2022 Alaska Discovery Photo Tour/Workshop including Brown Bears, Eagles, Marine Wildlife, Glaciers & Landscapes

During this trip the daylight is approximately 20 hours with Sunrise: 4:20 am  Sunset: 11:42 pm / 23:42

DAY 1: (Sunday June 19, 2020) Arrival to Anchorage. 

For those traveling from a far time zone, we highly recommend arriving a day or two earlier to acclimatize to the time change.  We are happy to reserve a room at our starting hotel for any previous days you’d like or recommend other options.

Arrive on your own to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) Anchorage, AK.  Please arrive no later than 3 pm.  Transfer on a short, 5-minute ride, free shuttle to our hotel as you arrive.  At 4:30 pm/ 16:30 we meet at our hotel for a meet and greet of guests plus a 2-hour pre-workshop classroom instruction on wildlife and landscape photography and orientation for the trip.  This will be followed by dinner at the hotel.  Overnight at this Anchorage hotel located on Lake Hood in Anchorage.

DAY 2: (Monday June 20, 2020 --Summer Solstice)  Helicopter-Glacier Day.  

After breakfast on your own at the hotel, we leave the hotel at 6:30 am for a one-hour drive North where we take off in helicopters for a 15-minute flight directly over and in front of the face of a massive 25 mile/ 40km long & 5 mile/8km wide Glacier. We then fly onward up, over and around an ice-berg choked lake where a second glacier terminates into this lake. If conditions permit, the doors of the helicopter will be off for the flight in for better aerial images.

After landing at the ice berg strewn lakeside, the helicopters will depart and we have the area to ourselves for 4-5 hours of Glacier, wildflower, lake and iceberg landscape photography. The combination of lake, icebergs, wildflowers, glacier and the mountain range in the background offer truly unique scenery and unlimited options for various compositions. We have a picnic lunch here and are picked up in the early afternoon.

After arriving back to the heliport area, we continue in our luxury van for a one-hour drive into the mountains and valleys of the Chugach and Talkeetna mountain ranges stopping in several locations for landscape photography and hopefully moose photography. We overnight at our Alaskan lodge snuggled up into the mountains where we will spend two nights.

DAY 3   (Tuesday June 21, 2020   DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND WALK ON A GLACIER. 

We will be up early for a sunrise landscape shoot at a lakeside, then back to our lodge for Breakfast. After breakfast we will drive a short way where we will spend several hours walking on a glacier. This glacier walk will involve moderate activity where we will wear ice-cleats/crampons on our personal hiking boots. This activity is not mandatory and those who wish can photograph the glacier & wildflowers from the overviews nearby.  After our glacier walk, we stay in the local area photographing the tall mountains and landscapes. Perhaps a nap is in order with the early morning and late night hours. We once again overnight at our lodge between the Chugach and Talkeetna mountain ranges.    

Day 4 (Wednesday June 22, 2020) HATCHER PASS TO TALKEETNA

After breakfast we drive into the scenic area of Hatcher Pass area where we will spend the day photographing small creeks, wildflowers, rushing rivers and an abandoned gold mine. We drive into the Talkeetna Mountains and over Hatcher Pass to the idyllic community of Talkeetna, the gateway for mountaineers to climb Denali.

Here, weather permitting, we will take a custom, private (for our group only) evening flight seeing trip over Denali National Park and into the Alaska Range. This jaw-dropping scenery is world-class. We will fly over intense-blue meltwater ponds, above and next to giant granite spires, massive rock masses and into the Don Sheldon Amphitheater. We will see seven glaciers including 45 mile/72 km long Kahiltna Glacier, the longest in Denali National Park.  Conditions permitting, we will land on a glacier and be able to photograph the enormous vertical mountain masses from this glacier floor. If the weather is not flyable this evening, we have a backup plan for the following morning.

We will overnight in Talkeetna where there is sure to be some live music and other entertainment.

Day 5 (Thursday July 8, 2020) TALKEETNA TO PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

If the weather was not conducive to completing our flight-seeing trip last night, we will attempt for another flight early this morning.

NOTE:  If by chance the weather precludes us from flying on either of these Denali flightseeing trips, you will be refunded $320 of your trip feel.

We will then work our way back south towards Anchorage and further south along the scenic Turnagain Arm toward Prince William Sound.

This is a custom day, therefore on this two-hour drive to the port town of Whittier we will stop several places for photography as the weather, landscapes and wildlife dictate.  Depending on conditions we can expect to photograph a glacier and mountains reflected in a lake, mossy covered creek and waterfall inside a rain forest area, Dall Sheep on cliffs, moose, bald eagles and more. We will also make a short stop in the tiny hamlet of Girdwood.

