Alaska Photography Tips | Photographing Orcas in Southeast Alaska

It is always exciting to see Orcas while cruising through the waters of Southeast Alaska. Since they move so quickly and the lighting isn’t always the best, I thought I’d share my top 3 pieces of advice for photographing Orcas.

  1. Fast Shutter: Orcas can swim up to 35 mph. Make sure your shutter speed is fast enough to capture the Orca when it comes up for air.

  2. High(er) ISO: In Southeast Alaska, it can be rainy and dreary. Make sure your ISO is set properly and high enough to ensure a fast enough shutter speed (but keep it as low as you can to help reduce noise).

  3. Lower focus point: I usually keep my focus point lower than the center of my camera frame since often times, the orcas will be lower in the water (I try to get as level with the water as possible).

Tips For Photographing Orcas

I had the chance to catch up with Captain Andrew to learn more about his photography tips and techniques for photographing Orcas near the San Juan Islands. Check out his thoughts here:

Do you have any tips for photographing Orcas that you would like to share? Drop us a comment if so!

Mary ParkhillComment