Which trip to take?

I'm going to make a trip this year to add some variety to my wildlife portfolio which currently consists of mainly waterfowl and black bears.

My first thought was the Tetons in the fall.  Good variety of wildlife, nice landscapes (not really my cup of tea).  The grizzlies action would be a little lite for me and people seem to enjoy and buy bear pictures, so that's a slight deterant.

So then the thought turned to Yellowstone in the fall.  However, after some reading here and elsewhere, I found spring to be the better time for wildlife as they are still low and tourists crowds are low.  Of course, that means photog crowds are high whenever an animal shows so I have to consider that.  As with the Tetons, the scenery would be nice and a great variety of wildlife.

Then there's Alaska.  Obviously, the focus is almost exclusively brown bears.  And that is the only real downside to me.  I would want to be there at a good time to see the cubs playing and interacting, so that is important to me.

Any trip I do would be with a guide as I just find them to be more knowledgeable of the area and the where animals tend to be given certain weather conditions and seasons.  And, since most are within the same cost frame, there's no swaying point there (regardless of location, my flight is free - thank you airline miles).

All that said, anyone got a recommendation on which would be your preferred trip?

Hi Brad,

I think either trip would be great.  I have done about a dozen trips to Yellowstone / the Tetons at various times of year and I lived at the south end of the Alaska panhandle for 8 years in Prince Rupert, BC and have made a few trips up into Alaska and the Yukon.  I think you have to ask your self what kind of experience you want and what your target species will be.

A few of my thoughts you might want to consider:

The Tetons / Yellowstone in the fall is a wonderful place to be, especially if you can time your trip to hit the peak fall color.  Even if your focus is wildlife photography rather than landscape, the colors of the environment should still come through in your images.  The downside of this area is that at that time of the year, Yellowstone / the Tetons can be a very busy place - at some popular locations it can sometimes be a challenge not getting other photographers in your landscape shots and if you do spot a large mammal like a bear from one of the roads in the park, you can bet you will have 100 of your closest friends pulling in all around you (followed by the rangers to clear out the traffic jam...).  Frankly, that area can be very busy from spring through until fall.  While there are certainly bears around, I have found them a lot harder to photograph in Yellowstone than other places much further north.

If you visit Alaska to photograph bears, there is also no reason why you couldn't target other species like moose, lynx, cariboo, whales, eagles, a multitude of birds, etc. (depending on your destination and timing) if you want to expand your portfolio.  Alaska will also almost certainly afford you the opportunity for more solitude if that's what you want.  Where exactly did you have in mind as an Alaskan destination?  When did you plan to visit?  If you get your timing right (i.e. early fall), the tourist traffic will have died down and there will be parts of the state that are totally ablaze in reds and yellows that can make a fantatsic backdrop for your images.  If you wait until too late the days will get short very fast, the weather will really take a downturn and businesses that were open for the tourist season will have shut thier doors, which can be problematic for a travelling photographer.  Depending on your destination (i.e. distance from a large center) accomodations, food, etc. can also get pretty expensive.  If you are hoping to photograph small bear cubs playing etc. summer is the time you want to be there.  Summer is really great in the north for photography - almost 24hrs of light and the sunrises / sunsets can seem to linger for hours. 

I would also mention - if you are focussed on shooting bears, there are some other interesting options in that part of the world - you might also look into a boat visit into the Khutzeymateen for Grizzlies or out to Princess Royal Island for Kermode bears, both in northern British Columbia.

Jeff,

Thanks for the comments. As for where, my likely destination would be Katmai and the coastal areas there. I'm not a platform kind of guy so BF would be ruled out. Not sure on the timing yet. I have seen a couple programs late September which tie in with the fall colors. The other option would me late May/early June. I know I everything happens through Anchorage up there, so an extra day or so driving the 2 hrs. to Denali wouldn't be that big a deal. The thought of hiking even roadside in grizzly country unnerves me a little bit.

I would like to suggest you Costa Rica..I am merely astonished by it's scenic beauty and wonder about the picturesque sights.It is also called as "little heaven" on the face of this earth.

http://www.highpointetours.com

Hard to beat Yellowstone.  

If you are interested in photographing battling elk without battling other photographers join me in New Mexico in Sep.