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Archive 2016 · Haines AK questions/advice

  
 
imthegasman
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Haines AK questions/advice


Hello all, I'm a hobby guy trying to do a little all-by-myself photo trip to Haines (inspired by FM'ers. Thanks to Aribtrage for great information/help) and have a couple of questions.

1. I have the 1st and last week in November off work. Is one week better than the other for eagles?

2. My longest glass is 500 f4 + 1.4 TC. Do I need to rent a 600 or 800? (My wife isn't going to let me go often so I want to make it count)

3. Is there any point in bringing my shorter glass (70-200 or 300) on a second body/shoulder sling? Does the wildlife get that close? (I will take something wide as I've never been to AK but my main focus is wildlife)

any comments or advice welcome.

Thanks,
Richard






Jun 14, 2016 at 07:01 AM
Matt Shetzer
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Haines AK questions/advice


Richard,
I've been going up there for years and love Haines and will be up there all this November. Here are my thoughts.

#1 - Not much difference in the weeks. You might have a little more snow later, but last year it was opposite as we had great snow the first week. Eagle numbers are the same. Could be bear sightings first week.

#2 - 500 is perfect. I wouldn't bother renting one. The 1.4 will be nice on bright days. Every year they are in difference locations as the winter run-off changes where the salmon spawn. One year 800mm was too close, and the 300mm was perfect. Most years a 500mm is a good balance.

#3 - Absolutely. The 70-200 can be nice if the bears are still out (first week there is a chance), and 300mm can be used for nice landscapes with the eagles, or that odd close-up.

Here are some samples I have produced from the area. Mostly with a 500m, and some with a 600mm.
http://www.shetzers.com/pictures/bald-eagle-pictures/

Good luck, and have a lot of fun there. Besides the eagles, you will probably see Moose, Trumpeter Swans, and some Mergansers. I'll be running around both weeks you are considering, so please say hi !
Matt Shetzer

Sometimes you get lucky with bears and eagles.
http://www.shetzers.com/shetzers_v5/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/A-Grizzly-Bear-Attacks-Bald-Eagle-in-Alaska-Haines-Alaska.jpg


I shot this on November 17th a couple of years ago.
http://www.shetzers.com/shetzers_v5/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/C-Hundreds-of-Bald-Eagles-in-the-Trees-Haines-Alaska.jpg


This image was taken on November the 6. The 3rd week it rained and all the snow melted.
http://www.shetzers.com/shetzers_v5/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/A-Five-Bald-eagles-in-a-snowstorm-Haines-Alaska.jpg



Jun 14, 2016 at 04:51 PM
troylim
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Haines AK questions/advice


Nice images...


Jun 14, 2016 at 05:35 PM
imthegasman
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Haines AK questions/advice


Matt, thank you for the taking the time to answer. This was exactly the information I was looking for.

Beautiful images. I've seen your pics here and on your site. Gorgeous.

If the cards fall right I hope to see you there.

Regards,
Richard



Jun 14, 2016 at 07:31 PM
arbitrage
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Haines AK questions/advice


I've been going to Haines the past 3 years. I'm lucky as I can drive there in 4hrs so I take every bit of gear I own.

Everything Matt said I agree with.

I shoot with my 600 and 200-400 the most. I also bring a 300 f/2.8 and sometimes a 70-200.
I don't think you really need to rent a 600 or 800. I think 700 will usually be enough. I have made shots at 1200 and 840 but not the majority. I have been close enough to use 200 or 300 also. Sometimes the action happens very close, other times it is much further across the river.

Bring a wide angle also as sometimes you can get some nice sunrise and sunset shots and the mountains are beautiful around Haines.

Here are some samples all over the focal length range.



























Jun 14, 2016 at 08:50 PM
danws6
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Haines AK questions/advice


Hijack Questions:

1) What's the best way of getting to Haines? So far the best option I've found is to fly into Juneau, take a small single engine to Haines and then rent a car to get around. It looks like there are ferry's as well.

2) I have the 600mm F/4L that I usually hand hold since I do not own a gimbal head. Would renting/buying one would be advisable? I do have a RRS Ball head that works pretty well.

