Workshop Announcement: Alaska & the Bear Coast
Join me for a once in a lifetime photography trip!
In July of 2024, I found myself looking out the window of a six-seat floatplane as it skimmed the west coast of Alaska’s Cook Inlet. From my front-row seat, dials and levers filled the foreground, but beyond them stretched the rugged shoreline and mountains of Lake Clark National Park. When the plane banked inland, the pilot pointed through the windshield and said over the headset, “There’s our landing strip.” I saw several large pools but nothing that looked big enough to land a plane on. Only when we touched down did I realize it was, in fact, a lake, grown thick with lily pads.
As the floats slid to a stop, a skiff appeared out of the rain, its operator bundled in waders and a hooded jacket. One by one we clambered down from the plane into the boat, then were ferried to a dock that stood half above water, half submerged. I felt a small surge of pride. I was the only one wearing knee boots, and my gear was stowed in wearable, waterproof bags. The others stepped into the cold water in sneakers, dragging rolling suitcases through mud. From there, we rode in a custom-built trailer pulled by an ATV, bumping along in the rain until each of us was dropped at a cabin with the promise of hot lunch within the hour.
I had arrived on the Bear Coast.
I knew going into this trip that I’d be close to coastal brown bears… but I had no idea how close. On my first outing I carried a 600mm lens, ready to photograph them from a safe distance. By my last trip into the field, I was reaching almost exclusively for my 24–105mm. In non-photographer speak, that means the bears were really, really… really close. I learned quickly to set the camera down and simply appreciate the encounters. On that very first outing, with a large female only a few feet away, my lens wouldn’t even focus at such close range. So I lowered the camera and just watched. What surprised me most was the absence of fear or adrenaline. Instead, I felt calm, like I was closer to nature than I’d ever been before.
On my final day, I watched a bear graze slowly down a creek toward us until it stood, once again, just feet away. I put the camera down to be as present as possible. It was a powerful moment, tears came to my eyes. When the bear finished grazing, it turned its back to us and laid down to rest. Think about how much trust a wild animal must have to do that! My guide told me it was the greatest compliment a bear can give.
If you read my previous post, you’ll know how special Alaska is to me. It isn’t just my personal experiences that pull me back, it’s the wildness, the vastness, the sense of being part of something far greater than myself. Each trip deepens that connection, pushing the feeling farther than I thought it could go.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again… being eye to eye with a coastal brown bear is one of the greatest privileges of my life. It’s humbling, exhilarating, and deeply moving all at once. Now, you have the chance to share that experience with me. From July 31 – August 6, 2026, we’ll journey deep into the Alaskan experience, including four nights at a lodge in the heart of bear country. Most of our days will be spent photographing these incredible animals as they fish, graze, and interact, often just a few steps away. But the adventure doesn’t end with the bears…
During our stay in Lake Clark National Park, we’ll head out by boat to a nearby seabird colony, home to horned and tufted puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, murres, oystercatchers, and more. For those who want even more, I’ll also be offering an optional full-day excursion before the workshop begins with opportunities to photograph humpbacks, orcas, seals, and sea otters. A visit to a glacier will round out a day on the water you’ll never forget.
The detailed itinerary and registration info can be found at the link below:
Come ready for wild encounters, unforgettable photographs, and a chance to feel closer to nature than you ever thought possible!
I captured all of these images, and many more, during a single week in Alaska. You can view the full collection from this trip on my website. Not all of them will remain in my permanent galleries, so take a look while they’re still live!
More upcoming workshop opportunities:
October 6-10, 2025
This workshop takes advantage of the early fall color found on Acadia’s summits… which means we will hike! The goal of this workshop is to get us off the beaten path to photograph extraordinary locations seen by very few of the park’s visitors. We will be taking in wide-angle views from Acadia’s mountaintops as well as the beautiful small scenes that can be found around the park at this time of year.
October 18-22, 2025
Join me in the beautiful and incomparable Finger Lakes Region of New York! We will visit several parks and explore the gorges and waterways of this unique landscape while photographing countless waterfalls and cascades. We will visit well-known locations such as Watkins Glen State Park, but this workshop will also concentrate on small-scene photography, providing time to photograph more intimate scenes and underappreciated subjects. I love the mood of the Finger Lakes in late fall. With leaves on the ground, the gorges become filled with color and offer endless opportunities for foregrounds and patterns, while dynamic weather patterns add atmosphere to larger scenes.
How amazing it is to get so close to wildlife, and to experience such a beautiful connection with these bears!
If I could afford it, I would do your excursion next year in a heartbeat!
Sometimes when I see wildlife, I forget that I even have a camera with me, then later, I say to myself, why didn't I take a picture? I simply was too enthralled to think of it at the moment!