2024 Churchill Polar Bears
Workshop Information Packet
Contents:
I. General Information
II. To Do Checklist
III. Daily Itinerary
IV. FAQ’s
2024 Churchill Polar Bears Workshop
General Information
Welcome!
Thanks again for joining our 2024 Churchill Polar Bears Photography Adventure. I know you are as excited for our trip as we are! Some preparation is required so everything goes smoothly. This document contains important information to help you prepare for your travels. Please take some time to read it carefully.
Workshop Dates & Leaders:
Session 1: Oct 28–Nov 3, 2024 Randall Ball instructor/leader
Session 2: Nov 4 – Nov 10, 2024 Randall Ball instructor/leader
Itinerary & FAQ’s
A copy of our Daily Itinerary and trip FAQ’s are included in this package for your convenience (also available at the bottom of the workshop page). These documents contain important information so please read them.
Balance of Fees
The balance of your workshop fees will be billed as follows:
$2500 – due Feb 15, 2024
Remaining Balance – due July 1, 2024
You will receive invoices by email approximately 30 days before each due date. Click the link in the email to make your payment online by credit/debit card. Please contact us if you wish to use another form of payment. Your on-time payments are greatly appreciated.
Health/Medical
Prescription Medications – remember to pack an adequate supply of any prescription medications (also supplements, sleep aids, non-prescription pain relievers, etc.) you take, as they may not be available in Churchill.
Allergies – please let us know about any allergies you have AND the severity of your reactions. It is your responsibility to carry appropriate medications (e.g. Epi Pen) in case of accidental exposure.
Travel Logistics & Documents
Passport/Visas – Americans do not need an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization), but a valid passport is required.
If you are not a Canadian or American citizen, you will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada. Most applications are approved within minutes and the cost is only $7.
International Flights –
Arrival – book your flights to arrive in Winnipeg (Airport code: YWG) no later than ~1pm on Day 1 of your session (our first group activity is at 3pm).
Departure – The workshop ends upon our arrival at Winnipeg airport on Day 7. Our flight from Churchill to Winnipeg normally arrives in the late afternoon. However, since the pandemic, Calm Air (our airline for Winnipeg-Churchill flights) has changed flight schedules multiple times. It is also fairly common for these flights to be delayed due to weather or other factors. We highly recommend spending the night in Winnipeg and traveling home the following day.
Churchill-Winnipeg Flights – are included in the workshop fee and will be booked on your behalf.
Winnipeg Hotel – all group activities on Day 1 will take place at the Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel located directly across from Baggage Claim at the Winnipeg airport. Staying at the Grand is convenient but not required. We have negotiated a nightly rate of TBA ($160 CAD + taxes (~$118 USD) in 2023) for our group – please let the Grand know you are part of the Art of Seeing group when booking your reservations.
Note: Hotels & meals in Winnipeg are NOT included in the workshop fee. You must book your own hotel reservations for your nights in Winnipeg.
Travel Insurance – is highly recommended. Policies that cover medical evacuation as well as many other things like trip delays/cancellation, lost luggage, theft/loss, etc. are widely available at reasonable cost.
Notify Banks & Credit Cards – notify your financial institutions about your travel plans to prevent problems using credit cards or ATM’s while traveling.
Mobile Phone Carrier – look into your phone carrier’s international roaming policies and rates BEFORE leaving home or you may return to an extremely expensive bill. You may want to pre-purchase a data plan from your carrier or limit your mobile phone data usage to Wi-Fi only.
What to Pack
Weather Note – Historical high/low temperatures for October and November are below, but the low temperature for any given day could dip well below these averages:
October 43˚F (6˚C)/30˚F (-1˚ C)
November 26˚F (-3˚C)/13˚F (-11˚ C)
Here is useful link for Canadian government data of historical averages and extremes in Churchill for specific dates. Enter the beginning and end date of your trip to get a better idea of the conditions you may encounter.
Clothing – the following are key items to help you stay warm and comfortable in very cold temperatures. It is not intended to be a complete packing list. Based purely on performance (weight to warmth), I prefer wool and down for insulation but synthetics and synthetic/wool blends are an option.
