Brown bear mother with cute spring twins

The significant advantage of using a research vessel for my Ultimate Brown Bears of Katmai Photo Tour is the ability to move around the diverse landscapes and scenery of the Katmai Coast. We can seek flat water anchorage if the wind or waves kick up.

This mother was a dream model with her super cute spring cubs in tow: she was headed down to the flats at low tide to dig up some clams. I love how the cliffs in the background give a sense of scale and how small the spring cubs look.

Bears are opportunistic feeders, and a study has shown that they will also eat vegetation, clams, and seals in addition to salmon. This steady diet of marine resources provides energy for foraging, mating, and nursing and also helps bears pack on the pounds needed to survive winter hibernation.

Coastal Brown Bear with cute spring twins (Ursus arctos or Grizzly Bear) from June 2010. Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, Alaska, from my Ultimate Brown Bear Photo Tour. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. 500mm with 1.4X Teleconverter @700mm ISO 800, f/5.6 @ 1/320s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Caption me contest

Coastal Brown Bear Mother and Spring Cubs (Ursus arctos) Kukak Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Camera & Sony FE100-400 F4.5-5.6 G Master OSS with 2X Tele-extender @ 380mm. Full frame image. ISO 3,200, f/13 @ 1/640s Manual exposure mode.

Here's a fun image from my recent Katmai Bear Boat Workshop. Leave a comment with a caption or title and my favorite will win a free signed print of this image including postage to anywhere in the world.

Where to photograph Elk (Wapiti, Cervus canadensis) around Banff National Park, Alberta

Bull Elk  Lookback (Wapiti, Cervus canadensis, élan) Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 70-200 F2.8 IS II @200mm. ISO 650, F5.6 1/200s Manual. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

I'm just back from a great two week vacation with family in Calgary, Alberta. While it was meant as an "unplugged" getaway, I did manage to scan all of our old family photographs (some 2,500 images) and sneak away to Banff National Park on two occasions for some photography with Julie. Here's a few images from one of many encounters with bull Elks during what became the most successful trip there so far.

Bull Elk in the rain (Wapiti, Cervus canadensis, élan) Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 70-200 F2.8 IS II @170mm. ISO 650, F5.6 1/200s Manual. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Bull Elk overlooking the Bow Valley in the rain (Wapiti, Cervus canadensis, élan) Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 70-200 F2.8 IS II @70mm. ISO 650, F5.6 1/200s Manual. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Where to photograph Elk around Banff

If you find yourself visiting Calgary with a spare day for photography, then be sure to head West on the Trans-Canada Highway to Banff National Park and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I'd leave around 04:30 and drive  directly to the Bow Valley Parkway (slowly) until you reach the Moose Meadows area (It dosen't happen often, but we photographed a beautiful Bull Moose here, and it is certainly worth a look); at which point I'd turn around and head back to Banff.  Once you exit for Banff, instead of following the sign for the town, go the opposite direction and slowly follow the switchbacks of Mt. Norquay Scenic Drive; make a u-turn in the ski area parking lot at the top and head back down for a second look for the Mountain Sheep that live here.  Now follow the Trans-Canada Highway East for a short while and take the exit for Lake Minnewanka; follow the lake Minnewanka loop road and explore the dead-end roads that branch from it. This might be the best, most scenic location for Elk around. Figure driving about 300km and spend the whole day enjoying the sights. Best time of year for bull Elk is the rut during September and October. Here's the route on Google Maps:

View Banff Wildlife Drive in a larger map