Photo Safari in Ketchikan, Alaska. Spend 3 hrs "off the tourist beaten path". in Ketchikan booking from $134.03

Photo Safari in Ketchikan, Alaska. Spend 3 hrs "off the tourist beaten path".

Overview

We help you take iconic photographs of several locations in the Ketchikan area, including historical, cultural and nature attractions. We offer advanced and basic photographic instruction for cell phone, poin'n'shoot & DSLR camera users. We conduct our tours over a set route of 7 or 8 different locations with each location offering unique photo opportunities AND teaching opportunities. Although a majority of my photography instruction is equally applicable to BOTH cell phones, point’n'shoots and DSLR cameras, some of my instruction is specific to DSLR users.

Photo techniques taught for BOTH DSLR & cell phone & point’n’shoots include: composition, subject identity, subject proximity, subject balance, exposure, cropping, angle of approach, light compensation, macro photography...

We look forward to serving you soon.

City: Ketchikan

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $134.03

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $134.03

Make a reservation

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What's Included

This is a great historic and cultural tour with or without a camera:)

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Stipulate your desired TOUR DEPARTURE TIME and email for confirmation: [email protected]
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Hand sanitizer is provided at our gourmet cookie & coffee stop. We ask guests to follow the COVID protocols set by the cruise ship upon which they are traveling.

What To Expect

Creek Street

The Historic Red Light District where men and salmon go to spawn, now home to a variety of shops & attractions and abundant photo opportunities. Hear stories and information about local culture, history, economy & lifestyles as you travel from site to site.

Totem Heritage Center

This site has totems, native carvings, informative kiosks, ancient poles and the opportunity to hear the legend of Fog Woman. Hear stories and information about local culture, history, economy & lifestyles as you travel from site to site.

Ketchikan Rainbird Trail

We travel to the Rainbird area for a gorgeous panoramic views of the snow covered mountains surrounding our area. Learn a couple of photographic lessons here at this site, including a captivating cell phone trick. Enjoy a cool fresh bottle of water to drink along the way. Hear stories and information about local culture, history, economy & lifestyles as you travel from site to site.

Ward Cove

We stop in the Ward Cove area at the Green Bean Coffee Company and pick up gourmet coffee and cookies for everyone. Hear stories and information about local culture, history, economy & lifestyles as you travel from site to site.

Potlatch Totem Park

This site offers a variety of attractions including a totem carving building, a traditional Native Clan House, dugout canoe, a gift shop, antique cars and a Russian Museum. Hear stories and information about local culture, history, economy & lifestyles as you travel from site to site. Enjoy your fresh roasted coffee and gourmet cookie at this site.

Ketchikan

OCEAN PANORAMA SITE: Count ten islands from this site that also includes an Alaskan float plane dock and views of both The Cleaveland Peninsula Wilderness Area and Prince of Whales Island. Hear stories and information about local culture, history, economy & lifestyles as you travel from site to site.

Ketchikan

As you reenter the Port of Ketchikan you can be dropped off at your cruise ship OR at a shopping/dinning location of your choice. Hear stories and information about local culture, history, economy & lifestyles as you travel from site to site. AND please make any GRATUITY commensurate with the (hopefully) high level of service that you have received. All Ward Cove passengers can be returned to Ward cove OR be left at a shopping/dinning location of your choice.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (187)

J6311RKroccoc

Sep 2022

Some really good mobile phone photography advice marred by political commentary. Vacation is the last place I want political statements made. Beyond the political he bordered on homophobic and transphobic. Why even bring things up on someone's vacation

Response from Host

Sep 2022

Sorry, but along our tour route are several signs stating: "SAVE OUR LIBRARY". One guest asked about that and I took two minutes out of 360 minutes to explain that the Library had hosted a "Drag Queen Story Hour" for 3 to 9 year olds and that the Borough now had a Proposition to be voted on that would eliminate funding by Borough residents. The other 358 minutes were filled with information and experiences that most people find amazing: Woke up to a very wet morning adventure. Arriving at the meeting point, met Capt.Rob. We chatted for a bit while waiting for the other guests. He was a schoolteacher in a previous life so don’t be late…. When the others arrived we were off on our adventure! They packed a entire day into 3 hours, amazing. Creek street, the library, a stop for coffee & cookies, everything was great. Captain Rob’s local knowledge from living here was a major boost to being off the beaten path. This tour is for anyone of all skill levels who are looking for nice spots and helpful tips for great shots...........Was met at our cruise ship and taken to some iconic and some not so iconic places. Rob was knowledgeable with the area and picture taking hints. Great excursion!,,,,,,

