Tag: Wildlife

Costa Rica wildlife photography. My Top five tips to photograph wild Costa Rica
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Costa Rica wildlife photography. My Top five tips to photograph wild Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a top destination for wildlife photography

There are many reasons why I enjoy Costa Rica for wildlife photography. It is a close and very fulfilling destination, I can reach Costa Rica in less time then it takes me to get to Alaska. I truly enjoy the tropical environment with beautiful beaches and wonderful seafood. The wildlife is prolific with many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, and amphibians. Its a great location to photograph with both telephoto lenses and macro lenses all in the same day. The food is amazing and the lodging and the guides are top quality. Just like any wildlife photographic destination, there are some specific things that a photographer can be prepared  for that will enhance the over all quality of the adventure. Here are five pointers that I personally think can help a photographer to have great success in the amazing place. 

Costa Rica photo Tips

Get In Shape

Wildlife Photography in Costa Rica does not normally require long hikes and steep climbing in high altitudes. Although some walking is required and it will definitely pay off to walk and exercise daily.  Starting several weeks before your journey to this stunning location, participating in  morning and evening walks will give you a head start on being in condition for hiking in the rainforests. Most photography trips will provide transportation and only a minimum amount of walking may be required. It is a good idea to ask your tour leader if steep mountain hikes will be part of your itinerary. The mountains in Costa Rica can very steep. A very important consideration about getting in shape for photographing wildlife in Costa Rica is exercising your upper body, back, neck, and arms. Most species that are photographed in Costa Rica are found high in the trees. Holding heavy cameras and lenses up and pointing them towards the wildlife for long periods of time can be a bit tiring. Working on your upper body core strength can help you to maintain these camera positions for a longer period of time.  Remember to always consult your doctor about any exercise routines. Our tours in Costa Rica do not require much walking, however we do often encounter wildlife in the trees and often have to photograph them with the cameras pointing up. It is no fun missing an image because you are fatigued while trying to  hold your camera in the correct position. It is also important to remember to breath properly when holding up your camera. Learning to breath continually and staying steady is a great skill to master. 

Costa Rica Monkeys

Be Prepared for Rain

The areas where a photographer finds the majority of species to photograph is in the rainforest. Of course they call it the rainforest for a reason. September and October can be very wet. We do our Costa Rica photography tours and photographic workshops in late June. This time of year normally gets enough rain to add beautiful depth and saturation to the environment. The cloudy skies will also provide some relief to the bright spots of light that can appear through the tree canopies. However, we rarely have rain that lasts the entire day. Having good rain gear for your camera and lens will keep you from having to stay indoors and miss some photographic opportunities during the rainy times of the day. It is also a good  idea to have quality rain gear for your self, including a rain hat and water proof closed toe shoes. I personally use the Think Tank camera hydro cover. They are amazing. https://www.thinktankphoto.com/pages/accessorieshttps://www.thinktankphoto.com/pages/accessorieshttps://www.thinktankphoto.com/pages/accessories      I also bring several lint free cloths that I store in Zip Lock Bags for drying lenses, cameras, and eyeglasses. Another tip would be to bring a small portable umbrella. 

Understand how your camera works

I often experience the frustration of a photographer with a new camera having difficulties with all the different settings. Today’s new cameras can be very complicated and learning how to use  them is vital to enjoying and being successful with your photographic outings and tours. It can be expensive to go on exotic photography adventures. Such investments deserve a wonderful time and the ability to get amazing photographs. Study the owners manual, download it and bring it along on your photographic trips. It is vital to set up your camera with your top features of importance for easy access when you are doing your photography. Once your camera is set up the way you like it, stick with it and let those buttons become second nature to you. For me personally I have my camera set up for easy and quick access to my three most important and often used features. ISO, Camera Tracking feature, and Continuous focus. I want to be able to access these features quickly and not waste time looking for them. We all have different priorities and shooting styles, try to match yours with the set up of your camera. Learn it, and practice it at home. 