Heavyweight base layers (top & bottom) – in my opinion, great base layers are the key to staying warm in extreme cold temperatures and well worth the cost. I favor merino wool for my base layers. Smartwool & Ice Breaker are some well-known (i.e. expensive) brands in this space. Minus 33 offers high quality alternatives at slightly lower (but still not cheap) price points. Investing in a set of expedition/heavy weight merino wool base layers for this trip will pay off if temps drop below normal.
Mid Layers – thin down jackets/vests, wool sweaters or fleece should make up your mid layer tops. Lined pants made for cold weather or heavyweight corduroy on top of your base layer are the best option to keep your legs warm. Jeans are NOT a good choice.
Outer Layer – a well-insulated parka and ski pants/bib (or similar). Rain is a possibility so waterproof materials or a separate rain jacket are recommended.
Warm socks – merino wool again is my preferred material. I’ve found a very thin pair next to the skin with a thicker second pair on top work best.
Insulated boots – something like a pair of Sorel winter boots with a temperature rating well below zero are what you want. Non-insulated hiking boots are NOT a good option
Gloves and/or mittens – you need a pair of thin gloves that will let you work camera controls without removing them. This is all I typically need in Churchill – I put my hands in my pockets (with handwarmers) when not shooting, but for those who tend to get cold easily, a second pair of gloves or mittens attached to your wrists by lanyards are a good option to keep your hands toasty. There are a number of options photography-specific gloves/mittens also but I don’t have any particular recommendations. Ask our friends Google and Amazon and do your research
Warm hat or beanie - essential
Balaclava, scarf or buff – to protect your face & neck during extreme cold.
Sunglasses
Hand & Toe warmers – cheap, long lasting and very effective, especially for those whose extremities get cold easily.
Photo Gear – it’s tempting to bring everything you own, but that usually works against you. The following are what I consider to be the essentials. I’m happy to give more specific brand/model recommendations for specific items. Just ask.
Camera Body(s) – dSLR or mirrorless (full frame or crop sensor). ‘Bridge’ cameras with a long zoom (400mm+) are also an option.
Lenses – I favor zoom lenses for their flexibility in composing images, but prime lenses tend to be ‘faster’ (larger maximum aperture) which is an advantage in low light, but you give up flexibility and primes are also usually bigger, heavier, and more expensive.
Your longest lens should reach at least 400mm, preferably 500mm+, before adding teleconverters. Polar bears are large animals, and we will be as close as we can safely get, but you simply cannot have too much ‘reach’. You will also want some shorter focal length lenses. As an example, lens-wise, my Churchill kit consists of a 12-24mm, 24–105-mm, 70-200mm and a 200–600mm. If you prefer prime lenses, one lens from each of the these zoom ranges would be ideal.
Filters – Polarizing filters are great for cutting glare off snow, ice and even fur but they can become impractical in low light. Clear/UV filters are helpful to protect expensive lenses but also provide more surfaces for condensation to form – it’s your call.
Batteries and Memory cards – you will be shooting a lot, maybe more than you ever have, easily in the thousands of images and hundreds of gigabytes total (it’s not uncommon for participants to exceed 20K images and >1TB for this trip with today’s high frame rates & megapixels). Bring PLENTY of extra cards and batteries. You should NOT erase/overwrite any memory cards until you get home, even if you have downloaded the images to your laptop or hard drive.
Accessories – make sure to pack critical accessories like your camera battery charger, memory card reader and tripod quick-release plates!
Tripod and/or monopod– sturdy, but light with a ballhead or gimbal and a quick release mount is the way to go. Make sure your tripod can solidly support your longest lens and that you don’t have to bend over uncomfortably WITHOUT extending the center column. Hand holding extreme telephoto lenses is not ideal for best results
Also, don’t forget your quick release tripod plates–in fact, I strongly recommend purchasing an extra plate to leave permanently attached to your long lens(es).
Headlamp – MUCH better than a flashlight because it leaves both hands free.
