Photography

A good nature photographer should be a keen naturalist, as well as a skilled photographer able to select the right techniques and equipment for a given situation.
-John Hedgecoe

Home

About Dolphin Charters

Master Schedule

Photography

Photo Gallery Page

Travelers' Resources

Table of Contents

Email Dolphin Charters

All of Dolphin Charters' trips provide inspiring photographic opportunities. If you're interested in combining an adventure trip with a nature-photo tour, consider a trip led by one of these professional photographers:

Nancy Rotenberg Betty Sederquist
Brenda Tharp Roger Devore Darren Leal 
 

General Photography Tips
Digital Photography Tips
Detailed Photography Tips

• Several sets of spare batteries
• Print film speeds of 200 to 400 ISO give good results in all conditions
• Recommended slide film is 100 ISO such as Fujichrome Provia and Sensia, or the new Kodak 100 ASA. For low light, try Sensia 400 or Kodak Elite 400
• Bring film, film, and more film (as much as two to ten rolls per day)
• Waterproof carry bag
• Ziplocks for camera and/or garbage bags for camera bag or backpack

For casual photographers

• Point-and-shoot 35-mm
• Flash for people pictures
• Don't forget extra film and batteries and a waterproof bag

For avid photographers

Cameras

• Medium format or 35 mm single-lens reflex are the most versatile
• Consider a second camera body so you can quickly shoot with different film and lenses. A spare also provides a valuable backup. "An immediate insurance policy!"

Lenses

• The most useful lens is a zoom of about 28-105 mm
• Consider another in the 70-300 range
• Lenses longer than 300 mm will only be useful on land

Equipment

• Lens tissues
• Tripod
• Polarizing filters to cut glare
• Graduated neutral-density filters are good for some landscapes

Back to top of page

Digital Camera Suggestions
(courtesy of Betty Sederquist)

Our Alaska trips are well-suited to those with digital camera equipment. With digital equipment you can take full advantage of the many spectacular photo opportunities we offer and shoot prolifically without worrying about the cost of film and processing. The Delphinus provides a safe, warm, dry home for your gear. AC power is available for recharging equipment; we have lots of power strips on board and each cabin also has AC power (although it's not available at night). What to bring? First, your digital camera should be of decent quality, capable of 6.0 megapixel size files or larger so you can make decent-quality enlargements later. If you don't have a digital camera yet, wait until a couple of months before the trip, as prices steadily fall on anything to do with digital cameras and computers. That lead time will allow you to familiarize yourself with the camera and work out any bugs. Whatever lens combinations you have should provide you with the 35mm equivalent of 300mm or larger, and if you're going to Pack Creek to view bears, even longer lenses are suggested. Wide-angle and macro capability is also desirable.

Recent generations of digital camera SLRs handle high ISO numbers astonishingly well, which translates to being able to photograph in the low-light conditions often found in Southeast Alaska and still retain high shutter speeds essential for quality wildlife photography, for example. However, quality is a subjective thing, and we urge you to do a lot of testing at different ISOs with your camera BEFORE the trip to settle upon what standards you're okay with. In general, plain shadow areas are more apt to show "digital noise." Textured fur, vegetation and so forth are less of a problem. On the trips themselves, great photo ops often happen so fast that you won't have time for leisured testing.

Bring enough media cards for your camera to get you through a day of shooting. If you shoot camera RAW format you'll find that you go through your cards astonishingly quickly. Prices on these cards drop steadily. You'll also need to transfer your images from your cards to some kind of hard drive at the end of the day. Several manufacturers make small portable drives just for this purpose; these drives can store thousands of images. For greater flexibility, you may want to bring a laptop computer for high-quality review of your work while you're on board. (And if you're in the market for a laptop, consider one that's lightweight, as it's literally a drag to haul any extra weight.) Don't forget all necessary cables and chargers! Bring lots of batteries!

The weather is often damp and the humidity high in coastal Alaska. Many digital cameras are susceptible to damp conditions. Make every effort to keep your gear dry, with quality gear bags, plastic baggies or Zip Locks, and maybe a small rag or chamois cloth for wiping down your equipment should it get wet. There are also many high-end, more elegant options for keeping your gear dry. You may want to bring a backup camera body-digital or film-in case of equipment problems.