Costa Rica wildlife

Use the correct camera mount at the correct time

Costa Rica can be very thick with ground cover as well as thick bushes and trees. Using a tripod will work in some cases, especially when doing river tours or photographing at eye level. However having three legs on a tripod can get caught up in the debris that often covers the forest floor. Another issue with a tripod is that often you are pointing your camera towards the tree tops and its vital to have a tripod that will extend to or slightly past eye level. It can be difficult to lean over and photograph upwards all at the same time. A monopod is a nice alternative to a tripod as it will help to relieve the fatigue that comes with shooting for long periods in upward positions. A gimbal style tripod head is very important as it will give you a  fluid motion when photographing flying birds. I recommend the ProMediaGear Kevin Dooley Safari Gimbal. https://promediagear.com/collections/gimbal-heads/products/gkjr-katana-pro-green-gimbal-head-kevin-dooley-safari-edition  Most likely you will encounter weight restrictions on your domestic flights. A top quality carbon fiber tripod is an investment that will come in handy in many photographic adventures. I use ProMediagear tripods and monopods. They are tuff, lightweight, and very reliable. https://promediagear.com/collections/carbon-fiber-tripods-42-series

Camera and Lens fogging can be an issue

Lens fogging can be a huge hindrance and should be addressed in environments with extreme tempertaure changes and high humidity. I have found that it really comes down to giving your gear time to acclimate to the conditions your are photographing in. The humid and wet climate of Costa Rica combined with air conditioned lodging and transportation can be a sure way to experience lens fogging. It is so nice and refreshing to enjoy a good nights sleep with air conditioning. However when going from your air conditioned room to the hot and humid outside air, it can be a problem for your lens. Make sure you have plenty of time for your lens to get acclimated to the outside conditions. When I leave for breakfast I leave my camera and bag outside in an area that I can keep an eye on it.  I do not leave my camera and lens in the camera bag. My camera bag is very weather resistant and I want my lens to get acclimated to the same conditions I will be photographing in. I leave the zippers on my camera bag slightly open so they can get some circulation. Just be careful to make sure the zippers are secure when carrying the bag. When traveling in the transport to the areas where we photograph I try to keep my window partly open and the air circulating. I use a few different camera bags. One of my very favorites for this  type of adventure is the Think Tank Backlight. https://www.thinktankphoto.com/collections/backpacks/products/backlight-26l . When traveling I do keep my camera and lens handy and ready. You never know when you will see something you might want to photograph. 

Red Lored parrot

What lenses do I bring

I take two lenses to Costa Rica. In most cases the domestic air travel will limit the over all weight you can travel with. I also prefer to keep things simple and spend my time photographing, Not trying to decide what lens to use. I am a huge fan of using top quality zoom lenses for travel photography. If I can get great images from one lens that will offer many different focal lengths I am all in. I much prefer to have the opportunity to compose and create my photograph in the camera. A good zoom lens will allow the photographer to create several different images at different focal lengths without having to move and possibly frighten the wildlife. My Sigma 60-600 is in my opinion the perfect wildlife photographers lens. It is everything I need in one package, from a wide environmental image to a close up portrait all with the same lens is a dream come true.  I can go on a wildlife expedition and get everything I need from just one lens. It is supper sharp, very reliable, water resistant, and functions very quickly. The other lens that I take to Costa Rica is the Sigma 70mm Macro, although most of my images are done on the 60-600, its so much fun to go in supper close and discover the details in the smaller subjects. A link to the Sigma 60-600. https://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/60-600mm-f45-63-dg-os-hsm-s

Costa Rica Rainforest

Join Kevin in Costa Rica Click here for link

Costa Rica Photography
Nature's Best Photography
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Nature's Best Photography

Natures Best photography

Benjamin Mkapa Photography Awards

 

