Alaska Photo Countdown to 7/13!

[ImADaneFan]

Did you take this shot from a kayak? It looks like you were actually in the water. I've run out of superlatives. Looking into buying/renting a tele-extender fit he trip next month. Any advice?

 

T-Rox try Lens Giant. They are in Michigan an they rent both Nikon and Canon lenses. For our trip in August we are renting 2 Nikon 80-400mm lenses with filters and accident protection for 3 weeks for under $300. Their website is lensgiant dot com

 

Linda

[T-Rox!]

Ouch - tough question! I've never been on the photo safari, but I've mostly heard very positive reviews - both here on CC and on the ship after we've left Juneau. That said we loved our trip with Harv & Marv and that's what we're doing when we go back next month. You can't go wrong either way!

 

L.J.

Thanks, LJ. I'm going to book Harv & Marv today. More interest for my husband to see the whales. Maybe photo safari next time:D

[love!to!cruise!]

Hello my name is **** and I am addicted to Cruise Critic. Love, Love all the pics! Hope mine turn out as good on our trip! (in 38days!)

[WalleyeLJ]

Thanks, LJ. I'm going to book Harv & Marv today. More interest for my husband to see the whales. Maybe photo safari next time:D

 

 

Cool - like I said, I don't think you can go wrong!

 

Also for lens rentals, look at:

 

Borrow Lenses

Camera Lens Rental

Lens Rental dot com

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

Stellar Sea Lions, No Name Island, nearing the entrance to Aialik Bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Taxi, Camera Overboard! It's excited to sea Aialik Glacier!

 

 

 

 

 

 

L.J.

[Love.II.Cruise]

I just love your pictures! I already know that after our cruise that we will want to go back!!! Many thank on the pictures!

[T-Rox!]

Thanks for the lens rental info. I hope you will continue to post when you get back. I want to see more!

[Nelie]

Great pictures, they are so clear. If mine turn out half as good ill be happy

[WalleyeLJ]

Here's a quick viw of Bear Glacier near Seward...

 

 

 

 

 

L.J.

[T-Rox!]

Wow! What month were these taken? There is much more snow than I saw in our last cruise run of the season in early September several years ago.

[WalleyeLJ]

Wow! What month were these taken? There is much more snow than I saw in our last cruise run of the season in early September several years ago.

 

T-Rox,

 

They were all taken the last week in May.

 

L.J.

[ute_fan]

Thanks, LJ. I'm going to book Harv & Marv today. More interest for my husband to see the whales. Maybe photo safari next time:D

 

Don't think you can go wrong with Harv & Marv. Jay has recently published a book, along with Jayleen and Mark Kelley, who's been a professional photographer in Alaska for years. If you end up going with either Jay or Jayleen, you may even be able to pick their brains about photographing whales.

 

I've been out of town on business and working on a home remodeling project, so it's taken me a while to get to more of mine. Here's another shot from our trip with Harv & Marv.

 

[T-Rox!]

Don't think you can go wrong with Harv & Marv. Jay has recently published a book, along with Jayleen and Mark Kelley, who's been a professional photographer in Alaska for years. If you end up going with either Jay or Jayleen, you may even be able to pick their brains about photographing whales.

 

I've been out of town on business and working on a home remodeling project, so it's taken me a while to get to more of mine. Here's another shot from our trip with Harv & Marv.

 

Thanks Ute fan. Your photo is fab. We are booked with Harv & Marv and your response makes me sure it was the right decision. It would be great if we get Jay or Jayleen! Thanks for the info.

 

Photo qestion: when trying to shoot a whale, would it be better to use the continuous shoot mode or just single shoot?

[msar1076]

Wow, great pictures. My ship leaves on 7/15. Four weeks from tomorrow. I can't wait!

[ute_fan]

Thanks Ute fan. Your photo is fab. We are booked with Harv & Marv and your response makes me sure it was the right decision. It would be great if we get Jay or Jayleen! Thanks for the info.

