Download The Tour Registration Form
Coastal Brown Bears Lake Clark National Park
The pristine wilderness of beautiful Lake Clark National Park offers a unique and wonderful setting to photograph and observe the Alaskan Brown Bears and their cubs in their natural habitat. Because of the parks strict rules and regulations and the low numbers of visitors to the Park, human behaviour is predictable to the Bears and therefore they do not feel threatened by us. This allows us to have some very up close and personal encounters with them. Capturing images of these beautiful Bears is a must for any nature photographers’ portfolio.
Photography of the Bears will revolve around the weather, tides and lighting conditions. On low tides, we will head to the beach to photograph and follow the Bears as they are clamming. The cubs are just like small children, mischievous, playful and entertaining. Dependent on the salmon running we may also encounter Bears attempting to fish. There are no words to explain the feeling you have when you first encounter these incredible Bears so closely. There will also be an opportunity to go to an island where you will have the chance to photograph Tufted and Crested Puffins, Bald Eagles and other birds.
Our tour includes the first nights’ accommodation in an excellent hotel near Anchorage airport to help get over the long-haul flight to Alaska. We will enjoy a welcome dinner together so we can all get to know each other and discuss the days ahead. Dinner is also included but alcoholic beverages are not.
The next morning, we will transfer to a small local airport for our scenic 1 hour flight on-board a small aircraft to Lake Clark National Park.
Upon our arrival at Lake Clark we are met by an ATV with a trailer – and quite often a bear on the beach! We are taken to our lodging at Silver Salmon Creek a few minutes away where we will be given a safety brief and settle into our shared accommodation. A maximum of 28 people is accommodated at the lodge and all the accommodations are based on shared accommodation, but all are well appointed and very comfortable.
Our days in the Park will be flexible. The daylight hours during this time of year are very long offering up many opportunities to photograph. We can choose to go out for an early morning drive before returning for breakfast at 8am, and then head back out while the sun is still quite low. After lunch we decide whether to have a short break (if the light is harsh) or if the light is good return out into the field once more. We will definitely head out later in the afternoon – usually around 4pm, and return to the lodge in time for dinner at 8pm. Once again, dependent on light we can elect to go out for one last viewing before calling it a night. The flexibility is ours to choose from.
Itinerary:-
Day 1
Lakefront Millennium Hotel, Anchorage
After settling into your rooms, we will meet in the foyer at 6:30pm and head in for a welcome dinner – Dinner is included but alcoholic beverages to be purchased at own cost. (D)
Day 2
This morning we leave Anchorage via small aircraft enjoying a 1 hour scenic flight en-route to the stunning Lake Clark National Park
The rest of our day will be focused around locating and photographing the beautiful Coastal Brown Bears. (L,D)
Day 3, 4 & 5
We will enjoy 3 full days to explore, follow and photograph these amazing Bears at our leisure. Depending on the weather we may opt to head to a birding island to try and locate and photograph the intriguing Puffins as well as other bird life. There will be time to relax between our photo shoots as well. I will be offering photography advice whilst out in the field and will be available at any time for critiquing and or editing questions. I am more than happy to share any Photoshop and editing techniques that I have so please do not hesitate to ask. Staying in the house with our own living areas gives us the flexibility to set up our own Photoshop sessions at any time either in a group situation or individually. My goal is to get you into the best possible positions to capture the shots that you came for (B,L,D)
Day 6
Our last morning at the Lodge gives us one more opportunity to photograph the Bears. Around mid-morning it will be time to say goodbye to all our new friends before boarding the flight back to Anchorage. Please DO NOT make any connecting flight from Anchorage before 6pm – weather in this area can be very variable and our flights out of Lake Clark can be delayed at times. (B)
Tour Cost : Maximum 6 participants + myself
$5,650 USD per person based on twin share
25% non-refundable deposit required to secure your spot
Details and Tour Cost
| Operator | Renee Doyle Photography |
| Instructor | Renee Doyle |
| Duration | 6 Days, 5 nights |
| Deposit | 25% non-refundable deposit, and a completed Registration Form to reserve your spot |
| Balance due | 150 days prior to tour date via direct deposit |
Important – see Tour Policy and Terms and Conditions
Tour Dates
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE :
- One night Accommodation Lakefront Millennium Hotel, Anchorage
- Dinner in Anchorage
- Return flights Anchorage to Lake Clark National Park
- Transportation to and from Charter aircraft
- All accommodations, all meals, all Bear sightseeing tours, boat ride to Bird Island for Puffin photography
- Photography and Photoshop Tuition by myself
- Wi-Fi in main lodge (for email and basic upload)
NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE :
- Airfares to and from Anchorage
- Gratuities
- Personal items
- Alcohol – please note – Silver Salmon Creek does not ‘stock’ a bar so should you wish to have any alcohol provided during your stay this can be pre-ordered in for you eg. Wines, Beer, Spirits. Just let me know what you would like and I will have it arranged. Your consumption can be paid for at the Lodge at time of departure.
