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Destination

duration

Alaska

8 Days

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price

$12,500

Close-up of a brown bear in a green field, with one paw visible, eating grass.
A large brown bear standing on a grassy field with a blurred background of trees.
Close-up of a bear's face, focusing on its eyes and dense brown fur.
Young bear cub sitting in tall grass with blurred green and brown background.
Black and white photo of a bear in a grassy field with a dark, cloudless sky.
A close-up of a bear with fur covering its face, in black and white, standing in grassy terrain.
A brown bear walking through shallow water with a clear sky in the background.
A brown bear sitting on green grass in a forested landscape with trees in the background and a cloudy sky.
A family of four bears, including a mother and three cubs, standing in a river with a background of green trees and a rocky shoreline.
A bear walking through a grassy field with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.
A bear with three cubs standing on a gravelly surface near water, with a cloudy sky in the background.
A brown bear walking on a pebbled shoreline, with its reflection visible in a small body of water, under a partly cloudy sky.

Video & photo

workshop

Join Matt Shannon and Kris Pinnow for five nights at Brown Bear Bay, with the entire lodge reserved for our eight participants and two leaders. Explore alongside experienced naturalist guides, develop your photography and video skills, and return to comfortable suites, home-cooked meals, and conversations about the day’s encounters.

Bring your curiosity and your camera. This is an opportunity to slow down, immerse yourself in the Alaskan wilderness, and create photographs and footage that bring you back to the experience long after you return home.

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Overview

    • Dates: July 21–28, 2027

    • Duration: 8 days / 7 nights, including five nights at Brown Bear Bay

    • Group: 8 participants with Matt Shannon and Kris Pinnow

    • Price: $12,500 USD per participant, based on double occupancy

    • Arrival and departure: Anchorage, Alaska

    • Photography experience: All levels welcome; no previous video experience needed

    • Physical requirements: TBD

    • Exclusive lodge stay: A wilderness retreat reserved entirely for our group.

    • Seasonal variety: Opportunities for grazing, clamming, fishing, and family interactions.

    • Personal support: A small group with time for questions and individual guidance.

    • Photography and video: Explore two ways to capture wildlife and tell its story.

    • Learning before and after: Pre-trip preparation and a post-trip image-review session.

  • Your Home at Brown Bear Bay — Exclusively Ours

    • Brown Bear Bay sits on 160 acres of private land bordering Lake Clark National Park.

    • Thoughtfully positioned around the bears’ established trails, the lodge provides a comfortable base within the landscape we’ve come to photograph.

    • For our stay, we’ll be the lodge’s only guest group. Between outings, settle into your suite, recharge your equipment, or join a conversation about the day’s photographs.

    Comfortable Suites

    • Accommodations are based on double occupancy, with an en-suite bathroom, hot shower, and gas fireplace. Electricity is available around the clock, and Starlink Wi-Fi is available in your room and throughout the lodge buildings.

    • Meals and Time Together

    • Gather over home-cooked meals and trade stories from the field. Large windows and viewing decks keep the surrounding landscape close, while shared spaces offer a welcoming place to relax and get to know one another.

    Ground-Level Photographic Blind

    • The lodge’s photographic blind offers a low perspective, with opportunities for eye-level images when bears pass nearby. It complements our guided outings and provides another way to work with expressions, movement, and backgrounds.

    • The blind is open 24 hours a day, with use subject to lodge guidance and conditions.

  • Our July 22–27 lodge stay falls within a window the lodge team identifies as particularly strong

    for the variety of bear behavior we may observe. The first salmon run typically begins building

    while other feeding activity continues, set against lush summer vegetation.

    • Fishing, grazing, and clamming: Bears may move between fishing opportunities, sedge meadows, and tide-dependent feeding along the shore.

    • Mothers and cubs: Family groups may offer opportunities to observe nursing, exploration, and cubs accompanying their mothers as they forage.

    • Summer color: Green meadows and potentially blooming lupine and fireweed provide settings for wider environmental photographs.

    • Small moments with character: Bears scratching against trees as they shed their coats, curious cubs, and movement through windblown sedge offer subjects for still images and video.

