Photographing Alaska Brown Bears

Alaska Brown Bear Fishing at Brooks Falls

Brown Bear or Grizzly is one of the top most predator in the wild and Alaska is one of their homes.  They live mostly in the coastal regions of southern Alaska. 

There are many places to photograph these Grizzlies. However, if you talk about getting them in action, Brooks Falls is the only place that comes in my mind. And there is a small window of time in each year when you get them. The bears come to the falls when the annual salmon runs in it's peak. That's obviously in the month of July.  By the end of July, the bears would be gone. They do return in smaller numbers in September for the leftover near dead salmons still floating around the river. 

How to Get There: 

Brooks Falls is remote, at the heart of Katmai National Park. There are options to stay in Brooks Lodge or Brooks Camps, both located closed to the falls. You need to be really lucky to get a spot in either of those places, usually sold out two years ahead of time. You can't stay in the park if you don't have a reservation in the lodge or campsite.

The other options are staying in Anchorage or King Salmon and take Day Trip in Float Plane. This obviously rules out that golden hour photographer's fantasy but trust me, you won't miss much. The weather is often overcast in this area, so the light would still be good enough, if not the best. King Salmon ( it's a city, not the fish ) is very close to the Brooks Falls, just outside Katmai National Park but there are limited number of hotels and they do get sold out. Besides, making the base in Anchorage would be more economical and convenient as well.

My Trip Details:

I've been planning to photograph the bears since 2016. I started to gather information in bits or pieces from whatever sources I could. Sure the internet is our best friend in this information age. But I needed to find some reliable information while I also worked on the right gears I would need for this photoshoot. It was only recently during my interaction with Brooks Lodge reservation office I came to know that the bear population in Brooks Falls is highest in July, especially in mid-July. 
I live in San Francisco Bay area which has 3 main airports i.e. San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.  But only Alaska Airline flies directly to Anchorage from San Francisco.  I wanted a direct flight and that was my only option. Unfortunately, there was no direct return, I had to change in Seattle.
For camera gear, I needed something that can shoot fast action. I needed a camera with high fps rate and fast glass. So I paired my Nikon D6 with Nikon 400mm F/2.8E as my primary gear. For the back up, I paired Nikon D850 with Nikon 200-500 f/5.6E. I also put a 3rd lens i.e. Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E in my bag. This was for the aerial photography of Alaskan Landscape while flying from Anchorage to Brooks Falls. I did carry extra batteries & memory cards, a tripod with gimbal head, and a lens pen.
Rust Flying Service,  my float plane operator picked me up from hotel at 8:30am. It was a short drive to their port. We checked in and then watched their crew getting the planes ready for the trip. You have to weigh you bags and yourself as a part of their check-in process. Soon we were on board and flying south along the coast.

Anchorage Landscapes - Knik Arm

The flight duration is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes but your adventure with camera would start as soon as you are off the ground. This is a small plane flying low approximately at 5000'. So you get to photograph all those amazing landscapes and glaciers. So use a wide angle lens and keep fast shutter speed to avoid monition blur. Also it may be a good idea to use auto exposure bracketing feature of your camera.  I used manual exposure (1/500, f8) with auto ISO and 3 stop bracketing ( 0, -1, + 1 EV). 

Iliamna lake

The plane will land at Naknek Lake near the Brooks Lodge and everyone is required to attend 15 minutes ranger's talk.  You got to store your food in the Food Storage room and can only eat in a designated area where you would be attending the ranger's talk. It's all about safety protocol, as there are bears almost everywhere in the park.  I suggest you eat your lunch after the Ranger's Talk and before you head toward the Falls. I took out my main camera and mounted on the tripod before starting my hike towards the falls. The fall is about 2 miles from the lodge. First you cross the river which is now free of Bear Jam ( The Park service got wiser ). There would be lot of things happening around the bridge.

