Best Wildlife Photography Destination - Brown Bears of Katmai and Kodiak, AK - Canon R7
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ย. 2022
- Photographing the Largest Brown Bears in the World with the Canon R7 and Canon R5.
This was the wildest and most amazing wildlife photography experience ever capturing the Coastal Brown Bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve and Kodiak Island.
From the amazing landscape of Kodiak Island and it's bears, deer, amazing forests and beaches to the wonders of Katma National Park and Preserve and its incredible Coastal Brown Bears, this was a photographers paradise.
Kodiak Air Service : kodiakairservice.com
Jon Kumamoto : / jon.kumamoto
/ jkwnaturephotography
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Photography gear used in this video:
Canon EOS R10 adorama.rfvk.net/15Aqaz
Canon EOS R5 amzn.to/3xbg48A
Canon EOS R7 adorama.rfvk.net/LPkbz0
Rode VideoMic GO II amzn.to/3DcKKtJ
Atomos Ninja V amzn.to/3DdzJZl
IFOOTAGE Cobra 2 C180-II amzn.to/3B53E31
Peak Design Travel Tripod amzn.to/3RqYlC6
DJi Pocket 2 Creator Kit. amzn.to/3RCrnPe
WANDRD PRVKE 21L Photography Backpack amzn.to/3BcYVg0
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM Lens adorama.rfvk.net/jWbWr0
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Lens adorama.rfvk.net/P0x0yQ
Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Lens adorama.rfvk.net/kj6j0d
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens adorama.rfvk.net/a1g1nM
SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB
Instagram: / sdwest11
Facebook Page: / sdwest11
Website & Shop: westakphoto.com/
WHO I AM.
My name is Scott West and I am a nature and wildlife photographer located in Alaska. I am very lucky to live in a place surrounded by amazing landscapes and even more amazing wildlife.
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Best Wishes
this one is without a doubt the best Wildlife video I've seen, what an awesome experience, thanks for taking us on the ride with you. Super Jealous...
Wow. thanks for the compliment.
Great video. Great pics. Be great to hear your impressions of the R7 from that trip.
Thanks. Ill have a video out Monday morning on just that.
Great video! This on my bucket list to do 😊
Go for it!
Am booked to go June 2023. Can’t wait!
You won't be disappointed.
Wasn't on my bucket list until now! What an awesome experience.
It was very amazing experience. And I didn't even get to really explore Kodiak Island and there is so much cool stuff to do there.
Extraordinaire, très émouvant. Merci 🙏
thanks
Great video and great to meet you today. I am so stoked to go to Kodiak.
You too. You will have a great adventure for sure.
0:14 I'm sure that fish was literally just caught and very much alive. Imagine being ripped in half like that 😮 Also think of the force it takes to pull a large fish apart into two pieces... the strength of brown bears is terrifying.
Edit: Yep 8:36 Amazing footage!
Thanks. This is my favorite video I have produced.
WOW ❤
Thanks
I'm so sorry I'm beginning to be old now. I had to be 56 before my eyes were opened to your fantastic part of our world.
Thanks for this out of this world footage and photos.
Regards an old Norwegian.
You are so welcome!
Some insane experience that must have been. Outstanding video.
Thanks!
Beautiful!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Looks like you had a great trip. Glad you enjoyed and am sure you have some fantastic pictures.
Thanks !
Certainly a bucket list trip! Great story and fantastic photos.
Thanks so much!
So amazing! I've done Brooks Falls Camp several times, but Geographic Harbor looks like an even more intimate experience with the bears.
Yes Ma'am it is. Hallo, Frazer, and Geo Harbor are great.
Stunning video as always; love the editing and content. Special trip.
Thanks a ton!
Great stuff. . . .its now on my list of places to go.
Thank you for your time and also sharing these great images.
Glad you enjoyed it
Outstanding photographs and video of what must have been a truly awesome experience
It was!
Great video, this is definitely on my bucket list.
Yes it should be on everyones list. Not sure why it took me so long to pop over there.
SUPERB !
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you for showing all your stunning captures ..wow what an experience you had .Take care x
Glad you enjoyed it
@@WILDALASKA ✅ x
Spectacular
Thanks
Superb stuff, photos apart just a great presentation. I probably won't ever make it to Alaska so this is the closest I get, thx 🙂
Thanks. Its an amazing place
Such an incredible video, well narrated, shot, etc. going up this summer, hope to see a fraction of what you did.
Im sure you will. Its an incredible adventure and thanks
Thank you for sharing this video with us, I really enjoyed watching it.
Glad you enjoyed it
That is absolutely incredible. This is the best TH-cam video I have seen all year and the best photos.
Wow, thank you!
Great video!! Geograpic harbor on y list!!!
👍🐻🐻
Amazing video! I would be to much scared for such an expedition. THX of your work I have the experience sitting on my sofa. Thanks again, keep on your good and interesting work!
