“Capturing Alaska”
with Wayde Carroll






Cruising Kenai Fjords National Park


I was lucky enough to recently lead a group of photographers on a chartered cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. I thought I’d share some tips that may come in handy should you decide to take a tour before winter sets in.
Be prepared for any weather situation. It can be cold and rainy or it could be mild and sunny. We were blessed with a mixture of sunshine and overcast and just a slight bit of rain. Having a waterproof jacket or shell is a must and you wont regret having a warm hat and gloves. Your camera can get pretty cold out there so having a layer on your hands can make all the difference.
Speaking of your camera, I would recommend buying a waterproof camera cover in case of rain or spray coming off the bow of the boat. There are several companies, such as Pelican and Aquatech Sports Shield, that make covers specifically for your camera model. I’ve even gotten away with a large ziplock bag to shove my camera in when needed.
As far as gear goes, I mostly used a 24mm to 70mm and a 70mm to 300mm. There are many wildlife opportunities but many of the animals, such as the puffins and sea otters are relatively small so the closer you can get the better. I would strongly recommend lenses, or camera bodies, with image stabilization so you can maximize your chances of getting a clear image. A lens hood helps keep unwanted water droplets off your lens but in some cases I still put a uv filter on to protect it. It’s better for you to be wiping spray from the filter than from the lens!
I also found that a polarizing filter came in handy. I was able to take some of the glare off of wet surfaces and ad some punch to the sky.
While shooting from the boat it helps to lean against the railings and have both feet planted firmly so that you make a sort of tripod with your body. Keep an eye on your shutter speed as well to make sure that it is fast enough to prevent blur in your images. For you digital shooters it’s a huge benefit to be able to zoom in on your images and check sharpness.
As a digital photographer myself I also find it very useful to be able to adjust my ISO (film speed) rating to match the situation as well as being able to change my white balance as the weather shifts. When the sun is out I shoot in “daylight” balance and when the clouds arrive I switch over to “cloudy” balance! Pretty fancy!
I prefer to shoot in RAW as well so that I can tweak the color temperature later if I want.
Make sure you have plenty of water and snacks and bring some sunglasses and sun block- you never know- and always bring more film, or storage, than you think you’ll need. You don’t want to be down to your last few images at the end of the day when suddenly that pod of killer whales appears out of nowhere!
The Kenai Fjords are truly incredible and worth your while. Take the time, and your camera, and check them out!