Bear at Brooks River - Shot near the Bridge

There would be Rangers on the boardwalk near the falls. In July, the crowd is bigger and so they limit viewing time to 30 minutes per person on the main viewing platform. You got to put your name in the list and head towards the secondary platform on the right side.  The ranger will find you when your turn comes, as long as you are in the secondary platform. However, if you leave the boardwalk and miss your turn, you will have to start over again.
The secondary platform is also fantastic if you have long lens. You can see the falls and there are plenty of bears fishing down the river as well. 

The Grizzly Devouring the Salmon Near Brooks Fall, Secondary Viewing Platform

It was an amazing view as I took my first glance at the falls from the secondary viewing platform.  I've never seen so many bears in action at once.  There is one little caveat for photographers i.e. the tripod legs can't be spread due to space limitation, so a monopod is more suitable on the viewing platform. So I had to  use my tripod as monopod only while shooting from the platform. 
As I was busy looking around all those grizzlies in the river, a beautiful lady whisper in my ear, 'there is a momma grizzly sleeping with her two cubs under the platform'. I wouldn't miss that for anything else. But they were closer that the minimum focusing distance of either of my telephoto lens. I was really lazy to change my camera lens at that moment. So I shot this photo with my iPhone.

Momma Grizzly & Her Two Cubs - Just Woke up from a Nap

 As I shifted my attention to the river, I found this Grizzly had just caught this huge salmon and then rushed to safeguard it from the seagull.

Seagull often tries to steal a bite or two from the bear

Never noticed how the time flew as I heard the Ranger calling my name. Then it was my turn to see them up & close from the main viewing platform. However, it was not easy to find a spot appropriate for shooting photo with a large camera. Everyone is busy shooting selfie with their cellphones. There were people pushing around for a selfie spot. I surveyed the platform and narrowed down to a spot where I wanted to be. I then lined up behind those who were already occupying that area. After several minutes, I got a spot next to my targeted spot. I then traded my spot with the person who was at my targeted spot. He was really nice when he saw my huge camera gears.
There were many  bears below the falls but only few at the top of it. Those are prime spot and only big bears get to fish from those spot. Yes, they do have rules or they have to fight to fish from prime spots.

Two for Two

Sometime it does not go as planned for the Bears too. As the fish leaped, the grizzly opened his jaws to catch it in mid-air but he missed. The hit was straight onto his snout. I guess it was a big ouch!! but the fish lived for a bit longer I guess.

A Bear getting hit on nose my a Salmon

 This is an amazing scene where the fish flies straight into the jaws of one bear while the other one is sad and salivating.

Look at the other bear - he is sad and salivating

A mother's love never gets old. The almost adult cub rush to her as soon as she caught the fish. Momma Bear let the cub bite from it while she held it firmly in her claws.

Momma and Cub

Before I knew it, my time was up at the platform. But I was satisfied with whatever I got. I happily left my spot as soon as the Ranger called.  I headed towards Lake Brooks which was about another mile on the right. There was no bears in the lake, but it's a beautiful lake anyway. I saw few houses around the lake. The park service employees live there. They have 'keep quit' board.

Lake Brooks

It was time to return and report to the pilot. I stopped on the bridge to take a closer look at what was under water. There were fish everywhere. 

Fish Swimming in Brooks River

Then it was time to head back to Anchorage. Our pilot flew the plane really low and narrated every glaciers we crossed. We also saw several Beluga Whales flipping their back on the ocean surface.

The next day I went to see glaciers at Whittier and here is a photo of the biggest glacier at 'Prince Willian Sound'

The Harvard Glacier - College Fjord

The whole Alaska photo collection is available here: Alaska Photo 2021

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Exploring The Grand Canyon of Arizona

The Grand Canyon of Arizona, one of the natural wonder on planet earth, offers an unique challenge to hikers. While visitors can get a glimpse of it's beauty from the rims, many wish to go down the trail and negotiate the steep canyon edges to see how The Colorado flows through the heart of the Canyon.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I teamed up with some of my hiking buddies to stay 2 nights at Bright Angel Camp and another 2 nights at Indian Garden. The weather is extreme during Winter & Summer, so we decided to go down there in March to avoid both cold and heat.

