We are excited to welcome you to Alaska during our favorite season — autumn. This is when the tundra erupts into a carpet of color and wildlife activity increases as animals prepare for the coming winter months. With clear skies, we may also have opportunities to photograph the aurora borealis in the evening hours.
This is an expedition-style photography workshop that will take us far off the beaten path. Flexibility, patience, and a positive attitude are essential, as conditions in Alaska can change quickly. No matter what we encounter, our goal is to maximize photographic opportunities while keeping everyone safe and comfortable.
Please read through the following information to help you get prepared for your trip. When we’re a few months out, we’ll schedule a zoom meeting with everyone to ensure all your questions are answered.
Trip Overview
- Dates: September 15–25
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Weather Range: –10°C to +10°C
- Primary Focus: Landscape and wildlife photography
- Lodging: Remote lodges (some shared bathrooms)
- Transportation: 4×4 vehicles
- Cell Service: Very limited outside Fairbanks. We will bring Starlink.
Trip Highlights
- Photograph Alaska’s spectacular fall colors across tundra and mountain landscapes.
- Capture wildlife preparing for winter, including moose, caribou, musk oxen, foxes, and more.
- Explore the greater Denali area and venture deep into the backcountry.
- Watch for the dancing aurora borealis on clear nights.
- Travel above the Arctic Circle into the far north.
- Immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of the Brooks Range.
- All ground transportation and lodging included.
Physical Difficulty
This workshop is rated Moderate in physical difficulty. Participants should be comfortable walking up to 1 – 2 miles per day over uneven tundra, stepping in and out of vehicles frequently, and standing for extended periods in cold and windy conditions. You must be able to carry your own camera equipment. Knee-high muck boots are strongly recommended due to boggy tundra conditions.
Wildlife & Photography Considerations
We regularly photograph musk oxen, moose, caribou, and ptarmigan. Other species such as foxes, wolves, grizzly bears, dall sheep, otters, swans, and snowy owls may also be encountered. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed. This is not a birding-focused workshop.
We recommend having a handholdable zoom telephoto lens vs a super-telephoto prime. Most wildlife encounters happen very quickly and there simply isn’t time to deploy the very large lenses. Having the zoom capability will give you more flexibility and creativity when incorporating wildlife into the landscape. Note that a 70-200mm telephoto is not long enough.
You’ll want a lens that goes at least to 400mm. It’s even better if you have something that tops out at 500-600mm.
Accommodations
Due to the remote nature of this trip, accommodations are clean and comfortable but functional rather than luxurious. Some locations, including Deadhorse Camp and Alpine Creek Inn, use shared bathroom facilities. Despite their simple nature, these lodges can be expensive due to their remote locations.
Transportation & Luggage
We will travel in two large 4×4 vehicles. Each participant is limited to one suitcase and one camera bag. Any additional luggage must be stored in Fairbanks.
Communication
Cellular service will be extremely limited once we leave Fairbanks. However, we will have access to Wi-Fi via Starlink. Wi-Fi will be available at most overnight locations. We will use WhatsApp for group communication; please ensure it is installed prior to the workshop.
Flight
Please plan to arrive in Fairbanks (FAI) on September 15 and depart on September 25. We recommend booking flights 4 – 6 months in advance. If you book too early, you might be plagued with schedule changes. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
For our two nights in Fairbanks, we are staying at the Pikes Waterfront Lodge. They offer a free airport shuttle and have restaurants within a short walking distance.
Trip Itinerary
15 Sept: Arrival day in Fairbanks. No workshop activities but hotel is provided.
Pikes Waterfront Lodge
16 Sept:Morning orientation at the hotel. Drive to Denali region. Photo shooting throughout the day into sunset. Aurora opportunities if skies are clear.
Denali Park Hotel
17 Sept: Morning shoot in Denali. Start excursion onto the Denali Highway (unpaved road, not in the
national park).
Alpine Creek Inn
18 Sept: Photo shooting and short hikes along the Denali Highway.
Alpine Creek Inn
19 Sept: Morning shoot, checkout and drive to Delta
Junction, photographing all along the way.
