Alaska Bears and Falls

July 16-21, 2026 - 1 Spot Left!

Discover Alaska's untamed beauty on our Bears and Falls Photo Workshop. Based at a remote lodge on a pristine lake, this all-inclusive adventure gives you daily access to incredible bear photography opportunities. We’ll fly out each day to new locations, capturing brown bears in diverse environments—from fishing in salmon-packed rivers to clamming along the coast and foraging in lush meadows.

The workshop is perfectly timed for peak salmon runs, including a special excursion to world-famous Brooks Falls to photograph bears catching fish mid-air. You’ll also have a chance to see and shoot playful spring cubs, all while enjoying expert guidance and breathtaking landscapes. Moderate hikes (2–4 miles) will take us to prime shooting spots each day.

Tuition

$10,500
All-Inclusive

Max Group Size

Max 5 Students

Instructor(s)

Josh Miller

Physical Intensity

Alaska Brown Bears Photo Workshop Wildlife Photography Brooks Falls Catching Fish

Highlights

Prime Bear Photography Location – With over 2,000 brown bears, Alaska’s southern coast offers unmatched opportunities to capture these powerful animals in their natural element.

Daily Exclusive Bush Flights – Fly out each day from our remote wilderness lodge to photograph bears in a variety of breathtaking backdrops—from riverbanks to coastal meadows.

Perfect Timing for Peak Action – Scheduled to coincide with the height of the salmon run at Brooks Falls.

Spring Cubs - Capture the tiny spring cubs when they are playful and rambunctious!

All-Inclusive Experience – Includes five nights at a remote backcountry lodge, all meals, and charter flights—just bring your gear and sense of adventure.

Small Group, Big Benefits – With just 5 participants and two professional instructors, you’ll enjoy personalized guidance and a strong focus on both safety and creativity.

Post-Processing & Image Reviews – Hands-on editing sessions and image critiques will help you elevate your portfolio and refine your photographic vision.

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Itinerary

Due to the unpredictability of weather in Alaska, the itinerary below is subject to change. We will optimize our time to give you the best possible bear photography experience.

Pre-Workshop: A few months before, we'll hold a zoom meeting with all participants to cover gear and travel logistics. We'll also go over the shooting techniques you'll be using during the workshop.
Day 1 (July 16): We will meet at 3PM at Merrill Field near downtown Anchorage to check-in for our flight to the wilderness lodge. The route is absolutely breathtaking as we pass over mud flats, sedge meadows, glaciers, and jagged peaks! Once there, we get fitted into our chest waders, get settled into our rooms, and have our first dinner along with orientation.
Day 2 (July 17): We convene for an early morning image critique and classroom session. After breakfast, we load up in the float plane. We fly over snow-capped volcanos, huge glaciers, and lakes. We spend the day photographing brown bears against a stunning mountain backdrop as they are foraging, clamming, and caring for their small spring cubs.
Day 3 (July 18): After another morning classroom session, we fly out to remote location far away from other people. The bears are busy doing their thing as we walk the creek and chase after the spawning salmon. We get some incredible action shots. Time flies and before we know it it's time to fly back to the lodge for dinner.
Day 4 (July 19): With the potential for bad weather in the afternoon, we fly out very early today. We land on a small river where we are greeted by a guide in a small boat. He transports us to some remote mud flats where we observe several bear families clamming. We get lots of shots of the curious cubs as they cautiously check us out! by mid-afternoon we return to the river and boat back to the plane.
Day 5 (July 20): We meet for a final image critique session before flying out to another river with spawning salmon. We photograph numerous bears and family groups in the river corridor. The small spring cubs are a highlight as they wrestle and fight with each other. We return late to the lodge for our final dinner.
Day 6 (July 21): Today we fly out for a photo shoot at the famous Brooks Falls! We'll shoot the bears as they catch fish at the falls and also walk the river to get eye-level shots. We'll return to the lodge, pack up our belongings, and head to the airport for a 6PM flight back to Anchorage. You can expect to be back in Anchorage by 8PM at the latest.