 

Photo qestion: when trying to shoot a whale, would it be better to use the continuous shoot mode or just single shoot?

 

Silly me! I forgot to mention that the book is called Alaska's Watchable Whales -- and it's got gorgeous pictures in it.

 

My feeling is that it's better to shoot in continuous mode -- but I'm not a professional photographer by any means. I know I got a lot more tail shots with our new camera that has continuous mode than I ever did with a single shot one. It used to be that I got a lot of nice water splash photos, after the tail had already gone under. It's so hard to tell which time the whale is going to do a deep dive, resulting in that nice tail shot, that I found it worked well to shoot in continuous mode once the hump started rounding for a dive. If it didn't dive all the way down, those shots can always be deleted.

 

Here's another one I thought you might enjoy. We got to see one of the whales "spy hopping", with it's head up out of the water. Not quite as good as a breech, but I was still pretty excited.

 

[T-Rox!]

Spy hopping, popping, shopping ... Whatever they do, I'll be happy to see it (and even happier to capture it on film:D). Another great shot. Thanks for sharing the photos ... and the information. I got out and practiced with the continuous shoot mode today, since I have never used it before. Hope it will help me get some better whale shots and glacier calving (sp?), which I missed on my first cruise. Would welcome any other photo tips you would be willing to share.

[ute_fan]

My advice is just to practice as much as possible. On our first trip, we just had a little hand-held point & shoot that I was comfortable with. For our 2nd trip, we got a Canon point & shoot S2 IS that had many of the same programmable setting as our new DSLR, and I kept going back to our little one as I was so uncomfortable using it. My husband was trying to use both the new camera and a video camera -- and getting frustrated with me since I didn't want to use it.

 

Looking back, I'm glad I had that intermediate one to get comfortable with, as it made the switch to the DSLR much easier. I still haven't mastered the settings enough to feel comfortable with using the manual settings, but alternating between the landscape and sports options worked pretty well for me.

 

I missed a bunch of cool shots that 2nd trip too, because when I did try and use our "new" camera, I'd mess them up -- and the little one didn't have a fast enough shutter speed to capture them.

[T-Rox!]

Thanks. I'll keep practicing and keep my fingers crossed that I will be quick enough when an opportunity arises. No matter what, I'll have the memories!

[WalleyeLJ]

Start of the breach!

 

 

 

 

 

The "hump" of the Humpback:D

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less than three weeks to departure!

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

Thanks Ute fan. Your photo is fab. We are booked with Harv & Marv and your response makes me sure it was the right decision. It would be great if we get Jay or Jayleen! Thanks for the info.

 

Photo qestion: when trying to shoot a whale, would it be better to use the continuous shoot mode or just single shoot?

 

 

T-Rox,

 

Use continous/high speed shooting if you have the option. All of my photos of the whales were shot in burst sequences. With non-DSLRs it's particularly importnat becuase of the slower focus and shutter lag that still affects most point and shoot and digicams. It often results in photos of splashes instead of the cool stuff:D.

 

L.J.

[T-Rox!]

And what cool stuff::eek:

If I am lucky enough to witness any breach, it will be worth the cost of the trip. To get a photo like yours ... Priceless! I am so excited to get there. Save some wildlife for me ... following your trail.

[WalleyeLJ]

Good evening all,

 

Here's a shot I took of the face of Aialik Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park:

 

 

 

 

L.J.

[WalleyeLJ]

Today's update with a couple of shots from Juneau!

 

 

South approach to Juneau via the Inside Passage:

 

 

 

 

 

A wary eagle that made a racket as we left Auke Bay to go whale watching...

 

 

 

 

18 days to departure!

 

 

L.J.

[T-Rox!]

Maybe not a wary eagle, but a War Eagle, for this Auburn girl! More gorgeous photos. Thanks for posting. I look forward to this every night:)

[amc155]

I also look forward to it and have started sending a picture to my mom a day while we are counting down. Thank you!