    The lodge also reported wolf sightings during July in 2025 and 2026. An encounter would be a bonus, but is not a promised feature of the workshop. Salmon timing, flower blooms, weather, and animal activity vary from year to year. We’ve selected these dates for the opportunities that can overlap, with our outings shaped by actual conditions.

    • Photography and Video • All Experience Levels Welcome

    • A photograph captures an instant. Video preserves the movement, sounds, and behavior

    • unfolding around it. This workshop offers opportunities to explore both, using capabilities

    • already built into many of today’s cameras.

    • We’ll work with composition, camera settings, and choosing how to tell a story—from a close

    • portrait to a bear within the wider landscape or a sequence following its activity.

    • Whether you’re learning your camera, trying video for the first time, or refining existing skills,

    • there will be space to ask questions and experiment.

    • Matt brings his experience as a professional photographer and educator. Kris combines workshop

    • co-leadership with trip coordination and participant support. The lodge’s naturalist guides

    • contribute their knowledge of the bears and local conditions.

  • ‍ ‍Workshop and Instruction

    •⁠ ⁠Photography and video instruction from Matt Shannon and Kris Pinnow, with guidance for all experience levels.

    •⁠ ⁠A live pre-trip Zoom, held 45 days before the tour, covering the itinerary, included travel arrangements, clothing, packing, and camera equipment and settings for photography and video.

    •⁠ ⁠A live post-trip Zoom, approximately 45 days after the tour, featuring a review of participant photographs and discussion of photo and video editing.

    •⁠ ⁠A welcome dinner in Anchorage on July 21, including two alcoholic drinks per person, a guest wildlife expert presentation, and group Q&A.

    ‍ ‍Accommodation and Charter Flights

    •⁠ ⁠Five nights at Brown Bear Bay, based on double occupancy.

    •⁠ ⁠Two nights of hotel accommodation in Anchorage, on July 21 and July 27, with breakfast.

    •⁠ ⁠A backup hotel reservation in Anchorage for July 22 in the event of a weather delay.

    •⁠ ⁠Round-trip private charter flights between Anchorage and Brown Bear Bay.

    •⁠ ⁠One complimentary additional night at Brown Bear Bay if weather delays departure.

    ‍ ‍Guided Outings and Land Access

    •⁠ ⁠Eight hours of guided walking outings per full lodge day, led by experienced bear naturalist guides.

    •⁠ ⁠One field assistant shared by the group during outings.

    •⁠ ⁠An on-site bear naturalist offering presentations and assistance identifying individual bears.

    •⁠ ⁠Access to designated private and Native association lands.

    •⁠ ⁠Applicable Seldovia Native Association bear-viewing and land-access fees.

    •⁠ ⁠Applicable national park visiting fees.

    Guided outings may be shared with other lodge guests.

    ‍ ‍Meals and Lodge Amenities

    •⁠ ⁠Three home-cooked meals per full lodge day, with arrival and departure meals dependent on flight timing.

    •⁠ ⁠Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and daytime snacks and refreshments in the photo lounge.

    •⁠ ⁠Complimentary house wine and beer at the lodge, limited to two drinks per person per day.

    •⁠ ⁠Suites with a gas fireplace and an en-suite bathroom with a toilet, sink, and hot shower.

    •⁠ ⁠In-room and communal Starlink Wi-Fi.

    •⁠ ⁠Electricity available 24 hours a day.

    •⁠ ⁠An in-room drying rack, available on request.

  • •⁠ ⁠Transportation in and around Anchorage.

    •⁠ ⁠Meals outside the lodge, except included hotel breakfasts and the July 21 welcome dinner.

    •⁠ ⁠Travel insurance.

    •⁠ ⁠Personal porter services at Brown Bear Bay.

    •⁠ ⁠Accommodation, guiding, and activities outside the stated itinerary.

    •⁠ ⁠Optional sightseeing excursions, including helicopter and boat tours.

    •⁠ ⁠Additional weather-related nights at Brown Bear Bay beyond the first complimentary night, charged at $1,000 USD per room per night.

    Laundry service is not available at the lodge.