While all of my hiking buddies were experienced hikers. Their mission was to hike, camp and enjoy the nature. I had one additional in my mind, i.e. the photographing the canyon from deep inside. So when I showed up with my heavy DSLR, tripod and other photography gadgets in my backpack, they were concerned if I would be able to carry that much of extra load. Some even offered help to carry few of my items.  I felt lucky to have such friend, but I assured them that I was ready for it.

Day One: Bright Angel Lodge, South RIM

I visited South Rim several times before but I always missed sunset view due to storm. However, this time the west sky was clear and the opportunity to photograph the sunset over the canyon popped up.

Golden Evening Lights over the Canyon Edges

The sunset view can be mesmerizing, especially when combined with cloud. You can purchase a print of this photo here. This was shot from Rim Trail, just outside Bright Angel Lodge. The Camera was mounted on a tripod and exposure metering was set to matrix with auto exposure bracketing for 5 shots at 0.7 EV each. The photos was latter processed & merged in Lightroom to balance the exposure in foreground & the sky.

Wild Horses near South Rim Entrance

Grand Canyon is not known for many wildlife. I've heard about Mountain Goat, Mule Deer and Squirrel. I did not have any opportunity to photograph Mountain Goats before, so was carrying my 70-200 f2.8 lens, the lightest one that can be used for wildlife photography.  We spotted these two magnificent animals just  few miles inside after the south rim entrance. I had to change lens to get an appropriate shot. While I was busy in getting out the 70-200mm from my bag, my hiking buddies were already photographing them with their cellphone camera. By the time I was ready, the horses already  veered off deep inside the forest. After several shots showing their back, I finally got this one when they decided to change direction. You can buy a print of this here: Wild Horses at Grand Canyon.

Day Two: To Phantom Ranch via South Kaibab Trail

We stayed in Bright Angel Lodge and wanted to catch the sunrise from South Kaibab next morning. So the wake up call was at 4:30am to be ready for the first Hiker Express leaving at 6:00am. We reached the pickup area by 5:45am but the authorities were running the buses only at half capacity due to COVID-19 restriction. Unfortunately, we couldn't board the first ride and we thought we would miss the sunrise. The buses came back after dropping the first batch of hikers.

Soft light over the Canyon from Sunrise

When we reached the South Kaibab trailhead, the morning sun just broke from the cloud and hit the Canyon Edges. You can order a print Here

A mile down the trail a day hiker was coming up the trail. He took special interest in my camera gear and asked if I've photographed the goat. "I've not seen one yet" was my response. There, he pointed out the goat chewing the cud. 

A Mountain Goat of The Grand Canyon

About the halfway mark, the Mule Train came. You have to step aside towards the rocky side of the trail to let the Mules pass. So I took this shot from distance before giving them the right of way.

The Grand Canyon Mule Train

After 3 hours of hiking down on the trail the Black Bridge finally came into  view. It was magnificent especially with the rafting boats docked on the beach.

The Black Bridge over the Colorado River 

We setup our camp in Bright Angel Campground, it looks amazing at night.

Bright Angel Campground at Night

Day Three: Phantom Ranch

I woke up around 4am and saw the starry sky. I realized that it was my best chance to shoot a star trail shot. It took me a short walk to find a spot from where I could see the Polaris aka the North Star. About 10 minutes into the shot, a group of early morning hikers came from the north and walked across my frame. I was sure the star trail were ruined but here is the 30 secs frame showing the hikers trail.

Night Hikers from Cottonwood Campground returning to South Rim

You can order an art print from this shot from Here

I had to restart my shot. I eventually had around 45 minutes of start trails before it was dawn.

Star Trail shot near Phantom Ranch

Once I was done with star trail shot, I returned to my tent and decided to take the day easy.  We started late after breakfast and hiked few miles on North Kaibab before returning to take the Clear Creek Trail to see the river from the top and the sprawling South Kaibab descending to the river.

South Kaibab Trail Descending to the River

You can order a print of this Here. I did plan to attempt another star trail shot in the night but the cloud queen was laughing at me. The night was colder and the storm was waiting for us for the next night.