After a few attempts to write this blog, I am finally feeling like I have a better handle on the over whelming emotional impact that winning such an award can have. Although I have had the blessing and been fortunate enough to win several photographic awards over the last few years, this one was certainly one of the most important and meaningful to me. The amount of time and effort we as wildlife and nature photographers put into our much loved craft is simply a statement of the love and passion for wildlife and photography that most of us have.  Indeed some winning images in any photography competition can be of luck. Of course being in the right place at the right time and having your camera settings set to capture the image can easily happen every once in while. However in most cases a winning image in such a prestigious photographic competition will be made up of a lot of skill, patience, hard work, and talent. I find this to be particularly true for those photographers who can consistently do well in photographic competitions and win in more than one category or with multiple images.  This is when it goes way beyond getting lucky and the true skills involved in constantly creating great wildlife images becomes evident. Indeed many hours , hard work, great joy, a love of wildlife and nature, a love of photography, and dedication and the will to never give up, make up the workings of most winning wildlife photographs. There are so many factors that impact wildlife photography, and I think this is such a good thing. I have been a professional photographer that has made a living only from photography for over forty years. Mostly wedding, commercial, and portrait photography have been my main source of income. Wildlife photography has also been a part of that, however that is not my main reason for continuing in this journey and adventure. The simple fact that wildlife photography consistently offers so many challenges and the knowledge of most likely never fulfilling my dream list of desired images keeps my passion alive and never ending. So many factors come into play when creating wildlife photography. Subjects that do whatever they like, weather conditions that can be unpredictable and sometimes very uncomfortable. Traveling to remote places in hopes of finding subjects that may or may not be there. Dealing with government officials, border crossings, and traveling conditions that you may not be comfortable or familiar with. The ever changing lighting conditions and of course guides that may or may not understand the excitement and desire to obtain great photographs. In fact in many cases we as wildlife and nature photographers are up against so many odds that it is amazing that we are so successful in obtaining the images we manage to get. It takes a very special breed of person to constantly pursue images that are on the edges of impossible to get. Indeed I do believe this is the very reason why so many of us dedicated wildlife photographers are so addicted to the challenge.

 

All images by NBP, Kevin Dooley, and Eric Maripane


Entering Photography Contests


I personally believe it takes a lot of guts to enter your wildlife photographs into photography competitions where you will be competing against photographers world wide. Given todays high quality cameras and lenses, it is a very competitive world out there and winning photography competitions require very good images. To be brave enough to present your photographs to a panel of judges is no easy task. However it is a very positive and fun opportunity to be a part of a community that concentrates on both nature conservation and the betterment of the art of photography. I can not express the importance in entering photographic competitions to both build your confidence and to help you grow your skills as a photographer. Maybe even more important is that photographic competitions are a vital part of sharing the beauty of our wildlife and the importance of taking care of it. So many people in todays society will never venture out of the cities and see the world that exists in the wild places. Many people have no idea what it is like to watch a wild baby elephant play in the mud, to witness a grizzly bear in the wilds of Alaska fishing the winding rivers. So many people will never see a wild tiger or float the rivers of Brazil in search of the elusive Jaguar. With no reference to these amazing and life changing experiences, an understanding of keeping our wildlife and wild places strong and flourishing is unknown. It is the photographs that are shared throughout the world that bring these realities to the people who will never see them. The importance of wildlife photographic competitions that share the photographs with the world go way beyond prizes and the honors of having a winning image. These photographic competitions play a major role in the conservation of our wildlife. Every single person who enters these competitions is a winner in so many ways. One brave decision to enter a wildlife photographic competition is one brave decision to make the world more aware of our natural and beautiful world. When I hear a person say that I am not a good enough photographer or that I don’t believe in competitions, I am saddened that there is one less person out there to help save our planet. It is through the amazing photographs and the economic benefits that travel and awareness provide for our wild places that keeps up the interest and the desire to preserve these treasures.

 

Natures Best photography Awards
Benjamin Mkapa Wildlife Awards

What Images To Select For Photography Contests

It is never easy to know what photographs to select, I personally have difficulty picking out what images I think might do well in a photographic competition. I will often ask others to help me make my selections. I am often influenced by the difficulties that may have been involved in getting the photograph. Forgetting that the judges were not there and they have no idea what I went through to get it. I also find that I have to be careful not to pass up photographs because I have seen them several times and they have lost some of the impact to me personally. Therefore its good to get others opinions as we are often distracted by the details and story of an image. Remember that you need to get the attention of a judge and hold it immediately. The judges will often see thousands of images and you want your photograph to stop them in their tracks. Your image needs to have impact.

Most importantly do it for fun and do not take it to seriously, what one judge enjoys or likes could be completely different from one competition to another. 

