Last year about this time, I realized that things were not going to plan. The 2020 dumpster fire was starting to stink, and my planned summer of photography workshops and wilderness trips in Alaska was bursting into flame. A lot of the last year really sucked. But, being the optimist I am, I started to look a bit further into the future. What did I want my workshop schedule to look like a couple of years down the road? What kind of opportunities were going to excite people, and excite me? Turns out that asking myself that question led me to some interesting answers. Three answers, actually.
I’ve put together three, new, and entirely novel photo workshops for 2022. I’m fired up about them, and I think you will be too.
Bubble-net Feeding Humpbacks!
Each spring, hundreds of Humpback Whales arrive back in Alaska from their long winter in the tropical Pacific. During the winter months, they eat almost nothing and arrive in the rich waters of Southeast Alaska, hungry. Their timing is perfect. In late March, the herring are beginning to spawn, and they occur in enormous schools. But merely grabbing a mouthful of fish is not sufficient for these whales. No. To acquire the most calories quickly, they cooperate. A pod of Humpbacks will dive deep beneath a school of herring. There they being to swim in a circle, blowing a stream of bubbles from their blowholes. The bubbles rise, trapping the herring in a “bubble-net”. The whales then spiral upward and inward, pushing the small fish into a tight ball. Together, they lunge upward, mouths gaping as they break the ocean’s surface, inhaling hundreds of fish in one giant gulp.
Set against the old-growth temperate rainforest of the Tongass National Forest, it is a truly dramatic scene!
And that’s what a small group of intrepid photographers will be chasing with me from 25-30 March 2022, in Sitka, Alaska. We’ve got four full days on the water. I’ve chartered us a private, comfortable, whale-watch boat. The boat captain is probably the best in the world at finding bubble-net feeding whales. And based on his years of experience, we are likely to see pods of lunge-feeding whales many times per day. Here are all the details.
I’ve only had this trip up on my website for a couple of weeks, and it’s booking fast. Only 2 spots are left as of writing this post!
Katmai’s Wild Coast (by private yacht)!
That Katmai Coast is one of my favorite parts of the world. Incredibly wild, with glaciated volcanoes, endless wildflower meadows, rich fjords and bays, and of course… bears. Lots and lots of bears.
This trip has been on my mind for three or four years now. I’ve made several trips to the coast of Katmai, and every one has left me eager for more. Usually, my trips there are wilderness trips, where we are flown in by bush plane, and dropped off for several days of bear photography, hiking, and camping. But that kind of trip appeals only to a certain demographic and isn’t the most productive from a photographic standpoint. Day trips to the coast from Homer, too, are limiting. Limited by time, and location. So how do I build a comfortable trip, that still allows for ample time to explore, photograph, and hike in a diversity of locations?
By boat. This boat:
Yep. A chartered, private, yacht was the answer. I’ve teamed up with the awesome folks at North Pacific Expeditions and their incredible yacht the M/V Sea Star to create a unique voyage. On the 29th of May next year, a group of photographers and I will set sail from Kodiak Island, Alaska, and head across the Shelikof Strait to the coast of Katmai. We’ll have about a week to explore Katmai’s Coast. We’ll visit some better-known sites like Hallo Bay, but also the little-visited Geographic Harbor, and Kukak and Kinak Bays. Anywhere we find extensive sedge meadows, we will also find bears. Using the Sea Star’s skiffs and kayaks we’ll have the freedom to get to and from shore easily, or simply cruise the coastline looking for wildlife.
And it’s not just bears. The waters between the Katmai mainland and Kodiak are rich with sea life. Otters, whales, seals, sea lions, puffins, and maybe even orcas, will all be on the photographic menu.
We’ll sleep in comfort aboard the yacht, eat gourmet food, and head to the shore when wildlife, light, and landscape are perfect.
It’s going to be SO good. Here are all the details.
Brooks Range Photo Camp
When I got serious about photography, I was frustrated by the competitive culture of our art. As though seeing our own images as better than someone else’s was some sort of victory. I’ve never been into that, or into photo competitions, or into flaunting my gear to other photogs. What I needed back then, and still do, is a community. A community of people that understand good photography is about creativity, not repetition. A community that supports and uplifts rather than stomps down, throwing shade on others in the hope it will somehow brighten our own efforts. And a community of people that hopes to make a living from their passion, and do more good than harm to our planet the creatures we share it with.
While I’ve found people out there who fill that role, we are a scattered bunch, and the internet is no substitute for being out in the field with a group of friends, colleagues, and fellow creatives. So, I figured I’d build one myself. I’ve teamed up with the amazing Nathalie DuPre, an outdoor adventure and lifestyle photographer based in Tennessee. She’s built a career shooting for rock climbing publications, mountain bike journals, and for top-end gear manufacturers like Patagonia. We are seeking ten photographers to join us for a week of shooting, exploring, hiking, and creating in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska.
The trip is timed to hit the peak of autumn color, and if it’s clear at night, we’ll have excellent chances of photographing the northern lights. There will be a lot of hiking, micro-workshops on topics like landscape, adventure, lifestyle, and wildlife photography, career-building sessions, networking, and of course beers by the riverside campfire. Sound like something you’d enjoy? Then check out the full brochure right HERE.
The trip website is HERE. And you can apply to join us (yes apply, but don’t worry, it isn’t hard, and sure as heck isn’t a competition) RIGHT HERE.
That’s What’s New
Those three trips are going to liven up my season in 2022, and maybe yours as well. These workshops are totally unique! No one offers a luxury yacht cruise to Katmai! Nowhere else can you book a trip to photograph bubble-net feeding Humpback Whales! And you sure as heck aren’t going to find a Summer Camp for adults with cameras in a place like the Brooks Range! Nowhere except here.
I guess I’m bragging a little. Sorry. But these trips are cool! They are the kind of trips I want to join. And I’m going on all three.
Join me, will you?
You must be logged in to post a comment.