Alaska Brown Bears Photo Workshop Wildlife Photography Spring Cubs

Logistics

You will need to arrive at Merrill Field in Anchorage by 3PM on July 16th. You can either choose to arrive the day before and stay overnight in Anchorage or arrive in the morning on the 16th. Our flight to the wilderness lodge departs at 4PM. Each person gets 50 lbs of gear for free. Additional weight is charged at $1.18/lb. Information on how to book your flight to/from the lodge will be sent after the 2026 schedules and pricing are available. As a reference, the round trip ticket is priced at $520 in 2025.

To protect your investment in this trip, we STRONGLY suggest you purchase Travel Insurance. We have partnered with Squaremouth, a website that allows you to compare policies from multiple providers to choose the best one for you.

The lodge we are staying out is on the shores of a beautiful lake and is very remote. They have just installed Starlink internet, so connectivity is pretty good. Do not expect luxury-style accommodations. The rooms are spacious but basic (see photos in the lodge section below). The base price assumes double occupancy. Single rooms are available for an additional fee. Delicious gourmet meals are provided by the in-house chef. Lunches are of the sack-lunch variety as we will be out in the field.

We will have five full days of bear photography where our pilot will fly us to a location of our choosing. This will allow us to visit new locations each day or return to the same place if activity is really good. We will be able to access places where other people don't go. The pilots and guides at this lodge know the locations and bears intimately. If the group is interested, overnight camping can be an option if the weather is good for sunset/sunrise photos.

In lieu of an in-person orientation session, we will hold a zoom meeting with all participants prior to the trip to answer questions and ensure you are setup for success. We don't want any last minute surprises before running to the airport! Once we have the flight info for next year, we will email you detailed information along with checklists for clothing and gear to bring.

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Alaska Brown Bears Photo Workshop Wildlife Photography

Alaska Brown Bears Photo Workshop Wildlife Photography Brooks Falls Long Exposure

Take A Tour of The Lodge

**Flying is always subject to the weather. In the event of bad weather, our outings may be delayed. If we cannot fly at all, we will schedule an alternate location/activity for that day.

Alaska Brown Bears Photo Workshop Wildlife

Pricing

$10,500/person + Tax

Trip Includes:

5 nights double-occupancy lodging at the wilderness lodge. Single-occupancy rooms available for an additional $1000.
5 days of exclusive charter flights to different bear viewing areas in the greater Katmai, Lake Clark, and McNeil areas.
All meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages.
In-field photography instruction and guiding.
Chest waders
Post-processing and image critique
Pre-Workshop Zoom Meeting

Trip Does NOT Include:

Transportation to/from your home to Anchorage, AK.
Flight to the Wilderness Lodge. The 2025 round-trip ticket price was $520/person. We won't have next year's prices until sometime in 2026.
Alcoholic beverages.
Gratuities for Instructors, Local Guides and/or Pilots.

When you complete the checkout process, you will be given the option to either pay the full amount or put down a 50% deposit. If you pay the deposit, the remaining amount will be charged 120 days prior to departure. Since this workshop is done in collaboration with a third party operator, no loyalty discount is offered. See the full Terms and Conditions.

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Trusted by Over 900 Reviews

Josh Miller

Photography Instructor

Josh has been a professional photographer and educator for more than
twenty years. His work has been published by National Geographic, Sierra Club, Audubon, Microsoft, The Wall Street Journal, and Outside Magazine. Josh is also passionate about the environment and shares his photographs and knowledge with conservation projects whenever possible.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Josh developed a passion for “the high country” and “bad” weather. He became interested in photography while working at Denali National Park for a summer job during college, and after graduation he moved to the mountains of northern California to spend as much time as possible climbing, skiing, and photographing in the Sierra. In addition to being a professional photographer, Josh is a California
credentialed art and science teacher. Josh and his wife spent seventeen years running an environmentally focused high school academy in Northern California where they were both honored as teachers of the year. Josh also loves to travel, and after the Covid pandemic, he and his wife spent nearly two years abroad traveling and photographing the world with their two young boys.

During workshops, Josh loves sharing his passions for the environment and travel, and his expertise as both an educator and photographer helps students improve their technical skills and feel comfortable pushing their creative boundaries.