Natures Best photography

What Wildlife Photography Means To Me

One of the reasons I wrote my book Wild Faces in Wild places, inspirations and stories of a wildlife photographer, was to share what wildlife photography means to me.  There is no doubt that I love photography. I love being creative and I certainly enjoy all the fun gear.  However my love of wildlife photography is really more about the experience of being in the outdoors. Basically wildlife photography is a great and enjoyable reason for me to spend time with nature.  I am most happy being in the wild places where my mind finds true peace and happiness. As my finger touches the shutter release of my camera body, my mind becomes free and my concentration is narrowed down to what I am photographing. It is a very happy and peaceful place for me. Wildlife photography has been one of the best and most inspiring parts of my life. Spending time in nature, observing, learning, loving, and taking care of our wild critters and places is what its all about for me. 

Natures Best photography Awards

The Images And The Prizes.

I was fortunate enough to have a winning image and five highly honored images in this photographic competition. What an honor it is for me to have done this well in such a highly recognized photographic competition. To have six of my photographs selected to hang in a museum of world renown status is beyond my wildest dreams. In addition to a beautiful Shona sculpture I received a cash prize and five award certificates. My images will also be published in a special edition of Nature’s Best Photography magazine. 

My Winning Image

Natures Best photography

My Highly Honored Images

Natures best photography
Art in Nature Awards
Natures Best photo awards
Natures Best Wildlife photography
Natures Best Photography Awards
Natures Best photo Awards

The Awards Ceremony

African Wildlife Awards

There was nothing more that I personally wanted than to attend this once in a lifetime Awards ceremony. However, I was on safari and could not make it up to Kenya for the couple of days required. I decided to ask someone to go in my place. The question was who I should ask?  I discussed the idea with my good friend and safari guide Eric Maripane of Mashatu Game Reserve,  since he was with me when I made three of the winning images. I decided he would be the perfect person to be at the awards ceremony. Eric has spent hours upon hours with me out on safari. He is my top choice of guides when we are in Botswana and he is also an avid photographer. Eric will go beyond the call of duty to make sure I am able to spend as much time as I need in the bush. Eric knows me and my personality well. He understands my passion of wildlife photography and he knows that I work extra hard to get our safari guests into fantastic wildlife sightings. He is very aware of the wildlife and always puts wildlife conservation first. Eric and I will often wait hours for an amazing photograph. He is from Botswana and I truly wanted him to experience the opportunity to meet the amazing people involved in the Mkapa Wildlife Awards. It was magic for me to watch Eric as he received my awards. In fact in many ways it meant more to me to see Eric at the ceremony than to have won the awards. Often the guides, lodges, and other folks involved are forgotten once an image makes it to this level. Without these amazing people and their efforts we could not reach these levels of photographic excellence. 

 

Kevin Dooley Wildlife Photographer
Kevin Dooley Photographer

Watch the awards on You Tube

Links to the Nature's Best Photography Gallery of all the winning images.
Click Here

A great big Thank you to Eric, Nature's Best photography, the African wildlife foundation, and all the folks who have done so much to help our wildlife.

Mkapa African Wildlife Awards

My Gear

My gear.
Its really quite simple with me, the less gear I have to mess with the more I can concentrate on my images and my joy of the freedoms of nature. I carry two camera bodies, a Canon 1dxmk3 and have just replaced my Canon 1dxmk2 with a Canon R3. The main reason I carry two bodies is in case I have a break down in a camera body, and or I would like to have two lenses with me that are ready to pick up and use. I do not want to fumble around changing lenses out in the field. It distracts me, it increases the chances of picking up dust particles on my camera sensors, and it is time consuming when I should be watching and photographing my subject. I use two lenses for ninety percent of my images. My main lens on my main camera body is a Sigma 60-600, my back up body will have a Sigma 120-300 2.8 or a Sigma 500 f4 prime with a 1.4 converter. On occasion I will keep a Sigma 150-600 C on my second body. It is very light and easy to pack. This decision is based on two things, one being what I have packed , weight is always an issue when traveling. The other consideration is the decision between having a longer focal length or having a lens that will give me more light. Basically it is a choice between f2.8 or a 700mm focal length. If I have the opportunity to take all four lenses with me, I am likely to use the 500 with the converter in the morning when I have more light and the 120-300 2.8 in the evening when light becomes more of an issue. Although I will loose some light gathering capabilities in using my 60-600 zoom, I much prefer having a zoom lens over a prime and for me personally the flexibility in focal lengths far outreaches the advantages of a prime. I use ProMediaGear carbon fiber tripods and the Promediagear Kevin Dooley Safari edition Katana gimbal head. I use ThinkTank MindShift backpack style camera bags. I really try to keep my gear at a minimum, it is strictly a tool for me, an extension of my body that needs to feel natural, and does not interfere in my ability to be in the zone of everything wild that is happening around me.