Detailed Equipment List (courtesy of David Sanger)

Planning for a successful workshop

To get the most out of the workshop, and to get the best images, it helps to prepare as much as possible before you leave. Here are some equipment guidelines.

Camera

One or two 35mm SLR bodies. I like to use two identical bodies, so that if one breaks I can use the other. Two bodies also reduce the number of times you change lenses. As with all equipment, be sure you know how to use it before you leave. A photo workshop is no time to try learn how to use a new piece of equipment. Be sure to bring the manual. As for brands, all of the major manufacturers, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, make excellent equipment.

Lenses

A range between 24mm and 300mm will cover most situations. With the high quality of optics now available, zoom lenses make an excellent choice. One zoom 28-70 and another 80-200 will cover the range. In addition, a 1.4x or 2x doubler is useful (unless you can afford and carry a long prime lens.) Either extension rings or a specialized macro lens allow you to get close. Lastly, I carry a 20mm lens, because I like the extreme wide angle.

We will have numerous opportunities to photograph marine and bird life. For this, bring the longest lenses you have: a 300mm f2.8 or f4, a 400mm or even a 600mm if you are flush!

When buying lenses, get the best you can afford. Brand name lenses, made to match your camera, although more expensive, offer superior optics. Also get as fast a lens as you can afford. A lens which will open up to f2.8 gives one to two more stops of light than a f4.5/5.6 lens. Thus you can shoot at a higher shutter speed if necessary.

Tripod

For landscape photography you want as heavy a tripod as you can comfortably carry. Remember, though, how far you will be walking. Wind is often a factor and when shooting long exposures, only a heavy tripod will keep the camera steady. Be sure your tripod can support your heaviest lens! For most shoots I carry a Bogen 3221 tripod with a Bogen Pan or Ball Head. For long hikes or backpacking trips I bring a lighter Bogen 3101 with a Linhof Profi-1 Ball Head. There are many other suitable models.

Flash

A camera-mounted flash unit is useful for fill flash to fill in dark shadows close to the camera. Nikon, Canon and Minolta all offer TTL flash units with variable flash output. All can be shoe mounted on top of the camera or detached and used with a cord. For close-up shots, a diffuser such as the Sto-fen Omnibounce is invaluable.

Filters

Filters are used to adjust the color balance in unusual lighting conditions. A basic set consists of:

• 81A, 81B and 81D filters, to counter the bluishness of shadows
• A polarizer to reduce unwanted reflections
• A graduated split neutral density filter, clear on the top and shaded on the bottom, to help balance scenes with a great range of brightness

Be sure to get the correct kind of polarizer for your camera; autofocus cameras require what is called a circular polarizer. Rather than carry duplicate sets for different diameter lenses, you can use a step-up ring. For example, with 62mm and 52mm lenses, you can get 62mm filters and a 52-62 step up ring.

Film

What kind? Transparency film is the standard for serious photography and is cheaper by far than print film. Each type of film has its own characteristics and color palette, and the choice is largely a function of what you as an individual like. Nevertheless, I suggest the slowest and finest-grain film you are comfortable with for general use, and a somewhat higher speed film if you are shooting movement in low light situations. The only way to find out if you like a certain film is to try it.

I use a range of films.

• Fuji Velvia (ISO 50) for scenics
• Fuji Provia (ISO 100) for people and low light wildlife shots
• Fuji Sensia is also quite good and slightly cheaper. I occasionally ‘push’ the film by shooting it at ISO 200 and having the lab specially process it

Other comparable films are Kodachrome 25 and 64 and Kodak Ektachrome 100SW. The new Kodak Ektachrome 200 is a good choice for a fast film, as is the Fuji Multispeed 100/1000. Each has a slightly different range of colors. I rarely use film in the ISO 400 range since the images are generally too grainy.

How much? On an out of town trip you can’t take too much film. Compared to the cost of getting there, the film is cheap. And if you run out..! To be sure that I have a range of shots in a situation that interests me, I often shoot a half roll or a whole roll at a time. Generally I estimate between 7 to 12 rolls per day.

Items to carry on a photo shoot