Call 877-749-7990 for more information and to reserve your place.
Join Ralph Clevenger as he leads a one-week photo workshop to Alaska's Denali National Park in the summer of 2011. Ralph has previously lead two photographic workshops to Denali National Park and Camp Denali in 2005 and 2007. He also has spent time in Denali on assignment, so he knows this land and how to help you capture the amazing photographs all around you.
Home to North America's tallest mountain, the scenery of Denali is punctuated by encounters with grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves, migrating birds, and wildflowers. Participants will be staying at Camp Denali, one of the premier eco-lodges in all of Alaska. This workshop is limited to nine people, and provides the rare opportunity to work closely with Ralph as well as share your images with other participants.
All transportation within Denali National Park will be via a Camp Denali bus. Except for the bus ride from the park entrance to and from Camp Denali (on the first and last day of the workshop), our workshop will have exclusive use of a bus, allowing us to travel further a field and to spend additional time at each stop. The sheer size of the park, limited accessibility via roads and the National Park's rules on road use create some restrictions when it comes to travel within Denali National Park. But we will have close to four full days out in the field, which will not only improve our chances of seeing Mt. McKinley (due to its size, Mt. McKinley creates its own weather and is frequently cloaked by clouds) but also gives us plenty of opportunities to photograph the flora and fauna of the area.
Ralph Clevenger grew up on the coast of North Africa and began diving in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea at the age of seven with his father. He eventually went on to study zoology and worked as a diver/biologist for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California before attending Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. Ralph went on to work as an associate photographer with renowned nature photographer George Lepp and, in 1983, was offered a teaching position at Brooks Institute. He teaches courses in nature photography, stock photography, video production, and undersea photography.
Ralph has traveled throughout the world on assignment including Australia, Chile, Antarctica, and Africa. His clients include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, MacGillivray-Freeman Films, Fox Sports Network, The Nature Conservancy, Denali National Park Wilderness Center, the National Park Service and the National Marine Sanctuary. His publication credits include Audubon, Aqua, Islands, Oceans, Outside, Orion Nature Quarterly, National Geographic magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Popular Photography, Nature's Best, National Geographic Books, Smithsonian Books, Sierra Club Books, and many other national and international publications. Ralph's stock images are represented worldwide by Corbis Images. He is the author of Photographing Nature, and was the photographer for the book Alice's Garden.
Located 89 miles from the crowded park entrance and with spectacular views of Mt. McKinley, Camp Denali is a unique wilderness retreat for those seeking an in-depth experience in Denali National Park. Founded in 1951, Camp Denali is Alaska's original wilderness vacation lodge and nature center. Their mission is to help guests learn about the natural and cultural history of Denali National Park. Owned and operated by the Cole/Hamm family since 1975, it is Alaska at its best. Accommodations are eighteen individual cabins, situated along a ridge with commanding views of Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range. Cabins are furnished with a wood stove, propane lights and hotplate, handcrafted quilts and Alaskan artwork. Each cabin is located within a three to seven minute walk from a log lodge, dining room, and shower facility. A natural history resource room, complete with binocular microscope, herbarium, animal specimens and scientific library is always open for guest use. Camp Denali may not be for everyone, but if you desire an experience away from the tempo of modern living and enjoy the camaraderie of kindred souls, you will not be disappointed.
**This workshop limited to 9 participants. Only one single room is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Additional single participants will be paired up with cabin-mates. Call 877-749-7990 for more information and to reserve your place!
View images from Camp Denali (all images copyright Ralph Clevenger, trip leader.)
Dates: July 3rd - July 8th, 2011
Fee: $2850 from Denali National Park, Alaska
Deposit: $750
Limit: 9 People
Led by: Ralph Clevenger
Call 877-749-7990 for more info.
- Small Group, Hands-On Instruction
- Private Bus in Denali
- Three Full Days in the Field
- Stunning Accommodations
Day 1 (Sunday, July 3rd)
Suggested arrival day in Anchorage or Fairbanks. Accommodations on your own. We will send you a list of hotels, for both cities.
Day 2
Transportation from Anchorage or Fairbanks to Denali Park rail station will be on your own, or planned through Eclipse. Full details will be sent to you on the options available. You will need to be at the Denali Park rail station by 12:30 p.m., or 12:00 if arriving with a rental car, today. Ralph will be at the rail station to greet everyone and help transfer personal items to the Camp Denali bus.
At 1:00 p.m. we begin our 89-mile drive into the park, which will take us approximately 6-7 hours. Our trip is a good introduction to the taiga and tundra ecosystems of the far north and its inhabitants. We’ll be able to make short stops if photographic opportunities arise, however, due to the distance we must cover and time constraints, all shooting will be out of the bus. We’ll have scheduled rest stops and a picnic dinner en route.
Upon arrival at Camp Denali, we’ll have dessert, a camp orientation and be assigned our cabins. Time to settle in and unpack. (D)
Days 3-5
We’ll spend the next three days exploring the backcountry of Denali by bus. One morning we will depart earlier than normal to capture first light. We hope to see grizzly bear, Dall sheep, caribou, moose and wolf. And if the clouds part from around Mt. McKinley, we’ll be in for some spectacular landscapes. The tundra will be full of wildflowers this time of year, so we’ll also be getting out of the bus and enjoying some close-up photography. Lunch will be in the field. (BLD)
Day 6
We depart early this morning for the drive out to the park entrance. There are a number of ways to return to Anchorage or Fairbanks, including the Alaska Railroad. Options will be provided. You can fly out today, or stay over and explore Anchorage, AK! (B)