Sigma 60-600
Remembering Cheetahs
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Remembering Cheetahs

The story behind my image in the incredible book Remembering Cheetahs is certainly a day in Africa that I will never forget.


Remembering Cheetahs
Remembering Cheetahs

  When I was notified that one of my Cheetah photographs was selected to be among the top cheetah images in the world, I was incredibly happy. Along with other top cheetah images, my photograph is now part of a book. This same image took me to the selection of being one of Africa’s wildlife photographers of the year. What an honor to be chosen to help the cheetah remain and grow stronger. Remembering Cheetahs is both a book go stunning cheetah photographs and a strong step in saving these stunning wild cats.  https://rememberingwildlife.com/remembering-cheetah

 

The soothing coolness of the morning was a much appreciated relief to the relentless Namibian heat. A glance at my phone reminds me of a new day. In the feint light I spot an empty water bottle, sheets on the floor and a rotating fan. All reminders of the desert heat that makes Namibia what it is. Four twenty one AM, I lay in bed knowing that in nine minutes my phone will sing good morning.  Tricia is sound asleep and I am concerned that my movement will steal away her last few moments of rest.  Yet my excitement is running deep. Between a last moment cheetah sighting and a night of photographic dreams, I am wanting this day to begin.  

With six minutes to go, I just can’t take it any longer. My feet slowly reach for the floor as I slide so gently out of the bed. I try my very best to keep the noise to a minimum. Last night, the French press coffee pot was my last visit before my head hit the pillow. Two packets of fine African dark roast coffee, rest easy in the guts of a stainless steel plunger. A kettle holding pure water awaits the on switch. I know it will take at least four minutes to fill the room with the roaring sounds of boiling water. That should mean the alarm and the kettle should sing together and I shall remain in perfect harmony with Tricia’s wake up call. 

A quick glance across camp as I scan the guest rooms and the main lodge for any sign of life. My eyes make a quick stop at the water hole in front of my cabin. A lone Jackal is also feeling the effects of the desert. A long drink of water and a shady spot under a lone Umbrella Thorn tree will carry him through the day.  Another Beautiful day at Onguma Game reserve in Namibia is about to begin. 

This is no ordinary morning, my blood is running wild with the thoughts of last nights Cheetah sighting.  With years of being a Safari Guide under my belt, I have seen some amazing things in the wild places of Africa. However, every once in a while a blessing will come that simply sticks with you for life. 

Yesterday at the edge of darkness, as we traveled the dusty road back to safari camp, we spotted a female cheetah. I do believe the folks in my vehicle were a bit tired and ready for dinner, I know I was.  It had been a full day in the bush, We had some incredible elephant encounters, a lone leopard on a downed tree limb, and some stunning lion sightings.  This last bit of nature would bring us all back to the reality that we were still on a game drive and even at the last minute something amazing can happen. 

In all our days success we had no idea that we were about to end our adventure with such a special treat.  This last bit of nature would bring us all back to the reality that we were still on a game drive and even at the last minute something amazing can happen. We spot a cheetah within a mile  from camp. However, this was not just a cheetah sighting, this was the ultimate cheetah sighting. A mother cheetah with five cubs in the range of six weeks of age. Gathered at a carcass of a downed Impala, both the mother and the cubs ate as quickly as they could. The cubs were snarling at each other as they fought over the best pieces of meat. Darkness was quickly approaching and my knowledge of cheetahs told me that they would leave the carcass within a few minutes.  Cheetahs are fast, but they are very agile and remain at the bottom of the hierarchy among the big predators. The smell of blood was in the air and lions and hyenas were most likely en route to take over the kill.  

The cheetah mom and her cubs soon left the carcass and headed into the thick brush. I knew the cheetahs would remain hidden throughout the night. Thirst would set in and by morning the cats would be desperate for water. We searched around for the closest water source and made a plan to return before daylight.