Remote release (optional) - nice to have when working with very long lenses to help prevent camera shake
Flying with Camera Gear – Nobody even wants to think about putting their precious photo equipment in checked luggage, so here is the lowdown on how to avoid any issues:
Size is more important than weight. Calm Air’s official policy carry-on is 20lbs max, but carry-ons are not typically actually weighed. As long as your bag(s) is reasonable in size, meaning it will fit into the overhead bins or under the seat, you should not have a problem. DO NOT bring an enormous bag that won’t fit where it should. Calm Air sees a lot of photographers headed to Churchill and our groups in previous years have not had any issues, but that’s not a guarantee that we won’t run into an agent that starts quoting official policy. If you’re bringing that huge 600mm prime lens, consider packing the lens shade separately. Again, the real key is not to attract attention by bringing a huge bag that won’t fit where carry-ons belong!
Valet Service – if your carry-on is too large, heavy or you just get the ‘wrong’ agent, you may be asked to use Calm Air’s valet service which means you will hand your bag to an agent at the stairs before boarding the flight and retrieve it at the bottom of the stairs when we land.
Other Things to Pack
Laptop or tablet – highly recommended. Your photography will improve if you review your images daily. Doing preliminary selects and ratings also makes the mountain of images more manageable when you get home. We will also have several sessions on post processing and image management
Portable hard drive - for image storage and/or backup. If you are considering purchasing one, look for a “bus powered” model – a drive that gets its power from the computer and does not require a separate power cord.
Chargers and cables for your mobile phone and other electronics. Note: Canada uses the same electrical sockets as the US, so adapters are not necessary.
Power bank – extremely handy for traveling
Snacks – if the action is good, lunch may be delayed and having something to nibble is nice.
Refillable Water Bottle
A Word About Gratuities - Like many service businesses, our local guides rely on gratuities for a substantial portion of their total income. I think you will find them to be outstanding at what they do. If you feel you received good service, a token of your appreciation would be greatly appreciated. People always ask me for guidance on amounts and I always feel uncomfortable answering – what I can say is that the typical range I see is anywhere between $100 and $200 USD. Canadian currency is preferred for gratuities, but US dollars are also acccepted.
If we’ve missed anything or you have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch by phone, text or email.
Thanks again,
Ken Lee
Art of Seeing Photography Adventures
949-282-9660 mobile
Churchill Polar Bears Workshop 2024
To Do Checklist
___ Book Inbound/Outbound flights to/from Winnipeg (YWG) and forward a copy of flight itinerary to Ken.
___ Book Winnipeg hotel
___ Purchase Travel Insurance
___ Notify Banks & Credit Cards of your travel plans
___ Check mobile phone carrier’s international roaming policies and plans
___ Make a personal packing checklist. Click here for a downloadable Photo Trip Packing List template you can customize to your own needs
2024 Churchill Polar Bears Workshop
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1 Winnipeg – our adventure begins at 3pm with Introductions and a Workshop Overview followed by a session on Wildlife Photography Fundamentals & Advanced Techniques. We want to hit the ground running in Churchill, so we use this day to make sure everyone’s camera settings are dialed in, answer questions and let you know what to expect for the coming week.
Day 2 Winnipeg – Churchill – we board our morning flight to Churchill after an early breakfast. We’ll transport you to our accommodations upon arrival to drop off our bags and change. We’ll have lunch in town and then head straight out into the field until sunset, exploring the shores of the Hudson looking for polar bears and other wildlife.
Afterwards, we’ll head back to our home base where you can shed some layers and relax for a bit before we head out for dinner at a local restaurant. Dining options in Churchill are limited, but surprisingly good.
Days 3–6 Churchill – Starting before sunrise each day, we venture out along 15 miles of coastline in a 4X4 van piloted by our licensed professional bear guides, looking for polar bears and trying to anticipate their behavior to be in the best positions for eye-level photography. Whenever a photo opportunity arises, we’ll maneuver our vehicles as close to our target as the situation safely allows before getting out to begin shooting. Solo bears, sparring males and mothers with cubs are common sights. Other species such as arctic fox, red fox, arctic hares, gyrfalcon, rough-legged hawks, caribou, snowy owl and wolves may be spotted as well. Shooting opportunities can last from less than a minute to an hour or more. Once the opportunity is over or we’ve had our fill, we get back in our vehicle to continue the hunt.