- Travel Insurance
Suggested Gear :
Here is a recommended list of gear to bring. You do not need everything on the list but please use this as a guide.
- Camera body with lenses covering wide-angle to telephoto range
- A backup camera body is always a good idea.
- Sufficient memory cards. You will have numerous photo opportunities on this trip. An external hard drive is also a good idea for backing up your images to a second location.
- Lens blower and lens cleaning cloths.
- Camera battery charger / with at least 2 charged batteries.
- Tripod / Monopod
- Rain Gear – if you don’t have any a good old plastic garbage bag will still do the trick.
- Laptop and Charger
- Card Reader and cables
- Mobile phone and charger
- Electric adapter(s). I generally only have 1 adaptor and then use a small power board with 4 outlets and perhaps a USB port or two
- Passport
- Copy of Passport
- Visa documents
- Airline Itinerary and boarding passes
- Copy of Insurance documents
- Prescription medication
- Hand sanitizer
- Sun screen
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Covid vaccination certificate or PCR test results within 72 hours of arrival into Alaska – check covid19.alaska.gov/travelers/ for more information
- Camera body with lenses covering wide-angle to telephoto range
- A backup camera body is always a good idea.
- Sufficient memory cards. You will have numerous photo opportunities on this trip. An external hard drive is also a good idea for backing up your images to a second location.
- Lens blower and lens cleaning cloths.
- Camera battery charger / with at least 2 charged batteries.
- Tripod
- Rain Gear – if you don’t have any a good old plastic garbage bag will still do the trick.
- Laptop and Charger
- Card Reader and cables
- Mobile phone and charger
- Electric adapter(s). I generally only have 1 adaptor and the use a small power board with 4 outlets and perhaps a USB port or two
- Passport
- Copy of Passport
- Visa documents
- Airline Itinerary and boarding passes
- Copy of Insurance documents
- Prescription medication
- Hand sanitizer
- Sun screen
- Sunglasses
- Hat
Terms and Conditions:-
Registration and Deposits and Payments:-
Registration and Deposits and Payments:-
All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars and must be paid in U.S. dollars. For all tours (the word “tour” in this document refers to both workshops and tours)
Prices at the lodge have increased but an early booking will secure the 2018 rate for 2019. As the lodge only accommodates 28 people at capacity a 25% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your position. To protect your deposit money as well as the balance of the tour cost when you make that payment, you should definitely plan on buying trip insurance.
The attached Registration Form must be signed, completed and returned to confirm your spot on the tour.
The balance is due 150 days prior to the departure date. Deposits can be paid via personal or business check or bank transfer. The balance can be paid via personal or business check or bank transfer. If you fail to pay the balance of a trip by the due date, we reserve the right to treat your trip as cancelled.
Cancellations and Refunds:-
Losing money is not fun. For that reason, we strongly recommend travel insurance to cover for this unfortunate situation.
if you have to cancel for any reason, listed below is the cancellation policy :-
Now to 120 days – Loss of deposit
119-31 days – 50% cancellation fee
30 days or less – 100% cancellation fee
Additionally, if you find someone else (a friend or family member, for example) not yet registered who would like to take your spot, you can transfer your deposit and payments to that person’s registration, provided they qualify for the trip and sign the registration form. Because I incur costs up-front, such as deposits (many non-refundable) for blocks of hotel rooms and local tour operators and transportation, if you have to cancel for any reason (medical or other… any reason) you will receive refunds based on the above sliding scale (all cancellations must be in writing):
No partial refunds are made for unused portions or services of a trip for any reason.
Renee Doyle Photography ABN 13 685 096 398 can cancel a trip for any reason, including too few participants. If this happens, you will receive a 100% refund of your deposit and payments. However, I am not responsible for any costs incurred by you, such as airline tickets and other costs.
TOUR POLICIES :
RESPONSIBILITY:
A Registration Form including the Acknowledgement of Risk, Waiver and Release of Liability Agreement must be signed by each member at registration, prior to the trip. See the Registration Form for additional details on policy and limitation of liability not included here. Renee Doyle Photography and its Agents act only as agents for the passenger in regard to travel including, but not limited to, sightseeing, meals, lodging, transportation, and all other services whether by railroad, motorcar, motor coach, boat, ship or aircraft and they assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or for any reason whatsoever, or through the acts or default of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the trip. They can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, volcanic eruption, terrorist acts, political unrest, quarantine or other causes. All such losses or expenses must be borne by the passenger, as trip fees provide for arrangements only for the times and locations stated. Baggage is at the owner’s risk entirely.