Remembering Cheetahs Cubs
Cheetah Cub

The one sure thing is that dinner in safari camp never disappoints. That was certainly the case this evening, a beautiful three course meal , talk of cheetahs, eyes growing heavy, all followed up by ice cream and the soothing sounds of Africa at night.  A short walk to my comfy cabin would take me past the camp water hole. Two giraffes greet me, our eyes meet, they continue to drink. I enjoy the perfect vision of Africa for a moment, the southern cross stands proudly behind them. It shall be a good night indeed.

As the days add up, I can get tired, my body is fighting the excitement, my eyes want darkness. The hum of the safari vehicle is like a lullaby, the road a rocking chair, the fight is overwhelming. Yet I know I have a shot at this years best image, so I best get myself firing on all cylinders.  It’s just a short fifteen minutes or so to our early morning destination. The sense of wonder is dominating my mind.  Is this the day?

Remembering Cheetahs
Baby Cheetahs

The thick bushes surround the small water hole. The wind is almost quiet, but with some effort I pick up a slight movement in the air from the southeast. This tells me approximately where the cheetahs will approach from. The mother cheetah will want every advantage to spot any danger, she will use the wind to increase her odds of a safe and uneventful visit to the water source. We have mentally pinpointed where we think the cheetah will appear.  We have positioned ourselves for the best opportunity to photograph this new family. The cheetah is endangered, this is not an everyday opportunity, we will wait it out and between an ounce of hope and a pound of prayer it just might all come together.  

Daylight to our human eyes will still seem to dim and impossible to create images however, it is a very usable light for the cheetahs. We must hope that she will wait long enough to get enough light for photography. I pump up my ISO, select a usable yet very wide lens opening, and a shutter speed that will be on the edge of stopping the movement of quick kittens. Difficult decisions that will be changing rapidly as the light comes alive. Now to just wait it out. 

The feeling of just not knowing if your plan will come to light, lives with an intensity like no other. Any time now the sun and the moon will shake hands and a new day will come. I must admit that some of my best thoughts have come during these times in wait. I love a few moments to drift, to dream, to plan my life, and to celebrate the days gone by. I must remind myself to not let my mind get to far away, any moment could be  the creation of a new memory that will stand tall and stay with me for life. Indeed today will be one of those days where a true gift will come, I simply feel it deep down inside.  

Baby Cheetahs

A simple readjustment on camera settings and a test exposure share some good news. I have managed to gain a stop of ISO, digital noise is starting to become a non issue. I pick up a bit of movement to my left, the a slight sway in the Buffalo thorn is a clear indication of something beyond the wind. A nose, eyes, ears, pop out and scan the area for any danger. I whisper a shush to my companions, be ready I say as quietly as possible.  The alert and beautiful cheetah begins her slow and steady way to the edge of the dark green water. The babies pop out one at a time, mimicking moms every step. Stop , scan, move forward, all in unison. Six beautiful cheetahs. I began to steady my camera and get ready to photograph this once in a lifetime wildlife event. I managed to get two images of the cheetahs en route. I had concerns that the sounds of our shutters would alert the cheetahs before they reached the water. I signaled for everyone to hold off till the cheetahs reached the water hole.  We need to first be sure they get the much needed water, that would be our main goal, followed up by photographs.  

The mother cheetah stopped at the edge of the water and scanned thoroughly for any danger. A lion, leopard, or hyaena, could be the end for this new family.  Her nose was high in the air sniffing for any sign of danger, her eyes and ears were in top form. Once the mom was satisfied she let her babies know all was 0k. The cubs ran to the water and began to drink. Mom dropped her head over the cubs and protected them as they fulfilled their thirst.  A few test images told me that the cheetahs could not hear our cameras, we began to photograph one of the most amazing events I have witnessed in nature.  The mother cheetah would also drink, however with every couple of licks, she would rescan the area and continue to make sure her cubs were safe.  

After a few minutes, the mom gave the signal and led the babies back to the safety of the thick bushes. The silence in our safari vehicle was soon replaced with a celebration of seeing a once in a lifetime wildlife sighting.  We were all in awe of what nature had just shared with us.  