  • •⁠ ⁠Trip insurance

    •⁠ ⁠Participant Code of Conduct

    •⁠ ⁠Signed waiver

    •⁠ ⁠Ability to participate in guided walking outings

    •⁠ ⁠Compliance with guide instructions and bear-safety procedures

    •⁠ ⁠Charter-flight luggage allowance: 50 lb per participant

    •⁠ ⁠Aircraft seat-weight limit: 285 lb per participant

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Accommodations

Hidden deep within the pristine wilderness of Alaska's Cook Inlet coastline, Brown Bear Bay Lodge offers an extraordinary blend of comfort, exclusivity and immersion in one of North America's finest wildlife destinations. Surrounded by towering mountains, ancient forests and sweeping coastal meadows, the lodge provides the perfect base from which to photograph Alaska's iconic coastal brown bears.

With just four beautifully appointed guest suites, accommodating a maximum of eight photographers, the lodge offers an intimate and highly exclusive experience. Spacious rooms, private en-suite bathrooms, inviting communal spaces and exceptional home-cooked meals ensure guests can relax in comfort after long days in the field.

What truly sets Brown Bear Bay Lodge apart is its location on private land with exclusive access. Unlike Alaska's more heavily visited bear-viewing locations, our group enjoys sole use of the lodge and surrounding photographic area, allowing for a quiet, uncrowded wilderness experience and exceptional opportunities to photograph bears in their natural environment. It is this unique combination of luxury, privacy and world-class wildlife encounters that makes Brown Bear Bay Lodge such an unforgettable destination.

A mountain range at dusk with snow-capped peaks, a clear sky, and a forest of evergreen trees in the foreground. There are two houses with lit windows nestled in the trees.
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Stacked white towels on a bed with small pinecones and green pine branch for decoration in a cozy wooden room with green curtains and a heater.
A cozy bedroom with wooden walls, ceiling, and furniture. There are four large windows showing green trees outside. The bed has white bedding and colorful pillows, and a small bedside lamp is visible.
A bedroom with wooden walls and ceiling, large windows showing green trees and fields outside, a bed with white bedding and colorful pillows, and a cozy chair with a blanket.
A cozy bedroom with wooden walls and ceiling, large windows showing lush greenery outside, a bed with white bedding and colorful pillows, and a rocking chair with plush throws.
A brown bear sitting on grass with a forest and a building in the background.
A cozy bedroom with wooden panel walls and ceiling, large windows showing a scenic view of mountains, green fields, and a cloudy sky, with a bed and pillows in the foreground.
A rustic bedroom with wooden walls and ceiling, large windows showing green trees outside, a bed with white bedding and colorful pillows, a wooden rocking chair with a plush animal on it, and a small table with a lamp.
Interior of a cozy, rustic wooden cabin with large windows showing trees outside, a white bed with colorful pillows, and a black fireplace with a lit fire.
The image shows a cozy room with wood-paneled walls and ceiling, large windows overlooking trees and mountains, a bed with a white cover and colorful pillows, and a wood stove in the corner.
Wooden interior room with large windows showing greenery and mountains outside, rustic wooden chair with white sheepskin cushion.
Rustic bedroom with wood-paneled walls and ceiling, large windows showing a mountain and lake landscape, a wooden bed with white bedding, and a wooden chair with a carved backrest.
A deck with chairs and a railing, surrounded by tall green trees.
A cozy corner in a wooden cabin with large windows overlooking a lush green forest and distant mountains. The space features a rustic wooden rocking chair draped with a sheepskin, a green camping chair, and a small table, creating a comfortable outdo
A cozy bedroom with wood-paneled walls and ceiling, a large window showing a scenic landscape with mountains, water, and cloudy sky, a bed with white sheets, a small wooden side table, and a black cast iron stove.
A balcony with a blue chair, wooden floor, black metal railing, adjacent to a modern house with dark exterior walls and large windows. The background features a dense forest of green trees and an overcast sky.
A wooden deck with a black metal railing and deck chairs, including a white plastic chair and a bright blue Adirondack chair, surrounded by green trees with dense foliage.
A bed with folded white towels arranged in a stack, decorated with a small sprig of greenery, placed in front of a large window overlooking a green landscape with patches of water.
Bathroom with wood-paneled wall, white sink, black faucet, small mirror, soap dispenser, white folded towels, and a sliding shower door with black hardware.
A cozy bedroom with wooden walls and ceiling, large windows showing greenery and trees outside, a white bed with colorful striped pillows, and a rustic wooden chair with a sheepskin throw.
A cozy bedroom with wooden walls and ceiling, featuring large windows showing a scenic view of mountains, clouds, and greenery. There is a bed with white bedding, a wood side table, and a black wood stove.
A woman in a red jacket taking a photo of a forest scene through a multi-pane window in a wooden structure.
A cozy bedroom with wooden walls and ceiling, large windows offering a scenic view of distant mountains and fields, a bed with white bedding and neatly folded towels, and a rustic log headboard.
Aerial view of a dense forest with two small buildings and a winding path, surrounded by mountains with snow patches in the background.
Aerial view of a winding river flowing through lush green vegetation with tall mountains in the background, some with snow.
A modern house with solar panels on the roof, surrounded by tall pine trees in a mountainous forest area.
A modern multi-story house illuminated from within, surrounded by tall trees at dusk.
A sunset or sunrise over a mountain range with snow-capped peaks and a forested foreground. A house with illuminated windows is visible in the lower part of the image.
A bathroom with wooden wall paneling, a white sink with black fixtures, a small mirror, a soap dispenser, and folded towels on a wooden countertop.

