Office Closure: MLK Day - Monday, Jan 20th
Find Your Next Photo Adventure
Trip Calendar Most Popular Photography Tours 2024 Photography Tours 2025 Photography Tours 2026 Photography Tours 2027 Photography Tours Spring Photography Tours Summer Photography Tours Fall Photography Tours Winter Photography Tours Landscape Photography Tours Wildlife Photography Tours International Photography Tours
Stay Up To Date On All Things
Backcountry Journeys
Backcountry Journeys
Our Photography Community
Our Blog
From articles on the latest camera gear, to trip reports from our latest expeditions, our blog is meant for all interested in travel photography.Our Webinars
Our regularly hosted webinars provide photography instruction from our own guides on a wide range of topics.Our Education Portal
Explore our library of articles that cover everything from common questions, to in-depth guides on how to achieve that perfect shot.Community Testimonials
We're proud to foster an amazing group of photo travelers, and here you can find their stories from their past adventures.About Backcountry Journeys
Why Choose Backcountry Journeys
If you're considering a photography tour, hear why Backcountry Journeys delivers the best experience in the industry.Frequently Asked Questions
If you're new to photography tours, or new to BCJ, you can find our common travel questions here.Fitness Levels
Our trips vary on physical intensity, and by reviewing our fitness levels, you can find out which trips may be more challenging, or aligned more closely with your comfort level.Meet The Crew
We've built an amazing team of experienced guides, and dedicated office staff that elevate your travel experience. Get to know their backgrounds, and hear their stories.Travel Desk
You can review our various payment, and travel policies here, along with resources regarding international travel.Gift Certificates
Give the gift of photo adventure! We offer gift certificates that can be applied to any of our upcoming tours.Loyalty Program
We reward our frequent photo adventurers with exclusive discounts on amazing photography tours.Contact Us
If you need to get in touch with our office staff, or have additional business inquiries, you can find our information here.Resources For Photographers
About Our Company
JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP - THE BCJ TRIBE
JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP - THE BCJ TRIBE
Trip Report: Brown Bears of Alaska: Brooks Falls - September 2022
Trip Report: Brown Bears of Alaska: Brooks Falls - September 2022
by Ben Blankenship
OK so, yeah...I admit it. We photographers are insatiable. Like, badly insatiable. We yearn for moments of such divine beauty, of wildlife sightings so rare, of conditions so perfect that most of us can go our entire lives still searching for that divine instance. And for those of us lucky enough to have been there at that moment when everything comes together in a display so unlikely, so unbelievably beautiful, when the light and the atmosphere, and the subject all line up perfectly, you know...it is a drug; an addiction so powerful that it can forever alter the path of one’s life.
For those who choose to venture to Katmai National Park in the fall, they should prepare themselves to be affected in such a way, to have their lives’ paths forever punctuated by a series of such perfect moments. For it is here that two of the most coveted subjects for photographers come together in sublime harmony; fall color and big, fat brown bears chasing salmon.
For your average wildlife photographer based in some township or city in the lower 48 states, bears are a tantalizingly difficult subject. Sure, black bears can be found throughout the continent, and there are grizzlies (inland brown bears) in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. But black bears are often skittish around humans, or dangerous, especially in the case of the grizzly bear. Close sightings are rare, and in the case of the grizzly, a close encounter is hopefully through some protective barricade, such as a vehicle.
But, in southwestern Alaska, along the Alaskan peninsula, this is a different situation altogether. Huge coastal brown bears amass in great concentrations to feed upon multiple runs of salmon each year, making the bears, fat, happy, and tolerant of other bears and humans, for the most part anyways. Of course, these are large, territorial predators, and their behavior should never be taken for granted, but as a general rule, one can get about twice as close to an Alaskan brown bear as one should any inland grizzly bear. And as all wildlife photographers know too well, the key to great wildlife photography is proximity, ie. getting close to your subject.
And so it is no mystery why wildlife photographers and enthusiasts rush to Alaska every summer and fall to see one of nature’s great spectacles, when giant Alaskan brown bears congregate in dense groups to share the bounty of a yearly salmon run, so thick at times that one could walk across the river upon the backs of the surging salmon and never get their feet wet.