Day Four:  Bright Angel Campground to Bright Angel Trail

It was a lazy start in the morning to break the tent and pack out toward Indian Garden. I spent some time to find the perfect spot to photograph the bridge. Eventually, I stopped when I was able to put both the bridges in the frame. As I fixed my tripod and got ready for the shot, a group of rafting boats drifted into the frame. I couldn't have asked for more and immediately captured this shot.

The Twin Bridges over Colorado - Connects N. Kaibab to S. Kaibab & Bright Angel Trail

The Bright Angel Trail is much easier than the South Kaibab until you hit the Devils Corkscrew which keeps climbing in multiple switchbacks. There is a waterfall on the Garden Creek but it's not easily seen by the hikers.

Devils Corkscrew and Garden Creek Waterslide

You can order a print for this shot Here

When we reached Indian Garden campsite, we already knew that a snowstorm was coming at night over the south rim, but down there at campsite, it was safe to stay. Any photographer would consider storm an impending storm is an opportunity to photograph something spectacular. I did not wanted to miss sunset view from Plateau Point.

Storm Cloud and Canyon Edges illuminated by Sunset Light

You can order a print for this Here

The rain started probably around 8pm. We could hear high wind flowing over the trees but our tents were safe. The Indian Garden campsite is almost inside a fortress due to canyon walls covering 3 sides and the trees.  You could hear the storm but you won't feel it.

Day Five: Around Indian Garden Campground

We did not see the sun on the next day. The spent the morning mostly in tent or in the picnic table under the shed. The storm started clearing in the afternoon.  It was time to photograph some clearing storm over the canyon.

A Raptor Flying Over The Canyon

When I spotted the bird going into the storm cloud, I was hoping it is the famous California Condor but once I looked through my lens for a clear view, it turn out to be a Kite.

Snow over south rim - shot from Indian Garden Campsite

As I turned toward South Rim, we could see the snow deposited by the storm. That gave us the clue that the next morning it would not a a normal hike to return to the top. I was beginning to debate with myself, if I should pack my camera in the backpack to negotiate the icy trail.

 Before returning to the tent I had a sort interaction with these two permanent residence of  The Grand Canyon's Indian Garden.

Grand Canyon Mule Deer

The Rock Squirrel of Grand Canyon

Day Six: The Hiking Out

The next morning was bright and sunny. We started hiking out around 9am. The late start was in the hope some icy spot on the trail would be cleared by the time we would reach there. But that was unrealistic as the top portion of the trail does not get sunlight until late afternoon. This was one the last shot I took at 3 miles Resthouse before I decided it was for my safety to put away the DSLR inside the backpack. 

The Three Miles Resthouse on Bright Angel Trail

Then it was all about negotiating an icy trail with hiking sticks. We reached the top around 1pm. My shoulders were thanking me as soon as I put the backpack down.

How to remove dirty sensor spot from your photo - Nikon Only

Imagine you just returned from a vacation of a lifetime and your camera's memory card is full of memories :) I mean wonderful photographs you had taken during the entire vacation. You just can't wait to see how those photos would look on the big screen. So the first thing you would do after reaching home would be transferring those photos to your computer and opened them in the viewer. And your excitement just disappeared, something was not looking right! There were dark spots in few places in those photos. You checked the next photo, and the next one after that, and the last one of the lot. They all have the same problem. Those spots came from your image sensor. It was dirty before you went for vacation and somehow you forgot to clean it. Maybe you did not know it was dirty. But what could you do now? Removing those spot using photo editing software would be a daunting task. You may not even have those software license or the skills!! 

Fortunately, Nikon has a feature in their camera called 'Dust off Reference Photo'.  Along with their free Capture NX-D software, you can batch process all of your photos at once and all of those spots would magically disappear from your photos. I'm going to walk you through step by step on how to achieve this.

Before you read further, I must tell you that this process works only with RAW photos i.e. files names with .NEF extension.

