $8,350 USD, double occupancy only ($3,000 deposit to secure your spot)
Group size: 4 participants
What’s included:
All lodging, food, transportation at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge
Bush plane flights to and from Silver Salmon Creek Lodge
A bear viewing guide for the duration of our stay at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge
Optional boat trip to photograph a puffin rookery
All photography instruction
Conservation donation to Friends of the Bear Coast, a local nonprofit
(this will be 3% of the total workshop fee)
What’s not included:
Transportation to and from Anchorage, AK
Lodging and food in Anchorage, AK
Tips for guides and lodge staff
Basic Itinerary
6 Months Before: A 4-hour group Zoom call covering everything you need to know to prepare yourself for this workshop.
Day 1: Fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and check into the hotel. I ask that you arrive at the hotel no later than 4PM to make it to our Welcome Orientation at 6PM. Orientation is designed to set you up for maximum success in the field, it is one of the most critical parts of this workshop.
Day 2: We will board a bush plane and fly out of Anchorage at 9AM. We should arrive at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge by 10-10:30AM, barring any weather/flight delays, and will then be taken to our cabins. Immediately after that, we spend the rest of the day photographing bears!
Days 3-6: Four full days of epic brown bear photography and up-close, powerful encounters with the most amazing (in my opinion at least) animals on earth. We will photograph bears feeding on sedges in lush coastal meadows, bears digging up and eating razor clams on vast mud flats, and, if we are lucky, mother bears with new spring cubs! At least one evening will be spent at the lodge doing an image critique/review session, where we will discuss what you are doing well, photographic challenges we’ve faced this trip and how to overcome them, and what you can improve upon going forward to capture even better photos for the rest of the trip. We will also have the opportunity to take an optional, half-day boat excursion to a puffin rookery located on the side of an island in Cook Inlet, where we will get to photograph puffins and other seabirds.
Day 7: After a final morning photo shoot with the bears, we will eat breakfast, and then pack up and fly back to Anchorage, leaving with incredible memories and full memory cards :)
Roughly a week after we return home, once we’ve all had a chance to offload memory cards and review photos, we will meet via Zoom for a 2-hour post-processing session. This will give you an idea of how I process my photos from this trip, where you might start with processing yours, and will allow me to answer any questions you might have about processing images in general.
The Lodge
The main lodge where we will eat and swap stories - we will sleep in cabins nearby.
Our Ride
We ride in the wagon, and our private bear guide drives.
The Bears
As I said above, we get very close!
NOTE: Due to inclement weather, our flight back to Anchorage from the lodge could be delayed. If you are flying out of Anchorage on Day 7, make sure to book your flight later in the day to give yourself a bit of a buffer. Personally, I don’t risk it at all and opt to stay an extra night in Anchorage instead, then fly out the next morning.
In rare cases, weather can sometimes trap us at the lodge for an extra night. If this happens, another $100 per person per day is charged by the lodge for accommodations and meals. You will be responsible for this extra fee in the event that we are stuck there.
Fitness level
Moderate. Long days in the field, sometimes in inclement weather. 1 - 4 miles of hiking daily, oftentimes over rough terrain such as tidal sloughs, sedge marshes, and mud flats. We may have to wade across small creeks with steep, slick, muddy banks. Be prepared to get dirty and wet.
LOOKING FOR MORE DETAILS? READY TO BOOK?
If this sounds like the epic bear photography adventure you are looking for, then contact me using the form below to book your spot, and I’ll be in touch with you soon.