Itinerary

  • Pre-Trip Zoom with Matt and Kris

    Forty-five days before the tour begins, join Matt and Kris for a live Zoom session to help you feel prepared and excited for Alaska. We’ll review the itinerary, explain the travel arrangements included in your tour, and share clothing and packing recommendations for our time at Brown Bear Bay.

    We’ll give particular attention to camera equipment and settings for both photography and video—discussing what to bring, how to prepare your camera, and what to expect in the field. There will be time for questions so you can arrive feeling confident and ready to make the most of the experience.

  • Arrive in Anchorage & Welcome Dinner

    Your Alaska adventure begins in Anchorage. Check into your hotel and take some time to explore or relax before we gather for our welcome dinner.

    This evening, get to know your fellow participants and tour leaders, Matt Shannon and Kris Pinnow, over a shared meal. We’ll review the itinerary and welcome a guest wildlife expert for a conversation about the bears we’ve come to photograph—their habits, behaviors, and what we may observe during our time at Brown Bear Bay.

    Bring your curiosity and questions. This is a chance to deepen your understanding of these animals, share what you’re most excited about, and begin the journey together.

    The welcome dinner includes two alcoholic drinks per person.

    Overnight: Anchorage

    Meals: Dinner

  • Leave Anchorage aboard a private charter Turbo Beaver and fly toward Brown Bear Bay. The journey ends with a beach landing, where your guide and assistant guide will greet you and transfer you to the lodge by ATV.

    As you settle into your suite, take in the landscape that will be home for the next five nights. Here, the places we have come to photograph are just beyond the lodge, and the anticipation of our first encounters is part of the arrival.

    Overnight: Brown Bear Bay

    Meals: Breakfast at the Anchorage hotel; lodge meals included from arrival. Other meals before arrival are at your own expense.

  • Four full days give us the opportunity to become familiar with the rhythms of Brown Bear Bay. We’ll explore with experienced naturalist guides, following photographic opportunities across coastal meadows, tidal flats, and forest edges.

    Our schedule will respond to the tides, light, weather, and wildlife. Some moments may call for patience: watching a bear work its way through the landscape, waiting for a gesture, or choosing a composition as the light changes. Others may unfold quickly, asking us to react to an expression or interaction that lasts only seconds.

    With Matt and Kris alongside you, explore both still photography and video—from intimate portraits and sweeping environmental images to sequences that capture movement and behavior. We’ll help you recognize when a moment lends itself to a photograph, when to let the camera roll, and how to approach each with intention. Guidance will be tailored to different experience levels, giving you room to build confidence, experiment, and develop your own way of telling the story.

    Between outings, return to the lodge for home-cooked meals, rest, and conversation with fellow photographers. Each day offers the chance to build on what you’ve observed and try a different approach.

    Eight hours of guided walking outings are scheduled per full day, with morning, afternoon, and evening options shaped by conditions. Wildlife encounters and specific behaviors cannot be guaranteed.

    Overnight: Brown Bear Bay

    Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

  • Depending on the flight schedule, there may be time for one last morning outing—a final opportunity to watch the bay come to life and add another image or sequence to your story.