Based on the weather and what we find to photograph we will arrive at our hotel in Whittier in time for a 7 pm Dinner.  We overnight in Whittier

DAY 6:  (Friday June 24, 2020)  A DAY ON THE WATER IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND 

After breakfast we board our exclusive boat for a custom photo tour in the magnificent and pristine Prince William Sound.  We will enjoy a full-day trip, photographing eagles, icebergs, glaciers, seals, sea otters, sea lions, sea birds and perhaps whales or an orca or two.  We will expect to take at least one shore excursion to photograph land-locked ice bergs on shore. The massive landscape and the giant glaciers will fascinate you.

We will return to idyllic Whittier in the early evening and take a scenic drive of 2 ½ hours on the famous Kenai Peninsula to the town of Soldotna.  We will stop several places to photograph on our way there. Near here we will photograph bald eagles in the evening along the Cook Inlet shoreline.

We will overnight in Soldotna, Alaska and likely do sunset landscape photography over Cook Inlet.

DAY 7    (Saturday June 25, 2020):  ALASKA BROWN BEAR DAY

After an early breakfast on your own at the hotel, we take a quick 5-minute drive to the Soldotna Airport. From here, weather permitting, we take off in an Alaskan 7-passenger bush plane for a lodge in Lake Clark National Park.

After a scenic flight of just over 30 minutes, we land on the sandy ocean beach near the lodge where we will spend the rest of this day photographing the mighty brown bear.

In this region, it is common to see bears digging up mussels on the ocean beach, eating sedge grass, interacting with each other in the water or in the grassy areas off the beach. With any luck there will be mother bears with spring cubs. To allow us to move through the area rapidly, we will be transported from one location to the next with the use of ATVs/4-wheeler/quad bikes.  Our guide will drive us as we sit in a trailer behind. Once we get somewhat close to the bears, we will walk closer to them with our guide.

We’ll capture our first images of the impressive bears and then come back for a lunch break. After a break for lunch, we will set out on another trip to the bears, taking the time to observe them and take photos until it’s time to leave in the late afternoon.

We leave Lake Clark in the same plane that brought us and we fly back to the Soldotna airport. From there we drive 3 hours back to Anchorage, stopping for landscapes and wildlife.  After checking in to the hotel we have our final dinner of the trip at Jeff’s home and review photos from the trip.   We may photograph the sunset from a local hill side weather permitting.

DAY 8:   (Sunday June 26, 2020) FINAL DAY -- 

This is a custom day where we will let the weather and wildlife dictate just what we do.  Likely we’ll be up very early for sunrise for either a trip into the Chugach Mountains or a short trip down Turnagain Arm looking for moose and Dall sheep. We will then work our way back to Anchorage for an early lunch. This will conclude the tour/workshop by approximately 12 noon.

At each of the workshop classroom sessions, Jeff will discuss his methods for shooting stellar wildlife and landscape images as is appropriate for the group. During each days’ outings, Jeff will also talk through his methods for making the best image at the current location with the subject at hand. He is NOT there to photograph his own images; he is there to help you take your photography to the next level. Jeff will also cover the following:

• 10 Tips to making better images no matter where you are
• Composition: Do’s, Don’ts, and New Ideas
• What makes a compelling image
• Use of various types of filters
• Combining shutter speeds and f-stops… and the effects of each
• Equipment: What You Really Need, Would Like, & Don’t Need at All

Besides two Canon camera bodies, Jeff brings lenses from 14mm-400mm and flash with off-camera capabilities, tripod, polarizer and split-neutral density filters. A complete list of what to bring will be sent after registration.

ESSENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT:

At the very least, please bring:

• A DSLR or mirrorless camera with two lenses such as a 24-105mm and a 100-400mm (calculated for a full-frame--- if you have a cropped sensor the mm would be different) would be ideal.
• Several back up batteries & charger
• Extra media cards for your camera
• Tripod

Ideally, if possible, please also bring:

• Extra camera body
• Lenses ranging from 17mm-400mm.
  If you’d like to rent equipment while you are visiting Alaska, we recommend our friends at Stewart’s Photo Shop in downtown Anchorage. Visit them online at: http://stewartsphoto.com/rentals/
• Polarizing Filter – Jeff uses and recommends Breakthrough: http://breakthrough.photography?rfsn=1496441.1847a
• Graduated Neutral Density Filters: Jeff carries a 2 and a 3 stop “soft” and "hard" graduated filters by Breakthrough filters: http://breakthrough.photography?rfsn=1496441.1847a
• Flash and off-camera cord
• Lens shades & cable release
• Non abrasive, absorbent cloth
• Laptop computer with image editing/processing software - Jeff uses and recommends BreezeBrowser & Lightroom
• Backpack type of carrying case - Jeff uses and recommends Mindshift. Get free shipping and free gear using this link: http://www.mindshiftgear.com?rfsn=507780.a01562
• Any other easily transported photography gear you like to use.
  See a complete list of the gear Jeff uses at: https://schultzphoto.com/jeffs-gear-closet/

• Dress in layers with synthetic type material, not cotton
• Bring sturdy hiking boots and rain boots--- rain boots can be rented here in Anchorage.
• Bring rain gear.
• Headlamp with red lens for night-time vision

A complete list of necessary clothing will be sent closer to the workshop date.

