Model Now Turned Camera Pro

I Was Now Behind The Camera!
Although I'm a model and actress frequently appearing in magazines, ads, and other forms of media, my hobby and one of my passions is wildlife photography and exploration.  I pride myself in traveling to remote parts of the globe to photograph the landscape as well as the animals. 

My love for these things was spawned during my childhood while growing-up in the rural parts North Carolina.  We lived in "the country" as you've probably heard people say before when trying to describe life outside of the city limits.  My parents were fairly laid back people, so they let me  have all the domestic animals a kid could want including: dogs, cats, horses, ducks, snakes, turtles, and more.  I have always been drawn to the outdoors.  In fact, I was constantly getting in trouble with my Mom for getting my clothes dirty.  However, she was very supportive of my sister
and I playing outside, because that meant she got a little peace and quiet.  As a child a great day for me included walking through
the woods or exploring the banks of our pond.  I was usually looking for some lost "critter".  Fishing, climbing trees, and catching snakes/lizards was a part of my regular routine.  I had very little interest in sitting inside watching TV.

City Life to Wildlife!
These days my life has changed a lot.  People consider me a celebrity of sorts.  I travel to various glamorous places like South Beach, Las Vegas, NYC, Los Angeles, and abroad.  However, one thing has stayed the same and that's my love for nature and the great outdoors.

I started researching Alaska and bear photography a full year before I found the right outfitter.  At one point I had Google search engine's list of Alaskan outfitters and lodges memorized!  I spent many nights and a lot of my spare time reading about various outfitters.  My objectives were price, length of stay, accommodations, and how close I could actually get to the bears. Once I narrowed down the location, I had to search outfitters in the area.  One company I kept coming back to was The Grizzly Sanctuary .  They seemed to meet my checklist of expectations.  After much thought and talking to several outfitters, I decided to go with The Grizzly Sanctuary.            

My trip to Alaska began on June 8th 2006.  After a full day of travel, 4 planes (Columbus, OH to Salt Lake City, UT to Anchorage, AK, to Kodiak Island, AK) and a boat later, I arrived to the Alaskan Peninsula.  I was transported by a float plane to the private charter boat of the Grizzly Sanctuary where I'd be staying for the next 11 days along with 8 others including a few world-renowned
photographers whose photos are often seen in National Geographic, Time, and Popular Photography Magazines.

A Protective Sow Guards Her Young

The Distinctive Stare Of A Large Grizzly!

Our Ride Back to Civilization

Dana Videos Wild Grizzlies For The Folks Back Home.

Comfort In Bear Country!
I was very impressed with the accommodations I found at The Grizzly Sanctuary.  As we boarded the boat we were greeted by a very friendly staff. The guides, cook and captain were all very accommodating and extremely professional. The crew promptly took our luggage and showed us to our rooms. Shortly after we had lunch and then we were briefed on bear viewing adequate.

Our rooms were cozy as well as spacious.  My single bed was fully equipped with 2 pillows, flannel sheets, and a sleeping bag.  I was also happy with the fact that my bed had 3-4 drawers for clothes and a shelf packed with books.  I spent my nights reading and  watching DVD movies. 

A Wilderness Experience of a Lifetime!
Our trip consists of doing one thing...and that's Coastal Brown-Bear (Grizzly) photography in the Katmai National Park.  Our guide and boat captain was everything that I had hoped for in a group leader.  Not only was he friendly, accommodating, and generous, but he was extremely knowledgeable about Brown Bears and wildlife photography!  Since everyone is striving for that one special highly coveted shot, the shot of a lifetime that may propel them into a well-known wildlife photographer.

Each day we'd wake-up early and head out to the extremely remote bear-filled bays by way of our skiff.  The bays we visited are
situated in the Alaskan Peninsula.  These bays are rustic and extremely wild.  No sign of human life exist there other than the occasional deflated buoy brought-in by the tides.  Our guide knew these bays like the back of his hand.  At times I was a little frightened to be alone is such remote locations surrounded by huge Brown Bears, but our guide always made everyone feel at ease.  One of the bays we visited was home to the camp of former wildlife enthusiast Timothy Tredwell.  