As a guide who has spent the last five years taking clients to Alaska to see its giant bears, I am often asked, “when is the best time to go?” For me, the answer depends upon who I am talking to. If it is someone who is perhaps, shall we say, slightly hydrophobic and requires a warm, dry bed to sleep in every night, the answer is summer. But, for the diehard wildlife photographer, the one willing to sacrifice a little comfort and dryness for the sake of the best photograph possible, someone like me perhaps...the answer is fall!
Why is it fall? Well, the most obvious reason is the one I mentioned already...fall foliage! Alaska being as far north as it is experiences a brief, but stunning display of fall color every September. Aspen, birch, willow, and an assortment of other deciduous tree species seem to go from green to iridescent oranges and yellows overnight. And in Katmai, where the bears are working the Brooks River catching salmon, the riversides are adorned with beautiful fall color, making for scenic moments of beauty that just do not exist here in the summer.
My next reason...the bears are fat. Very, very fat. During September, when the bears are only about two months away from hibernating, they enter into a stage called hyperphagia, which translates to “excessive eating.” During this time, the little switch inside a bear’s brain that tells them when they’ve had enough to eat turns itself off. The bears become, well...insatiable, just like us nature photographers. They don’t experience the feeling of “fullness” from food. And, as a result, they just keep eating, napping, eating, and then napping some more, resulting in plump, round bears, which are just so much more appealing photographically, in this photographer’s opinion, than skinny summer bears.
The last reason, and a very important one, especially in regard to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park is far fewer people. The often rainy conditions that Alaskan autumn is notorious for weeds out the weak and intolerant. It is true, this fall especially, that sometimes you spend more time in rain than without. But, this kept the platforms clear of other humans, and the river way empty except for the bears. Of the three groups we ran back to back, all experienced sunny conditions as well, but often for me, it is the rainy shots that tell the best story. There is something so poetically awe-inspiring about these massive bears, pursuing their prey no matter the conditions. It is majestic and inspiring, a great lesson in life that these bears teach us. Summer time may be easier for fishing, but it is in the fall when they must enter their four months of sleep. And the fat reserve they accumulate during September is the mechanism by which they survive, which they must do, no matter the obstacles.
This fall resulted in some truly magnificent images, both from guides and guests. So, if you are interested in Katmai, and you’re wondering when to go...ask yourself, what is most important to you... If it is the best possible photographs of big fat bears fishing while surrounded by stunning fall foliage that inspires you, and you’re not afraid of a few soggy days, then September is for you. For our guests who joined us this fall, they were rewarded with such an experience, and I would wager it is an experience they are not likely to forget anytime soon.
arrow_drop_down_circle
Divider Text
AUTHOR
AUTHOR
Ben Blankenship was born in Nashville, Tennessee. As a young man, he studied ceramics and fine arts. In college, he pursued filmmaking, writing, and photography. After graduation, he worked for nearly a decade in broadcast television as a video editor, photographer, and cinematographer. Over the last several years, he has transitioned into working full-time as a photojournalist and travel photographer. He has worked abroad in Costa Rica, Belize, and Uganda. His photographic passions include wildlife, conservation, travel, events, and documenting social and political events around the world. His work has been published in the New York Times, The Oregonian Newspaper, and by Photographers Without Borders. He currently splits his time between living in Costa Rica and Tennessee. See his most recent work on his website here: www.ben-blankenship.com
SEARCH THE BLOG
clear
Join our free photo-travel community group on Facebook. A great place to swap stories & share images with fellow photographers!
Live events & webinars from the comfort of your own home. Free webinars on a variety of photography related topics – from photo editing to composition & more.
Check out the BCJ Trip Calendar for all of our upcoming Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris!
FEATURED TRIP:
Dolomites in Summer
Dolomites in Summer
Discover the enchanting landscapes of the Dolomites in Summer. Capture breathtaking images of wildflowers, dramatic alpine peaks, and quaint villages on this world-class adventure!
UPCOMING TRIPS WITH AVAILABILITY
UPCOMING TRIPS WITH AVAILABILITY
[Block//Web Spots Left]
[Block//Trip//Trip Category (Destinations)]
[Block//Start Date %M d %+0]- [Block//End Date %M d, Y%+0]
From [Block//Current Price]
arrow_drop_down_circle
Divider Text
READ OUR NEWSLETTER FOR NEW TRIPS, ARTICLES, & PROMOS
READ OUR NEWSLETTER FOR NEW TRIPS, ARTICLES, & PROMOS
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLCs - Copyright 2024
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2024
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.