Remembering Cheetahs
Kevin Dooley Cheetahs

Remembering Cheetahs is  available at Amazon Books and at  https://rememberingwildlife.com/remembering-cheetah

Photographing Walrus in wild Alaska
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Photographing Walrus in wild Alaska

Photographing Walrus  in wild Alaska. 

Join wildlife photographer Kevin Dooley on this exciting adventure. 

I have always had a hankering to photograph the wild Pacific Walrus. Walrus Photography offers so many opportunities in the world of wildlife photography. These marine mammals are plumb full of life and character. Wrapped in skin of many colors, textures, and shades of lights and darks are just part of the attraction. Huge tusks covered in stains and crevices that look completely out of place, massive broad lips that support long thick whiskers and flat wide noses. All this wonderful temptation of wildlife photography is highlighted by one heck of an adventure just to locate them on the cold wind blown beaches of the Great Bering Sea. Does it get much better than that?


Brown Bear Photography Alaska

A successful day of bear photography.

 Our day of Bear photography was highly successful, and we even landed a few sockeye salmon to add to our fist day on the Alagnak River in South Western Alaska. Nothing like a comfortable bed, a few episodes of the original Star Trek series, and a mind full of the days memories to drift off to sleep with. I have always been one to hit the hay early and wake up early. With a belly truly satisfied after a gourmet dinner of Smoked Salmon Canapé, Mandarin Salad, Bristol Bay Halibut Curry, and Wild Berry Shortcake. Sleep and relaxation was on my list of priorities. Soon after I shut the curtains and shuttered the long Alaskan days that filled my cabin with a warm golden light, I drifted off to sleep. However, it was not long before a knock woke me and I realized my name was being called. My watch told me that it was just after ten pm, “One Moment”, I answered, Wayne, the lodge owner was at my cabin door. Before I could even get the door open, he was telling me with great enthusiasm, about an incredible opportunity that had presented itself.  A bush pilot friend had contacted him with a last minute opportunity to join a few folks who were flying down the coastline to look for the wild Pacific Walrus. There was word of their location and it was just under a hundred miles down the cost line of the Great Bering sea. After a few moments of contemplation, I was in. 

ATA Lodge Alaska

Home Sweet Home at ATA Lodge

After a huge breakfast of Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hot coffee, we boarded one of the lodges jet boats for a forty five minute river journey that would take us to a point in the river where a float plane would collect us. I have always had a love for float planes, they seem to symbolize everything adventure. Just the thought of flying in Alaska on a float plane brings on goose bumps and an elevated heart rate. Our float plane flight would take us to King Salmon Alaska where we would transfer over to one of my other favorite airplanes, the Havilland Beaver, another bush plane that has certainly treated me to some of my best of life’s adventures. I can not express the feeling of flying over the Alaskan Tundra, the landscape is littered with clear glacier fed lakes, winding fast flowing rivers filled with Wild Salmon, and stubby often crooked fur trees trying their very best just to survive. Every direction is vast and untouched, with game trails winding over hills and through valleys where moose, caribou, wolves, and bears have left their prints in the permafrosted ground. 


Engine and Prop of our Havilland Beaver Bush Plane

As my mind drifted from the landscape to the thought of photographing wild Walrus, I took note that a thick fog was rolling in off the Great Bering Sea. Visibility was closing in, the fog was rolling over the wings of our bush plane and I knew we would have to find a spot to land the Beaver and wait it out. A quick bank to the left and the Beaver was dropping to the beach with a rapid pace, the tires kissed the sand, the cold ocean waves rolling in on my right and a wall of gravel and rocks to my left. We came to a stop and let the engine wind down to a gradual rest. Our pilot suggested we have our lunch and just relax in hopes that the weather would clear up enough for us to continue on to the Walrus. Our time on the beach was well spent, we found wolf tracks, bear tracks, and seals swam close to us as we enjoyed a lunch of sandwiches, chips, snacks, and ice cold water. We also enjoyed the beautiful bird life. 


