Wildlife Photography_ From Snapshots to Great Shots - Laurie Excell [49]
The first leg of my journey begins with a direct flight from Portland, Oregon, to Anchorage, Alaska. This flight is an easy one because the planes are big enough to accommodate my camera gear and computer as carry-ons and two checked bags with all my other gear. From Anchorage to Kodiak, the journey gets a bit trickier because the size and weight limits for some flights are smaller, lighter, and stricter. I really look closely at the type of plane and the times available to me. If I can book a larger plane, I will, just for the peace of mind of knowing that I’ll be able to carry my camera onto the plane without having to check it.
Arriving in Kodiak, I’ll have traveled a total of 8 hours and 1,800 air miles. In Kodiak, I meet up with my group of eager photographers, and we do some last-minute shopping to stock up on supplies and snacks for the week at the lodge. The final leg of the trip to the lodge, via floatplane (Figure 9.8), will depart the following morning. I go to bed dreaming of good weather so the flights can make it.
Figure 9.8 Floatplanes are a common and necessary means of transportation in Alaska, and the only way to get to the lodge other than a very long and potentially rough boat ride.
Day 1
The morning in Kodiak dawns bright and sunny, and I awake early, eager to get going but knowing that we won’t leave for several hours yet. With this preflight time in mind, I usually prearrange to meet up with those of the group who want to head over to the Kodiak marina for an early morning shoot to limber up our shutter fingers and get the creative juices flowing. The early morning shoot at the marina before heading to the lodge helps people change gears from the responsibilities and pressures of everyday life to shooting bear mode. No matter how many times I travel to Alaska to photograph the brown bears, I still feel as excited as my first time. No two visits are ever the same, and the photo opportunities equally vary.
After a couple of hours wandering the docks, the sun is high and hard, so we call it a morning and head to breakfast and back to the hotel to prepare for the flight to the lodge. I pack up everything except a body with the 24–70mm attached for aerial shots on the flight over. At the floatplane docks, we weigh in for distribution of weight in the planes, and after pausing for a quick group portrait (Figure 9.9), we board our planes and head off to our home for the next week. It takes three floatplanes to get all seven of us, our gear, and extra supplies to the lodge.
Figure 9.9 An intrepid group of wildlife photographers ready for an excellent adventure.
A short time into the flight, our destination comes into view, and we land smoothly on the water. The staff is at the beach ready to welcome us and help carry our gear to our cabins. After a delicious and fortifying lunch, we “gear up” (put on waders and boots, and grab other essential gear to head out into the field) and head down the beach to the waiting boat, anxious to get out and spot our first bear. In no time we arrive at the river, set up our gear, and start photographing fishing bears (Figure 9.10).
Figure 9.10 A bear passes close by as it wanders the river looking for fish.
We spend the next several hours working the bears as they work the river. At times they pass close enough to get head shots, and other times we are able to capture environmental portraits with the dramatic Alaskan landscape as the backdrop. I use every lens that I have with me (24–70mm, 70–300mm, 500mm, and teleconverters). It’s a great start to what is going to be an awesome week. Satisfied with our first bear encounters, we pack up and head back to the lodge where a gourmet meal of fresh seafood and other delights await us (Figure 9.11).
Figure 9.11 Despite the remote