Alaska

Nikon D500 field-tested: Long-expected successor to the Nikon D300 worth the wait!

Nikon D500 DSLR Camera (Body Only)Few cameras have had a more loyal following than the Nikon D300 (and predecessor Nikon D200). For those who wanted a pro-quality Nikon without moving to the size and expense of full-frame, they represented an excellent combination of features at a reasonable price. However, as the years have gone by, the tech in those cameras has been left in the dust. Many owners have been forced to move either “down” to a more consumer-oriented, but newer, model like the , or up to a larger, more-expensive, model like the . No longer. I shot almost exclusively in Alaska for two weeks with a , and loved it. It is easy to hold, fun to use, and took photos that are as high quality as I’ve ever seen from a 21MP sensor.

The DxO ONE goes to Alaska

I had so much fun with my DxO ONE in Africa, that I brought it half-way around the world with me to Alaska to use as my “grabshot” camera on my Brown Bear photo safaris. We had a cooperative mother bear with two cubs in a beautiful setting, that my big telephoto was never going to capture all in the same frame. So I quickly snapped this image, using only the DxO ONE. It was processed using my default “travel photo” preset and cropped & rotated to square up the horizon, and then downsized to 1920 pixels so I could upload it over our satellite link:

Safari photo tips & FREE Alaskan safari giveaway!

Nikon DSLRs over the years: From the Nikon D1 to the Nikon D4

I was fortunate enough to be able to shoot with a on my recent Alaska photo safaris. It was a blast, and allowed me to get some great images that I probably wouldn’t have gotten with previous DSLRs – especially those requiring High ISO shooting. It gave me the chance to reflect back on the last 12 years of my photography of bears in Alaska, starting with film and progressing through the D1 and nearly every other Nikon DSLR since. I put my thoughts together in an .

Alaska Brown (aka "Grizzly") Bear & Puffin Photo Safari 2024

July 10-17, 2024 Open to family, friends, and previous clients.

2023 was an amazing year!

Crimp was out and about with two Spring cubs, and the Old Sow also had a pair that were very comfortable around us. 

It seems like just yesterday, but 2024 will be my 25th year returning to the Cook Inlet in Alaska to photograph America's most spectacular animals.

Spending a week [6 nights, giving us 5 full and two partial shooting days for the second session -- longer than other trips to the area] with Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears, often called Grizzlies, is truly a life-changing experience. Unlike the bears at Brooks Lodge in Katmai, which are stressed out and offer very limited viewing, we'll be able to see bears in their native and un-stressed environment.

One day the bears will be grazing on the nutrient rich grass and the next they'll be up to their shoulder digging in the mud for clams. Without question these are my favorite weeks of the year.

DPS 7-06: New Nikons, Alaska Trip Report, Events Update & plenty of news and tips

Welcome to DPS 7-06. We hope your summer has been a succesful one, both photographically and personally. The highlight of ours was once again our Grizzly Bear & Puffin photo safaris where we lead two great groups of enthusiastic participants in photographing the majestic Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears and a variety of seabirds. In the meantime Nikon has been busy churning out a spate of new Coolpix models but has also update the D300 and several important lenses we want to make sure you know about. And of course in this issue we'll give you the latest updates on our events schedule.