Learn photography while exploring
Enhance your time in Alaska and learn new photography skills on the Sitka Wonders photography workshop. You will photograph wildlife in real wild places. Humpback whales feeding in open water, sea otters in the kelp, tufted puffins flying over the cliffs at St. Lazaria, and brown bears fishing for salmon. Your instructor, Ben Hamilton, has photographed this coast since 2007. On these private workshops, he works right beside you on your camera while the boat runs at a dedicated photography pace, holding position for the light, circles for better angles, and staying with animals instead of moving on quickly. This add on experience to our private tours is for everyone from complete beginners to experienced photographers with professional gear.
Add on Details
We offer photography workshops as an add on to our 2.5 hour Wild Coast Exploration tour as well as our 4 hour Islands of Wonder tour. It costs $600 and includes professional instruction from wildlife cinematographer Ben Hamilton. This option is only available for private tours.
Ben has spent nearly two decades telling this coast's story on film. He teaches you how he thinks before the shutter: what the frame is about, what to leave out, and how one image carries a place.
Shutter, aperture, ISO, and focus for low light, fast action, and a moving boat. We set up your camera together so the technical side stops costing you the shot.
Why whales gather here, how the tide moves a bear along a beach, what a bird does right before it dives. Read the ecology and you are already aimed where the moment will happen.
“Excellent photography guided boat tour in Sitka. Our guide Ben was a former Nat Geo videographer with a ton of photography knowledge. He helped set up our mirrorless cameras and suggested shots and settings. We saw majestic scenery, sea lions, sea otters, humpback whales, and a gray whale came close and showed his tail.”
“The photography tutorial and workshop were equally valuable. The guidance was practical, encouraging, and easy to apply, especially for simplifying camera settings while focusing more on composition and storytelling. I left feeling much more confident with ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and how to think more intentionally before taking a shot.”
“He and I hiked for a few hours while he taught me many techniques for capturing scenes under various situations and conditions. Ben had no problem teaching at my novice level while providing professional techniques. The next morning I walked to the harbor to apply the techniques I learned. I got some fantastic shots and friends and family even commented that my shots had improved dramatically.”
You can read our more than 200+ 5 star reviews on Google, and we would love it if you added yours after your trip.
Meet Your Photo Instructor
Ben is an Emmy-winning wildlife cinematographer who has filmed the Sitka coast since 2007 for companies like National Geographic, the BBC, and the Smithsonian. He founded Sitka Wonders to share how incredible this coast is and to help others slow down and experience the wonder that a thriving ecosystem like this has for those who venture out into it.
Learn More About BenPhotography Workshop Inquiry
Tell us your dates, what you shoot with, and what you are hoping to learn, and we will design a private workshop for up to six people. These days depend on Ben's availability and summer books months ahead, so reach out sooner rather than later. You will hear back within 48 hours.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 (907) 759 5034 or email info@sitkawonders.com.
Whatever you already own. Ben coaches guests on everything from phones to professional mirrorless kits, and the skills transfer: light, composition, and anticipating wildlife behavior matter more than gear. If you are deciding what to bring, tell us in the inquiry form and Ben will give you an honest packing suggestion for the season.
As soon as your Sitka dates are set. Photography days depend on Ben's calendar, and we run a small number of them each season, so summer dates fill months ahead. Send your dates through the form and you will have an honest answer within 48 hours.
The longer the lens the better for wildlife, but this depends on your comfort holding large lenses and photographing from a moving platform. Many guests use 70-200mm lenses, but you will be photographing more wildlife in landscapes than filled frames. If you want detailed whale, bear, and eagle shots you will need at least a 400mm lens or larger. When we go to shore for beach exploration and tidepooling, wide angle lenses are helpful for capturing the forest and landscape. Bring a rain cover, a lens cloth, and extra batteries, because cold weather drains them faster than normal. We have dry bags on board and a heated enclosed cabin where you can change lenses out of the rain.
For most photographers, Islands of Wonder: it is private, four hours, and includes a beach landing, which lets you photograph bears, tidepools, and the rainforest at eye level rather than from the water. Because the route follows the wildlife, the captain can slow down, hold position, and stay with an animal while you work. Add photo coaching for $600 or Ben as your photographer for $1,000, and add extra hours if you want more time ashore.