Our pleasure!
Fabulous video. Like I thought she would, the wife loved the bears. She was genuinely on the verge of welling up watching the 3 cubs feed by the riverside. My R7 and 100-500 finally arrived Friday; if I can get pictures a fraction as beautiful as those I'll be happy. Thanks again for great content.
Thanks.
And grats on the camera getting in. That's a great combo and you should have a blast shooting.
Fantastic video and pics, love to see one of the bear pics as a giveaway, something I could treasure. Looks like the R7 performed pretty well, gives me hope. Really great to see you had a great time, it’s nice to have great friends.
Thanks !
Always nice t have friends.
Yes R7 held up well. Video coming Monday about the R7.
What pic did you like best? Let me the know timestamp in the video. I need to do a giveaway from when I hit 2k. Ill do one at 2.5k were close ;)
@@WILDALASKA my favorite pic was at 5:42 great character in that older bear. Thanks again.
Very well done.
The cell phone video helped
I just love this video and your narration explaining your experience…..just superb! Next time you head to Kodiak you might want to try Quartz Creek Lodge on the north side of Kodiak in Uganik Bay…..it’s just epic.a
heard it was nice
Amazing video!
You are so kind
What i see in this video that i admire the most is that you are using both full frame and cropped sensor cameras. Ive always shot like this with Dslrs. Nikon D3/D700 and D300. Ive ventured into mirrorless with Z50. Images are gorgeous! However, i like the z50 so much i decided to build the 'trinity' around it. Z24-702.8s first . Images with this combo has me salivating for z 70200|2.8s. In last year ive gotten very interested in Nature photography 📸. I pre ordered 180-600 🎉. I really wish that Nikon will release the D500 mirrorless equivalent i.e. Z500 or Z90... but on the zame level as the R7. This canera should be the Z9 apsc. The D500 and D5 in the DSLRs was unbeatable combo. Lets go Nikon!
Yes that has to be coming soon you would think
Do you think you would ever think of doing a work shop I would love to go to kodiak island on photo shoot definitely on my bucket list great photo thanks for awesome video all the way from here in Scotland!
Possibly. If there was enough interest then possibly.
wow what an experience! congrats! I want to go to Queen Charlotte Islands to see the spirit bear (white bear) in BC one day.
Oh that would be soooo cool to see.
How amazing Scott !! These bears are lot larger and a lot more active compared to the Pandas at the local zoo 😛
As many say: this truly is bucket list material !!
Oh it was amazing. Headed back as soon as I can
@@WILDALASKA Oh yeah, with your passion and living in Anchorage you should yearly do so, no doubt!! But from Belgium there aren't many flight combinations shorter then 24 hours to reach Anchorage .. Maybe when the war of the Tsar is over, there's a shorter route over Palin's back yard ??
Did you get a bit anxious when momma and 3 cubs came over the stream? Great photography in your vlog again. Looking forward to your next one now.👍😊
Thanks :)
Not nervous at all. All the guide services on Kodiak have experience bear guides and know all the bears where they take you and all you need to do is listen to what they tell you and enjoy the show. The guide will worry about the bears and tell you how to react to each of them.
Wow. Your images were amazing. Your video sold me, I need to go to Kodiak. I am not going to lie, I would feel more comfortable taking their picture through a long lens instead of a cell phone.
Thanks. All the bear tour folks on Kodiak have excellent guides and just follow what they say and its a walk in the park.
That was fantastic what a pleasure it must have been to be there. My bucket list is getting bigger for when I retire or sooner? Very well put together. Have you heared any thing about the R7 yet? All the best and enjoy what you do because we enjoy what you are doing.
Thanks. Kodiak and Katmai are amazing and im dying to go back.
The R7? yes and I will have a video about it on probably this Monday.
Great narration and background music editing. I see a lot of videos where they blast horrible music or to much B -roll stuff . Excellent job sir .
I would be a dream trip to see Alaska and take my best photography stuff.
Maybe some day . Retired guy so it's a bucket list thing and $$$ Cha-Ching lol. But I'll get there .
Ya Alaska trips can be a bit pricey. Hopefully you can make it sometime. GO watch my latest video about why print if you haven't already as I have a print giveaway that's from this trip info in the video.
@@WILDALASKA I already do prints and printing of my works I shoot different types of photography. Wildlife, landscapes etc.... I went from doing prints to canvas prints and now really liking metal prints. Thanks I'll be watching for your videos ....
WOW got to try and get over to Alaska. Noticed some shots with the R7, presume it worked OK, how did it cope with the weather.
Thanks. Video coming Monday about how the R7 fared and if you watch some my previous videos you will know that it died 4 weeks after that trip and it just came back from Canon as to what killed it. So watch for that video on Monday.
