There is a distinct, haunting sound that echoes through the Chilkat Valley in November the high pitched chattering of thousands of bald eagles cutting through a silent, freezing snowfall. Standing on the banks of the river in Haines, Alaska, with thick flakes blurring my vision and the thermometer dropping past freezing, I witnessed nature at its most raw. The late season salmon run had turned this stretch of water into a winter battleground for survival, offering a breathtaking canvas for wildlife photography. These are my absolute best photos from a freezing, unforgettable week capturing America’s icons in the Alaskan snow.
🎒 The November Tradition: Hosting My Annual Haines Workshops
Haines in November isn’t just a photography destination for me anymore, it’s an annual pilgrimage. After years of studying the unique behaviors of the eagles, I host exclusive Bald Eagle Photography Tours every single November. I designed this immersive workshop to take a small group of passionate photographers straight to the heart of the action, teaching the exact settings, tracking techniques, and cold weather survival skills needed to capture world class wildlife imagery. Watching my students track a diving eagle through a blizzard and nail the focus for the first time is just as rewarding as taking the shots myself.
Spending a full week on the ground here every season gives me a massive advantage, I get to see the raw wildlife moments that most people miss. This gallery is the culmination of years spent freezing on the riverbanks, tracking eagle behavior, and capturing thousands of frames. I’ve filtered out everything but the absolute best of the best. Get ready for a collection of my finest bald eagle photos, showcasing the pure, snowy drama of Haines in November.
📸 Gear Talk: The Setup Behind the Shots
Capturing lightning fast action in the freezing Alaskan cold requires a camera and lens setup that is both incredibly fast and can handle the weather. Over the years, I have refined my kit to a specific selection of Canon bodies and lenses that can handle the brutal November elements without missing a beat.
- The Powerhouse Bodies (Canon R5 Mark II & Canon R5): I shoot with a dual body setup so I never have to change lenses out in the freezing cold. The R5 Mark II is an absolute dream for wildlife with its blazing autofocus tracking, while my trusty R5 acts as the perfect high resolution secondary body.
- The Holy Grail (Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM): This is my absolute go-to lens for wildlife photography. The wide f/4 aperture allows me to keep shooting in the dim, heavy overcast light of a late Alaskan afternoon, and the 600mm reach lets me capture frame filling portraits of the eagles without invading their space.
- The Versatile Zoom (Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM): I use this lens sometimes when the action moves fast or an eagle flies directly overhead. It gives me the flexibility to zoom out instantly when a massive territorial battle breaks out across the riverbank.
- The Storyteller (Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM): Wildlife photography isn’t just about close ups. I use this lens to capture wide, dramatic environmental shots that show the scale of the jagged, snow capped Alaskan mountains surrounding the eagle preserve.
- Tripod Strategy: I generally prefer to shoot handheld to stay fluid, agile, and ready to react to fast-moving birds. However, when the late afternoon light gets bad or when I am shooting video of a truly special behavioral moment, I keep my tripod ready to go for rock-solid stability.
More Than Just Bald Eagles
While bald eagles are the primary focus of the workshop, they are far from the only photographic opportunity. The Chilkat Valley is home to a variety of wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and constantly changing weather conditions that create unique photographic moments throughout the trip. And when darkness falls, the adventure may not be over.
If conditions are favorable and the skies clear, we may have the opportunity to photograph the Northern Lights dancing above the Alaskan wilderness. Seeing the Aurora Borealis after spending the day photographing bald eagles is an experience few photographers ever forget.
🌲 Capture the Magic: Join My November Haines Workshop
Photographing the bald eagles of Haines isn’t just about coming home with incredible images, it’s about standing in the raw beauty of the Alaskan wilderness and mastering the skills required to capture nature at its most powerful.
I host tours every November in Haines, Alaska, to take passionate photographers/ participants straight into the heart of this spectacular wildlife gathering. During these exclusive, small group workshops, I pull back the curtain on my entire creative process. You will learn exactly how I track fast-moving birds in low light, lock focus in challenging conditions, and utilize my go to camera settings to capture world class action shots.
But our work doesn’t stop when we leave the field. A massive part of creating impactful wildlife imagery happens behind the screen. During our dedicated digital sessions, I teach my personal editing techniques to bring raw frames to life. You will learn how I balance tricky exposures, enhance subtle textures in the feathers, and master color grading to preserve that moody, cold Alaskan atmosphere without making the images look over processed.
Spaces are strictly limited to ensure each participant gets dedicated, one-on-one coaching both in the field and during our editing sessions.
👉 [Click Here to View Tour Details and Secure Your Spot for an Upcoming November!]
Additional Images
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