Flying Eagle Alaska

Alaska has amazing Eagle sightings

With only approximately sixteen miles still to travel to the last known location of a huge herd of Walrus, this opportunity seemed so close, yet the fog was heavy, leaving me with the feeling of uncertainty. The area was a perfect paradise for the Walrus. Long sandy beaches with protective cliffs on one side and at low tide, miles of Razor Clam beds. Walrus love to eat clams and until they have made the best of of all the fresh food, the Walrus would stay in the area. Soon a cold wind picked up and the thick fog began to disappear, I knew it was going happen, I knew I was about to set my tripod on a wind blown Alaskan beach, with one of the most character filled animals in the world. The pilot announced to get aboard, the engine began to purr, back in the air and underway. A beautiful coastline gently accompanied by a bright green tundra lay just below me, we were on our way.  

From the small window in the plane I could see the thousands of walrus covering every inch of the available beach as we searched for a good landing spot. We would need to land well over a mile away from the Walrus, so as not to disturb them. There is a certain feeling of excitement, happiness, nervousness, and accomplishment when a much desired species comes within camera range. A feeling that is almost indescribable, a feeling that only happens every once in a while, a feeling that wildlife photographers live for. Upon landing I began to gather up my gear and prepare for the long walk ahead. 


Herd of Walrus Alaska

Too many Walrus to count

 I had packed two cameras, a Canon 1dxmk3 and a Canon 5dmk4, two lenses, a Sigma 60-600 sport, a Sigma 500 prime with a sigma 1.4 converter, and a Sigma FP still and video camera for video coverage. All nicely packed in my MindShift camera pack along with a ProMediaGear carbon fiber tripod and a ProMediaGear Katana jr gimbal head. After close consideration of the walk and the weather, I decided to place my Canon 1dxmk3 with the Sigma 60-600 lens on my tripod and put my video camera in my smaller MindShift sling carry bag. I would leave the rest of the gear in the plane, just too much to carry, especially considering the walking would be in very soft sand. The sky was filled with mixed gray clouds and did not present the look of rain, so I would also leave my rain gear for both my camera and myself in the plane.  

 

 
Wild Alaska Walrus

Walrus are fun to photograph in Black and White

As we walked towards the walrus I thought over my camera settings, and began to plan out a few of the images I wanted to try and get. I knew we would not be able to get too close to the walrus, cropping would definitely be needed in some of my images. Especially  for the portrait type Images I wanted to get. Therefore as low an ISO as possible would be needed to prevent excessive digital noise. Walrus are not fast moving animals and with a very sturdy tripod, super fast shutter speeds would not have to be a strong consideration. I did notice that when the walrus argued among one another they did move their heads relatively fast, so I would need a shutter speed fast enough to stop that movement. Because the walrus are clumped together and the long white tusks could become a distraction with in the photographs background, I would select an f-stop with a  minimal amount of depth of field. The air was filled with both blowing wind and sea mist, this would present a challenge in both exposure and in keeping my lens clean and dry. The light was very consistent, with some spots of gray clouds and mostly a grayish haze. The sun was not clearly visible and I knew the exposure would be fairly consistent.  With all that being said I decide to start out with this exposure set up.  1/800th of a second, a shutter speed fast enough to stop the movement of the walrus as they head butt each other. Will also take me one setting past my maximum lens focal length of 600mm, preventing my images from becoming blurry from camera movement. My f stop of 7.1 will give me enough depth of field to hold the walruses heads and tusks in focus, still putting my background and foreground out of focus. This depth will keep the viewers attention just where I want it to be. My ISO of 800 is high enough to give me the shutter speed options that I require, yet keep the digital noise to a minimum.  I will be using all my camera settings in the manual mode, allowing me the complete control of my cameras performance. 


Walrus photography Kevin Dooley

Our visit with the Walrus seemed to fly by, we had a long journey back to the lodge, and we did not want to stress the Walrus by spending too much time with them. I created a few more images and we began our hike back to the bush plane. Wayne and I talked of just how amazing the experience was,  we enjoyed our walk along the wild bering sea knowing we would never be the same again. With the understanding of just how fortunate it is to live this opportunity of seeing the Walrus in the wild. To put a few more stories in our memories that we can share with the world, a few stories of both the importance of living life as it was intended to live , as well as the importance of keeping our wild places wild and taking care of our wild species. This would be a day to remember, with a beautiful bush plane flight with just enough time to relive the entire experience in my mind. 

Dinner would be good, sleep will come easy, today was a day that only dreams are made of. 

 

Join us in Alaska

Alaska Bear Safari with Kevin Dooley July 2020/2021