Trophy Lodge
20 Sept:Long travel day with lots of shooting along the way with fall colors. You will cross the Arctic
Circle on your way north.
Coldfoot Camp
21 Sept: Another long travel day to Deadhorse with lots of shooting along the way. Good chance of
photographing caribou, musk oxen, and other
wildlife. You will see the dramatic Brooks Range
before entering the tundra of the North Slope.
Deadhorse Camp
22 Sept: Photo shooting in the vicinity of Deadhorse and the Brooks Range.
Deadhorse Camp
23 Sept: Travel day and photo shooting on the trip back to Coldfoot.
Coldfoot Camp
24 Sept: Travel day back to Fairbanks with photo
shooting along the way (landscape and wildlife).
Pikes Waterfront Lodge
25 Sept: Departure day from Fairbanks
Packing List
Clothing:
- Thermal base layers (upper and lower body)
- Gore-Tex/waterproof rain jacket with hood.
- Gore-Tex/waterproof pants.
- Warm layers like down jackets, fleece jackets, sweatshirts, etc.
- Buff or balaclava (helps with the wind)
- Warm hat and a sun hat
- Thin pair of touch-screen compatible glove liners.
- Full waterproof winter gloves for colder days.
- Knee-high muck boots
- Wool or synthetic blend hiking socks.
- Comfortable footwear for the hotel and when in town.
Camera Gear:
- Camera backpack with rain cover
- Camera rain cover (a simple plastic sleeve works well).
- Fast wide-angle lens (14-24mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/2.8) to capture the aurora.
- Mid-Range zoom lens (24-70mm, 24-105mm, 24-120mm)
- Telephoto zoom lens (100-400mm, 200-600mm, etc).
- Camera body. Highly recommend having 2 camera bodies for fewer lens changes and for
- backup in case your primary body fails.
- Sturdy tripod. A monopod could come in handy if you have trouble holding up your telephoto
- lens.
- Circular polarizer filters for your lenses to cut glare from wet foliage.
- Extra batteries, memory cards, blower, microfiber cloth.
- Camera strap or carrying sling for your camera.
- Drone camera – optional, but highly recommended. Drones can be flown in almost all areas we visit except the national park. If you bring a drone, you must be proficient in flying it BEFORE coming on the workshop. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to fly the drone in compliant with the drone laws and regulations.
Misc:
- Hiking poles (optional – but are good idea if you have sub-par balance)
- Sunscreen
- Good quality sunglasses
- Laptop (optional)
- Toiletries and Medications
- Charging cables for ALL electronics.
- Earplugs and eye mask if you are a light sleeper.
- Travel pillow and things to keep you entertained on the road
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Full trip cancellation insurance, along with accident, medical and baggage insurance, is highly recommended. Before you leave home, ensure your policy reflects your actual dates of travel, covering you from the date you leave home until the date you return. Update your travel insurance coverage to include extra hotel nights, non-refundable flights, etc., if applicable. Confirm that your policy covers medical evacuation from Alaska.
Full trip cancellation insurance, along with accident, medical and baggage insurance, is highly recommended. Before you leave home, ensure your policy reflects your actual dates of travel, covering you from the date you leave home until the date you return. Update your travel insurance coverage to include extra hotel nights, non-refundable flights, etc., if applicable. Confirm that your policy covers medical evacuation from Alaska.
CONTACT
Please add my phone number to your contact list: +16092168607. Afterward, kindly send me a message in the WhatsApp with your name and the date of your workshop. I will then add you to the WhatsApp group chat where all the communications will be shared during the workshop. Rest assured, my cellphone will always be switched on during my stay in Alaska, and this is the same number through which you can reach me.
Please add my phone number to your contact list: +16092168607. Afterward, kindly send me a message in the WhatsApp with your name and the date of your workshop. I will then add you to the WhatsApp group chat where all the communications will be shared during the workshop. Rest assured, my cellphone will always be switched on during my stay in Alaska, and this is the same number through which you can reach me.