Most people who go to Brooks Falls are looking to capture there own version of the iconic bear catching a salmon image. But the salmon are not always jumping and the bears are not always fishing. So here are 5 OTHER shots to attempt at Brooks Falls.
1) Bear at the Beach
The beach area is located where most planes take off and land on Naknek Lake. Bears often walk up and down the beach offering a great photo opportunity. Here Bear 171 walks the beach before a storm. Taken with a 100-400mm lens (400mm) from just over 50 yards away.
Caution: Remember, at Brooks Falls you must stay at least 50 yards away from the bears at all times. The beach is narrow and you must have a proper exit strategy planned. Always obey all Ranger and Bear Management Directives.
2) Blurred Water Effect
Using a slow shutter speed is a great way to add a blurred water element to your image. To accomplish this, I set a shutter speed of 1/10 of a second. It is crucial that the camera is held perfectly still and the bear chosen holds very still. To complicate matters, there are no tripods allowed on the viewing platform and the other people on the platform are always moving around. I chose a time when very few people were on the platform. I held my camera on the hand railing and fired my pictures in between the people banging on the railing. I took about 50 images. In 45 of the images there was slight bear movement. 4 more shots were ruined by platform vibrations. The picture above was my only keeper. The bear was 903 (Gully) and the shot was taken 8/12/23 with a 100-400mm lens (215mm).
3) Other Animal Species
Although most people who go to Brooks Falls go to see the bears, there are many other species that can be found there. I have seen bald eagles on all of my visits to Brooks Falls. Another one of the many species of birds at Brooks Falls is the magpie.
Besides birds there are otters, porcupine, fox, wolf and even the elusive lynx! It will take a sharp eye and great patience to find them.
4) Bears in Camp
Every year that I have stayed at Brooks Falls, I have seen & photographed bears in camp and around the lodges. On July 17th, 2021 I came back to my cabin after a long walk and found a mother bear chewing on my cabin. I am told by the park rangers that the bears often do this because of the oils used on the wood. This picture was taken with a 100-400 @ 400mm. I was 50 yards away from the bear as directed by rangers, and I was also with a ranger while shooting this image.
Remember, even in camp you may not come within 50 yards of a bear.
5) Cubs
A nice cub shot might be the cutest picture of your trip. It might also be the most dangerous. Aiming something at a cub around it’s mother might not be the best idea. But there are often opportunities that present themselves that will offer you a once in a lifetime shot.
On July 10th, 2016, Bear 128 (Grazer) ran her three cubs up a tree to protect them from an approaching male. The tree was very near the main viewing platform at the falls. The platform is elevated to a height that nearly equaled the cubs height in the tree. As Grazer dealt with the situation below, I was able to get off plenty of pictures of the three cubs in the tree.
Remember, safety must always come 1st. Don’t endanger yourself or anyone else for a picture. There have been many many great visual occurrences that I had to let pass by for safety.