howardkJ8257HM

Sep 2022

My experience with Ketchikan Photo Safaris was terrible. I took this shore excursion along with another party of three individuals on Saturday September 10, 2022. I originally booked this port adventure through Disney Cruise Lines (DCL). The listing on DCL’s website states: On this adventure you will… • Meet your guides and board your awaiting van. On your drive, you will receive tips and techniques to improve your shots’ composition, concepts, angles etc. • During your adventure, you will spend 3 hours with a local Alaskan photographer who knows all the great sites and history off the beaten paths. • At each site, your Photographer guide will help you frame each shot, from flowers, totems, rainforest, beach, and amazing mountaintops. • After taking breathtaking images you will be taken back to your awaiting ship. Being Disney, I expected this third-party contractor to be well vetted by Disney and provide an amazing adventure. Sadly, this was not the case. Our troubles began when Teresa, the tour guide arrived. She took one look at the DSLRs held by myself and another person and stated, “You’re on your own, I don’t know anything about those cameras.” Now being a retired professional photographer, I didn’t expect any great revelations. However, I did expect a basic level of photography knowledge be available for the other members of the tour. The guidance Teresa provided was simply, “I want you to take a picture of….” In one instance, she took us into a store and directed the group to take photos of shirts for sale in case you get home and decide you want to order a shirt over the internet. I didn’t purchase this tour to be given a sales pitch. In another incident, Teresa took us to a park, told us to take photos and disappeared. Later I learned she went to the rest room. A little communication would have been appreciated. In some other instances, our guide would give the group walking directions and then meet the group at a prearranged spot. Of course, there was no guidance while we were walking from one location to another. Even when Teresa was present, she was not providing any photography guidance about framing the shot or other hints/tips which would have helped the less experienced members of the tour group. When driving from one location to another, rather than discussing the history, we heard about miscellaneous details from her life, include the time she ran over a black dog. Or how she lost the keys to the van during a previous tour. Or how a friend delayed having orthopedic surgery. You get the idea. The most history our group received was being directed to take a photo of the historical markers or signs explaining the history of the location. When our tour made a stop within walking distance to the ship, I seriously considered getting “lost” and walking back to the ship. It was at this time, the other party of three told me they were planning to ask to be driven back to the ship. I agreed with them and we all ended this excursion about half way through all the planned stops. I fully understand a tour is not only a reflection upon the business but can only be as good as the tour guide. It is quite possible, there are better tour guides employed by this company but unfortunately, I didn’t interact with them and I’m only able to review the one tour guide I did interact with. However, I do believe a company should properly hire and train employees to provide the advertised experience. As soon as our tour group of four returned on board our cruise ship, we filed a complaint with Guest Services. Later that evening, I did speak with the Port Adventures department to reiterate our experiences. The next day, I was informed a full refund was being provided and Teresa is no longer allowed to be a tour guide for any DCL Port Adventures. I am pleased, Ketchikan Photo Safari provided everyone in the group a full refund, but there should never have been the need for this to occur. This could have been an amazing adventure providing opportunities for great photos. It wasn't

Response from Host

Sep 2022

Sorry for your disappointment. You were to be taken to 7 or 8 different sites with great photo opportunities. It's amazing that a retired professional photographer demands a full refund because the 8 sites he was to be guided to offered ZERO photo opportunities? Fortunately Theresa is appreciated by some such as these customers: Sep 11, 2022 jimjangal Princess Cruise Photography Excursion Tripadvisor review: Ketchikan Photo Safari My wife and I took this tour with Theresa on August 15, 2022. It was well worth our time and money. I am a hobbyist with several cameras and my wife is strictly an iphone photographer. The course was great for both of us. Theresa was great.

melinac796

Sep 2022

We are very pleased with this excursion we booked through our cruise and would recommend it to everyone. The small group was ideal so we could have the attention we needed to be excellently instructed on our iphones, ipads, and Canon cameras on how to take wonderful pictures in beautiful, peaceful settings. We saw so much more outside of Ketchikan than we ever expected and loved all the extra information on the area that was provided as we traveled from one very interesting location to another. Thank you for a great time and for helping us to go home with amazing pictures. Daniel and Melina, Stockton, CA

Response from Host

Oct 2022

We appreciate your comments. We teach: F-stop, ISO & Shutter-Speed, composition, lighting, etc. We visit 7 to 8 sites & teach tips on: "depth of field, exposure-triangle, pano, macro, etc...+culture, history, industry, ecology, wildlife, art....WOW! this is a great tour even without a camera ;) We always conduct our tours over a set route of 7 or 8 different locations with each location offering unique photo opportunities AND teaching opportunities. Although a majority of our photography instruction is equally applicable to BOTH cell phones, point’n'shoots and DSLR cameras, some of our instruction is specific to DSLR users. Photo techniques taught for BOTH DSLR & cell phone & point’n’shoots include: composition, subject identity, subject proximity, subject balance, exposure, cropping, angle of approach, light compensation, macro photography...& more. Photo techniques specific to DSLR (and some point’n’shoots) include: depth of field, F-stop settings, aperture, ISO settings, exposure triangle, shutter speeds… I’ll post a few comments from recent tour guests (comments from TripAdvisor): Barry- "Capt. Rob Holston is a really good photographer and even though I've been shooting avidly for over 20 years and have been to photography school, he had some excellent tips I found really useful. Excellent tour if you are going to Ketchikan If you are interested in learning something about the place and photography, just do it. You won't be sorry." KK- "I chose this excursion for my photo hobbyist husband, but I ended up enjoying it as much as he did. Every spot Rob took us held superb photo opportunities. This is not a camera class as much as it is a photo op class with instruction on how to make your photos better, along with interesting stories about Ketchikan. We loved it. John- "Great way to see more of Ketchikan through the lens of a local photographer. Captain Rob took our group around many sights, some out of the way, and used his photography experience to help frame and focus views. The three hours went by quickly as we shuttled from location to location. We did not feel rushed, but always were on the move. Plenty of time at each stop to grab some great shots.” I always leave some time for questions (max group size is 9)…….. So IF you have specific questions re your DSLR camera, please ask. I hope this response is helpful to you and we look forward to serving you in the future.

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Photo Safari in Ketchikan, Alaska. Spend 3 hrs "off the tourist beaten path".

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