Amazing video and pictures!! My only bear pics are from my phone as I didn't have a camera back then. Nailing anything close to these is definitely on the bucket list!! Plenty of bears in Quebec/Ontario but they're still a pretty rare sight. One day I'll get em!! Thanks for the motivation!! Must've been an incredible experience. Were you scared at any moment?
THANKS.
Not scared at al. We had 2 bear guides, so that was their job to make sure we were safe.
Beautiful animals, need some golds.
thx
Thank you for a wonderful video. I’m only going to get to do this trip once. Please could you tell me which month you visited and which month you’d recommend for a similar experience. Thank you!
You're welcome ! August - Early Sept for Katmai is prime time for the salmon runs and the bears to be out.
Thank you ever so much. Thats super helpful.
I am finally lining up a trip to Alaska, hopefully for next year. Katmai sits squarely in the highlights portion of the plan. Thanks so much for sharing this video. It looks like an incredible outing. Out of curiosity, how strenuous was the hiking? I am up to it just fine, but we’ve talked about Brooks Falls because of the easy hike. My wife is disabled and has a hard time with uneven surfaces and grades. So she usually sends me off on those journeys alone.
There's a lot of different viewing excursions. There is even a pontoon boat excursion where you are on the boat the whole time. Other trips you fish for salmon and do bear viewing.
I'd call Kodiak Air Service and talk with them as Hallo Bay and the like they are fairly easy walks. They will let you know best times to come and what they can accomdate. They are based out of Kodiak, so a trip to Kodiak would be in order also. Amazing place to explore and very easy to just roadside explore for wildlife.
My trip was easy enough, about mile or 2 walk along a flat beach and crossed a couple small creeks, and wade from the plane on the bay and back (knee deep water).
Great , great video! Truly enjoyed it. I see you got the R7 back. What was wrong with it ? I have enjoyed chasing hummingbirds around my garden with my r7. I have been using the electronic shutter at 15 fps just to reduce wear and tear from the mechanical. The hb move so fast you end up taking 1000’s of shots. Problem is that darn rolling shutter in probably close to 50 percent of shots. I have the auto leveling off. Where you using electronic shutter on the bears? Thanks again.
I always use electronic shutter. 30 fps on the bears.
Ill have a video out Monday on the R7 breakage. I just got it back from Canon yesterday.
I'm planning a trip to Brooks Falls in 2023 or 2024. I have both the R7 and R5 and will bring both and can't decide which will be my primary (one will be just back-up) but you're not giving me much hope that either are going to work!
They both will work :) Bring a rain coat if it rains ( for any model of camera) keep your hands clear of sand and pumice if you're on the beaches and if you do those things you will be ok.
Brooks Falls is very tame environment. There are walkways and rangers everywhere and you won't be close to the bears there at all if any. they will be 50+ yards away at all times. They have viewing platforms also by the falls for you to watch the bears.
My trip was in the extreme and I learned a lot of what to do and not do in that environment. I will be putting together a video this week an have ti out soon on what to expect, bring, and lessons learned from my outing.
You will have a blast. If you have any questions before your trip or while your in AK just hit me up on the email, FB, Or Intsa.
Cheers
@@WILDALASKA thanks! Looking forward to your next video. The bears of Katmai have been a dream trip of mine for a while. Hoping to win the Brooks Lodge lottery for 3 nights so I only need to camp 3, but ready for 6 nights camping as a "once in a lifetime trip" sacrifice if necessary. Can't wait!
excellent video...I noticed you shot with both the r7 and r5...Which camera body did you use most?
I started with the R5 and my uncle had the R7. About 2/3 through the day I switched the the R7. So the R7 got more work for the day.
Ill be doing a behind the scenes and the gear etc next week from the bear trip.
Sound like a good video?
@@WILDALASKA looking forward to your conclusions
It on my list NOW How do i get to Katmai and Kodiak from Toronto Canada in 2023
You would fly into Anchorage and then hop flight to Kodiak (45 in flight). Then book with an air service (on I use is listed in the comments of the video) and they fly you over to the best bear area ( another 45 min flight to Katmai)
Nice video but so close what are you going to do if it started charging??
Not really. We had great bear guides with us. You just listen to their instructions and relax as they will let you know what to do at all times.
I will have a video maybe next week about lessons learned and what to expect on a bear trip like we took. Let me know if that sounds like an interesting video to you.
@@WILDALASKA Yes big interest thanks;)
Who was your guide for this trip?
instagram.com/jkwnaturephotography/
Great Video and fantastic subjects. I would be terrified being that close to such a large meat eater. I live in Australia and as long as you stay out of the water nothing's going to eat you, lots to kill you by injecting poison into you though.
Thanks.
Not much to worry about. In the park and preserve you have a guide with you. Just listen to them and they put you in and out of positions to stay safe and get the best shots or viewing.
i just found your video
👍
Were you afraid of the bears? they were pretty close to you
Not at all. We had 2 bear guides with us that knew the area and the bears in that area. We just listen tot heir instructions and enjoy the show :)