It seems like just yesterday, but this will be my 8th year returning to the Cook Inlet in Alaska to photograph America's most spectacular animals.

Spending a week with Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears, often called Grizzlies, is truly a life-changing experience. Unlike the bears at Brooks Lodge in Katmai, which are stressed out and offer very limited viewing, we'll be able to see bears in their native and un-stressed environment.

One day the bears will be grazing on the nutrient rich grass and the next they'll be spearing the first Salmon of the season. Without question this is my favorite week of the year.

We'll have an entire small lodge to ourselves, and the bears are right in the area, so our shooting opportunities are maximized.

Then--as difficult as it is to tear ourselves away from the bears--we'll take boat trips out to photograph both Tufted and Horned Puffins. This is truly a special treat, as we will be there about the only time of year that there are bears and Puffins with fish to photograph. We'll have ample opportunity to work on both flight shots of the Puffins and "posed" shots from our tripods of them standing outside their burrows or returning with bills full of Needlefish.

I'll be shooting with you the entire week. The trip is limited to six participants, so we'll have plenty of time to work together. Each evening we'll talk about the next day's shooting and cover shooting strategies for making the most of it. We'll also review our shooting each day and discuss what worked and didn't work. I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. I can't guarantee that you'll get world class images, but I'll work to make sure you have the best possible chance!

And of course we'll have plenty of exotic Alaskan scenery to photograph. From brilliant sunrises to eye-popping fireweed fields on the mountains there will be something for everyone. We'll also almost certainly get some chances to photograph Bald Eagles and a variety of other birds.

Both film & digital shooters welcome. If you need help selecting or renting equipment, let us know and we can assist you. All participants will also receive a detailed package with plenty of information on how to prepare, what to bring, and how to safely photograph grizzly bears.

If you've had your fill of photography, we're in one of the world's foremost Salmon fishing spots. Yards from the Lodge is world class Salmon fishing and at low tide the beach has an abundance of Razor Clams to dig for. Clamming and fishing also provide some excellent opportunities for bear photography, so you'll always want to have a camera along.

2007 Trip Report & Update for 2008:

In 2008 we'll once again have two photo safari sessions, on the same dates as this year, July 8th to 15th and July 14th to 21st. Accomodations will be in a comfy Lodge with three home-cooked meals each day (the lodge features a chef and a baker, and seldom has more than a dozen guests) and nice rooms. Since we're right in the middle of the bear rich coastal plain we couldn't be any closer to the bears, so we'll have all the time we want to photograph them. The Lodge has a boat and captain who will take us out to a Seabird Rookery featuring Common Murres, Horned and Tufted Puffins and Kittiwakes, as well as Auklets and Oystercatchers.

Bald Eagles are seen almost continually, and we can often get fairly good shots of them. We should also have some great opportunities both weeks to photograph clamming bears. This year we even saw a pair of clamming Ravens--something very new and truly unusual. For non-shooting spouses or companions there are a range of other acivities at the lodge, ranging from enjoying the spectacular views of the Cook Inlet to world-class Salmon and Halibut fishing as well as kayaking and boat tours of a nearby lake--which featured a nesting pair of Loons with young this year.

It's truly a special trip so we hope to see some of you coming along with us next year!

Price for 2008: $4950 per person, double occupancy, including photo instruction, all food, lodging, transportation, boat trips & guiding once at the Lodge, and transportation (air charter) from Anchorage to and from the Lodge.

Spouses welcome! $250 discount for a spouse or companion. Single supplement $650.

Early-bird discount of $250 if you register before October 1st!

To register online for 2008:
visit our secure online store

For more information:
E-mail: safaris [at] cardinalphoto.com
or Call +1.650.851.8350

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter:
DigitalPro Shooter
Enter your email to receive our newsletter on shooting digital.