3) Any recommendations on where to stay?



Oct 10, 2016 at 07:21 PM
imthegasman
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Haines AK questions/advice


Looking into it, it seemed that flying into Juneau was the best option for me. From there, you can catch a ferry via the Alaska Marine highway system (http://dot.state.ak.us/amhs/ You can look at their sailing calendar to determine the days that the ferry will run between Juneau and Haines). I think that you can rent a car in Juneau and bring it on the ferry to Haines or I believe the captains choice hotel (http://www.capchoice.com) in Haines will rent Subaru Forrester's as well as pick you up from the ferry.

All this being said, I have yet to go there. These are just a couple of things that I discovered looking into it. Hope this helps.

Richard



Oct 10, 2016 at 08:08 PM
arbitrage
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Haines AK questions/advice


Every American I talked to flew to Juneau and then either ferry or small plane. Either renting a car in Juneau and getting the ferry with it or flying and renting in Haines. Likely flying and renting in Haines will be more expensive but I haven't looked into it.

Best place to stay in Haines is now the Aspen Inn. http://www.aspenhotelsak.com/haines/ Brand new last year, all rooms are suites which allows you to cook dinner as only a couple of restaurants are open in November and IMHO they are overpriced and low quality. Before the Aspen, I used to stay at the Captain's Choice...all I will say about that is that I'm sure glad the Aspen is now there



Oct 10, 2016 at 08:30 PM
Matt Shetzer
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Haines AK questions/advice


Flying into Juneau and taking the ferry is the best in my opinion. The ferry ride is a beautiful 4 hour ride and very scenic if it's a nice day.

The small planes are often delayed due to weather. I've had guests miss many days of our workshops because they opted for the plane thinking they would save a bit of time. The ferries don't run every day, so you'll need to plane your flight to Juneau accordingly.

Get your camera out, and enjoy the ferry.







A view from the ferry.




Oct 11, 2016 at 09:09 AM
barrye
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Haines AK questions/advice


I have been to Haines for eagles one time the first week of November, and it was fantastic. My 500 was all I needed. A 70 to 200 I had also came in very handy as sometimes the eagles are quite close. You sometimes have to duck when they fly over you. Definitely fly into Juneau and take the ferry. I rented a car in Juneau and took it on the ferry so I could just leave everything in the car saving the effort of getting it onto the ferry. The food on the ferry is very good. We stayed at the Captain's Choice which is dated but quaint with no problems. That new hotel wasn't open when we were there. Some people who had expected to rent a car in Haines were disappointed when there weren't enough available. As you go out of town toward the eagle preserve there is a small grocery on the right where you can grab a freshly made sandwich for lunch. Sorry, I can't remember it's name. There is also a good small restaurant north of the preserve a couple of miles that has decent lunch food. Haines is a fantastic experience. Oh, you definitely need a good tripod as you will be shooting nonstop all day. - Barry


Oct 11, 2016 at 09:43 AM
mitesh
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Haines AK questions/advice


You have received excellent advice from the posters above. I went last year and I can tell you that flying into Juneau and renting a car and taking it on the ferry to Haines was much cheaper than renting a car in Haines. I paid $24.99 per day for a Subaru Forrester out of JNU, and the same out of HNS was $89, IIRC. One-way fare from JNU to HNS with vehicle was about $95.

I would also highly recommend staying at the Aspen and buying groceries at the store across the street. Check the rate online and also call to ask for a special rate offer that coincides with the Festival. As Geoff mentioned, dining options are limited. I believe the little store Barry is referring to above is The Mountain Market.

As for gear, I would always opt for a faster f/4 lens than a longer f/5.6 lens because light is often low, and you want shutter speed to freeze action. I found my 800mm to be too long in many cases last year. Geoff and I were standing next to each other several times, and he's got shots perfectly framed while I've tossed mine due to clipped wings. I think the ideal kit would be a 24-105, 100-400 (or 70-200 + TCs), and your 500 plus TCs.



Oct 11, 2016 at 03:20 PM





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