Taking the Image Dust Off ref photo:

1. First press the 'Menu' button in your Nikon DSLR
2. Scroll down to 'Setting'
3. Enter the setting menu and scroll down to 'Image Dust Off ref photo
   


4.  You need to choose the first option, i.e. 'Start'  if you are going to need to clean up images taken before you perform this activity. Here is what Nikon says. "Dust off reference data recorded before image sensor cleaning is performed cannot be used with photographs taken after image sensor cleaning is performed. Select Clean sensor and then start only if the dust off reference data will not be used with existing photographs."
5. Once you press 'Ok' for any of those option, the camera will pop you the following message. 
   
   
   
6. Read carefully, it says "BRIGHT featureless WHITE Object". This is where most people get it wrong.  I use a A4 / Letter size printer paper for this. Now for the 'Bright' part, make sure the light is good enough. It is better if done in outdoor, however you can use a well lit room as well. If the light is not enough, the camera will display the following error.
   
   If you get such error, it simply means the light is not bright enough. Though Nikon says all setting is automatic, here are few things you also need to consider.
1. The focal length of the lens should be 50mm or more
2. Put it in aperture priority and use the highest f number available in your lens e.g. f22 or f32
3. Distance from the lens to the white object should be 10cm or less
4. If the lens is manual  focus, set the focus to infinity
7. Once the camera is successful in taking the ref photo it would look something like this. 
   
   
   
8. Now take another photo of any object in regular exposure. Nikon would not tell you about this but trust me, you will need this extra photo. I prefer taking a shot of blue sky. All sensor darts are easy to identify in blue sky shot without cloud.
9. Now transfer these two photos ( dust off ref photo and the regular photo you just shot) into the same directory where you have all those images with dirty spots.
10. Open the folder in Nikon Capture NX-D software and click on any of the photo you want to fix.
11. Go to Camera and Lens Corrections on the left panel and click on the 'Change' button you see just below 'Dust off ref photo was taken at:' 
    
    
    
12. You would get an error messages like this below. 
    
    
    
13. You know that you just copied the dust off ref photos in that directory. So why Capture NX-D can't find it? This is where everyone gets it wrong. Your dust off ref photo must have a timestamp close to the photo you want to fix. It can't apply to a photo taken few days before the dust off ref photo was taken. This is also logical as actual dust on ref photo must match with the one we are fixing. So what can you do if the Capture NX-D can't find the ref photo. I would suggest a workaround that is super easy to use.
14. We will use the photo you have taken just after you took the dust off ref photo. Click on that photo and repeat step 11 above. Now Capture NX-D will happily apply the ref photo and remove it's dust. If that was a blue sky shot, you can enlarge and verify all darts are gone.
15. Now go to Adjust tab and click on 'Copy All Adjustment. Once done, select one of  the actual image you want to fix and come back to Adjust(A) tab and click 'Paste Adjustment'.  That's it, your image would now be spot free.
    
    

Now you can do a batch processing by selecting all the remaining images at once and then click on 'Paste Adjustment' as you just did for one of the image.  You now got your holiday images spot free, time to share them with family and friends. 

Few points to note:

1. If you want to use this feature, do not perform a 'Clean Image Sensor' operation before you take the dust off reference photo. The ref photo must be taken in the same condition of your camera image sensor when you shot those photos that are showing dark spot on sensor. Obviously, cleaning would remove some dart from the sensor.

2. If your camera has setting 'Clean image sensor during shutdown / startup', you may want to disable that setting. Any DOF taken after sensor cleaning operation will not be able to clean the photo properly. I have it disabled and perform that operation only once in a week or month depending on the frequency of my photo shoot. This in-built image sensor cleaning function can't remove stubborn darts, it is only useful for removing loose darts mainly accumulated due to static electricity. 

3. Always shoot RAW and latter convert them into jpeg. If you really need immediate jpeg then shoot RAW + jpeg. Most of the edit features only work on NEF files.

 

All the best with your future images. If this blog was useful to you, please subscribe for future tips or leave me a comment.

Related Blog Post: How To Clean DSLR Image Sensor