    Check out approximately three hours before the aircraft’s scheduled arrival, then board your charter flight to Anchorage. After checking into your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to explore, enjoy dinner, or begin looking back through the photographs and memories of the week.

    Overnight: Anchorage

    Meals: Included while at the lodge. Meals after departure are at your own expense.

  • Enjoy breakfast and check out of your Anchorage hotel, bringing our time together in Alaska to a close.

    Meals: Breakfast

  • Post-Trip Zoom with Matt and Kris

    Approximately 45 days after the tour ends, reconnect with Matt, Kris, and your fellow participants for a live Zoom session. With time to sort through your photographs and revisit your favorite moments, we’ll come together to review participant images, share feedback, and discuss photo and video editing.

    It’s an opportunity to keep learning, refine how you tell the story of your time in Alaska, and enjoy seeing the experience through one another’s eyes.

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Instructors

Join Matt Shannon and Kris Pinnow for five nights at Brown Bear Bay, an intimate, purpose-built wilderness lodge with access to [confirmed acreage] acres of private land. With just eight participants and two leaders, we’ll have time to settle into this remarkable place—to watch, learn, and create, supported by people who share our fascination with wildlife.

Man hiking in snowy, mountainous terrain wearing a blue beanie, green jacket, and carrying a camera with a strap, with trees and snow-covered landscape in the background.

Matt Shannon

Matt Shannon is an award-winning wildlife and landscape photographer from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with more than 14 years of experience behind the camera.

His work focuses on wildlife, landscapes, and the natural world, with an emphasis on creating compelling images in challenging and ever-changing conditions. His photography has received recognition in international competitions, and his work is collected by clients around the world through his fine-art print business.

Matt is also an educator and creator, sharing his photography, field techniques, and editing workflow with a community of more than 70,000 photographers and outdoor enthusiasts on YouTube. His approach to photography is rooted in real-world experience, focusing not just on camera settings and equipment, but on understanding light, composition, wildlife behaviour, and making creative decisions in the field.

Through his workshops, Matt aims to give photographers the opportunity to experience incredible environments while developing practical skills that they can take with them long after the workshop ends.
​
matt@mattshannon.ca

Clear glass trophy with an engraved plaque, featuring a laurel wreath design and text about the 10th Annual International Imaging Competition, awarded to Matt Shannon for the Class Award in the Birds and Birds of Prey category.
A glass trophy with a globe on top, inscribed with details about the MPI 8th Annual International Imaging Competition, a landscape art award won by Matt Shannon for 'Alping Twilight Moon'.
Close-up of a circular accreditation stamp in orange color, with text indicating it is a professional photographic organization based in Canada.
Nikon logo with yellow background and black text, and text for Nikon Professional Services in gray and white.
Four overlapping round gold medals with laurel wreath borders, inscribed with "GOLD IIC 2022" and "9th Annual" on two of them, and featuring a stylized logo at the top.

Kris pinnow

Kris Pinnow brings extensive international travel experience, a lifelong love of nature, and a thoughtful approach to planning the photography workshops he helps lead. Having lived around the world and visited more than 40 countries, he draws on that experience to shape itineraries, coordinate logistics, and bring the many pieces of a trip together. He has planned and co-led workshops in Alaska and Yellowstone National Park, helping participants make the most of their time in these remarkable places.

Alongside his photography, Kris is a supply chain executive at a Fortune 100 company, leading global teams and complex operations. That work has strengthened the skills he brings to each workshop: careful preparation, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt when plans change. Kris’s connection to the natural world began in childhood, when he cared for injured animals and developed a lasting fascination with wildlife and the outdoors. An avid photographer growing up, he stepped away from the camera for much of his adult life. His passion returned about five years ago, when photographing his daughter competing in equestrian events inspired him to pick it up again.

Since then, Kris has continued to develop his photography through workshops spanning wildlife, landscapes, and street photography. His experience as both a participant and a co-leader informs his approach to each trip, with an appreciation for opportunities to learn, shared discovery, and the enjoyment of exploring alongside others who love photography and nature.

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Close-up of a bear's face showing its eye, fur, and nose, with water droplets falling around it, against a blurred natural background.
A logo for Wild Light Expeditions featuring a black bear paw print with five sharp claws, and the words "Wild Light" beneath it, along with "Expeditions" written in smaller letters.