Ground Transportation is provided in a 13-passenger luxury van.

The price includes

• All aspects of the photography workshop/tour
• Round trip ground transportation from Anchorage to the Matanuska Valley and back to Anchorage.
• Helicopter flight* to Ice-berg Glacier lake
• Bush Plane* to Lake Clark lodge
• All 7 nights accommodations
• All meals from the first night dinner, through the last day lunch.

* For everyone’s’ safety all flying & boating is done “weather permitting”. Jeff Schultz and our lodge vendor, air taxis and boat taxis are not responsible for flights or trips that are cancelled due to weather and/or weather delays. Refunds for any of these cancelled trips vary by vendor. If any trip is cancelled due to weather we will do our best to make the most of that time.

What’s not included

• Air transportation from your home to and from Anchorage, Alaska.
• Personal expenses.
• Any personal gear. You must bring your own photography gear, clothing, toiletries and outerwear. There are weight restrictions on gear for the flights. A list of recommended clothing and camera gear as well as weight information will be sent after registration.
• Personal expenses.
• Alcoholic beverages at dinner meals are paid by the guest at the time of purchase.
• Any visa and/or airport fees
• Travel insurance
• • Gratuities for guides and pilots. It is customary to tip the boat captain and bear guides on these trips commensurate with the service received. BUT NOT AT ALL MANDATORY!

Your safety is ultimately the primary concern.

Physical Requirements: Average.  Nothing strenuous.

• Degree of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
• Weather Conditions: Moderate. June temperatures range from 45° F (7° C) to 70° F (21° C). May experience rain, wind or sun
• Agility: Average to Good. (ability to climb steps into small plane and helicopter. Get in and out of trailer behind ATV/4-wheeler. Very short walking/hiking and traveling on uneven, rocky terrain and spongy tundra).  May have to walk up to several hundred yards (in moderately flat dirt, grass or sand) at the bear-viewing area.
• Mental Requirements: A flexible and positive attitude is essential
• Activities: boating, flying (fixed-wing and helicopter), riding in trailer behind ATV/4-wheeler on trail with bumps, walking/hiking to photographic opportunities on uneven tundra and terrain
• Photographic Skill Level: Beginning to advanced

Deposits:

Due to Alaska’s short season as well as the high demand for, and limited number of places on this Alaskan photo tour, the following payment conditions apply:

A $1000 non-refundable deposit is required at time of booking. The deposit can be made online with a credit card.

The balance of the tour price is due March 1, 2022 via check or wire transfer. Sorry, but a 3% surcharge must be added for credit card payments for the balance. An invoice for the balance will be sent at least 45 days prior to that time. Payments can be made prior to this date as well.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

All cancellation requests must be received in writing. Excluding the $1000 non-refundable portion of the deposit, the deposits are refundable ONLY if we can fill your space(s) with another booking. We typically have a waiting list for these trips, but cannot guarantee one will be available should you choose or need to cancel.

Except for the $1000 non-refundable deposit, 80% of any deposits forfeited can be applied to a future Jeff Schultz Photography photo tour.

We are sorry but we cannot offer refunds for delays or cancellations because of weather, flights, or other unforeseen reasons before arriving, during or after the photo tour. We highly recommend arriving in Anchorage 1-2 full days before the trip. Jeff Schultz Photography Inc. is not responsible for additional costs which may be incurred by such delays.

We have the right to cancel this photo tour for lack of registrants up to 60 days prior to the photo tour date. In the case that we cancel the photo tour, 100% of your deposit and payments will be returned. However, Jeff Schultz Photography Inc. does not assume responsibility for any other costs incurred by our client because of our cancellation of the trip.

We are sorry, but due to our short season here in Alaska, we are unable to make exceptions, for any reason, to our cancellation policy including medical or family emergencies.

For these reasons, and for medical emergencies, we strongly recommend trip insurance.
Here are a few options for insurance. Review the companies and choose the best policy for your needs:

• CSA Travel Protection
• https://www.insuremytrip.com