We break for lunch in the afternoon to recharge and warm up at the log cabin style Lazy Bear Lodge in Churchill before heading back into the field for more wildlife hunting with our lenses until twilight.
Back at our home base Randy will host optional presentations nightly on image management and post processing in Adobe Lightroom before we head out as a group for dinner.
Our post dinner schedule will be dictated mostly by the weather. If conditions look favorable, we may head out to hopefully photograph the Northern Lights.
Day 7 Churchill–Winnipeg – one more day of photography – the number of shooting hours today depends on Calm Air’s flight schedule which varies from year to year. Then, we will head to the airport to catch our flight to Winnipeg. Sadly, our adventure is over upon arrival at Winnipeg airport.
Churchill Polar Bears 2024 Workshop
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Q: How is this trip different than other polar bear tours?
A: Every aspect of this workshop is specifically designed for passionate (but not necessarily expert) photographers who are looking for the best opportunities to bring home portfolio-worthy images of polar bears and other arctic wildlife and landscapes. We are not confined to a tundra buggy or attached to a large group of non-photographers. Finally, this trip is meant to be a learning experience about the art and craft of wildlife photography as much as an opportunity to photograph polar bears.
Q: How should I book my travel?
A: You should arrive in Winnipeg (YWG) no later than 1 pm on Day 1 of your session. Our return flight to Winnipeg on Day 6 should arrive in Winnipeg in the late afternoon, but this flight is often delayed by weather. We suggest planning an overnight stay in Winnipeg (NOT included in workshop fee) and flying home the following day.
Q: Can you guarantee we will see polar bears or northern lights?
A: No. When it comes to nature, there are never any guarantees. The workshop is timed specifically to maximize our chances of encountering large numbers of polar bears based on historical freeze-up dates, but climate change and other factors are making things less predictable these days.
We need clear, dark skies and the right type of solar activity for the northern lights (aurora borealis) to appear. In 2024, the night sky will be relatively dark (no moon) for both sessions but we still need the other factors to coincide to have any chance at photographing the aurora – again, no guarantees.
Q: Is it safe?
A: Polar bear viewing and photography can be done safely if everyone follows the rules and acts appropriately. Our guides are experienced professionals who are knowledgeable about bear behavior. They also carry deterrents including firearms which are only deployed as a last resort. However, these bears are wild animals and individuals may not behave as expected. Intentionally approaching large predators for viewing or photography is an inherently dangerous activity. As stated in our Terms & Conditions, by registering for this workshop, you explicitly acknowledge and accept this risk.
Q: What else is there to photograph?
A: Besides polar bears, we may also encounter other arctic species. Arctic fox, Red fox, Arctic hares & Ptarmigan are common. Other species such as gyrfalcon, rough-legged hawks, caribou, snowy owl and wolves live here as well but are much more rarely seen. Landscapes are also an option and can be quite dramatic with the right light and weather, especially after freeze-up begins. Finally, we will be on Aurora (northern lights) alert the whole time we are in Churchill – if conditions look promising, we’ll head out after dark to hopefully capture some images of the Northern Lights. However, this trip is not specifically focused on Aurora photography.
Q: What will the weather be like and how should I prepare for it?
A: Layers upon layers - a detailed packing list including specific clothing recommendations will be provided to participants after registration.
Q: What kind of photo equipment should I bring?
A: Specific recommendations will be provided to participants after registration but a telephoto lens of at least 400mm (35mm equivalent) is strongly suggested as a starting point.
Q: Where will we stay?
A: Our accommodations are rooms in private residences (think Air BnB) that residents rent out during bear season. It’s a bit unconventional, but it’s the best choice among very limited choices in Churchill. Items for self-serve continental breakfast like bread, cereal, boiled eggs and fruit are provided
Q: What & where do we eat?
A: Lunch and dinner are at local restaurants. Again, choices are limited so we typically eat at the same restaurants daily. However, the food is surprisingly good and the menus include plenty of options for vegetarians.