A Big And Powerful Grizzly Bear!

A Mother Teaches Her Cub Survival

At Times We Counted 25 Bears At Once!

The Grizzlies Bears Were Everywhere! 
The bays we visited were filled with many brown-bears; at times we'd see up to 30 in one meadow!  We witnessed these giants eating,  sleeping, and mating as well as sows playing with their cubs.  The part of this trip that really surprised me most was how close I  could get to the bears without being in danger.  I used to think that Grizzlies were these savage beasts.  I thought they were man eaters, ready to attack any human that crossed their path.  Boy, was I wrong.  And now I wonder how many other so-called "vicious" wild animals don't live up to their bad reputations either.

Of course, there are certain precautions everyone must take in order to be safe.  Our guide and his assistant went over these DO'S AND DON'T'S with us many times.  Here are the rules I learned from their 14 years of Brown Bear experience:

- stay with the group...don't walk out alone.  If you're alone you look small to a bear, and with bears size matters.   
- if a bear walks towards you, don't back-up, take 2 steps towards the bear to show you're not afraid.
- never sneak-up on a bear...always make your presence known by talking or even singing.  Bears frequently bed down in tall grass, so often times they're not easily seen.
- always give a bear an outlet to escape...never close-in too tight where they feel cornered.

Rules Of Bear Behavior!
- NEVER, NEVER run away from a bear...it is their instinct to chase.

- If a bear charges you, make yourself look as big as possible and shout at him.  If worse comes to worse...use your bear- spray at close range.

- Learn the difference between a curious bear and an aggressive bear, so you won't become pepper-spray happy and scare all the bears away.   

Those are the basic rules of bear-viewing.  I made sure to follow those rules carefully and they did indeed come in handy.  Bears are very curious creatures.  They are interested in what you're doing, your camera equipment, and any bright-colored bags you may be carrying.  On the first day a bear walked directly up to me and stood within 3 feet of my camera lens. I stood my ground (as my heart raced) and after a few seconds he walked away to continue feeding on sedge grass.  This became an everyday occasion that bears would approach us at such close range. 

The Grizzly Sanctuary Was Amazing!

This Was The Best Place In The World For Bear Viewing!

I Could Have Stayed And Filmed These Bears For A Month!

These Coastal Brown Bears Can Grow Over Ten Feet and 1500 pounds!

Go if You Can...It Was Beautiful!
Everyday was full of adventure and with each bay we'd experience a different terrain and new bears.  One particular bay was so incredibly beautiful that we anchored down there for a few days.  It was Hawaii's cold-weather counterpart.  It was lush green with rocky cliffs and emerald water.  It was common to see cascading waterfalls and hundreds of multi-colored star fish resting along the shore.  The background was tall snow-covered mountains and one major glacier situated perfectly in between. 

Occasionally, we'd see a family of red foxes combing the beach, looking under rocks for clams and muscles.  Fortunately, we were lucky enough to see many sows with their spring and/or yearly cubs roaming the shoreline in search of morsels of grub.  The food source was extremely abundant, so the majority of bears kept their heads down and massive paws busy.  Bears have incredible dexterity. 

Coastal Brown Bears spend a tremendous amount of time flipping over rocks and digging for clams and fish.   My camera must have clicked 1500 times!  Thank God for digital!  And our guide was always willing and able to get us better angles and closer shots of everything.  As I walked along the shores, trekked through the  grassy meadows, and crossed the glacial streams...it hit me that most people would never see a place like this in their lifetime.  
They'd never experience the purest form of nature and untouched eauty.  Alaska is called "The Last Frontier" and for good reason.  

Alaska is such an amazing destination for both photographers and nature enthusiasts.  Alaska was my chosen destination and brown bear viewing was my objective.  Not only was I exposed to unprecedented beauty and wildlife, but it enabled me to further my photography as well as meet such interesting, forward-thinking people from around the world.

My experience in Alaska was so amazing that I have decided to return again next year!