My Park Story: Brandon and Summer Jackman

A brown bear cub stands on their hind legs carrying a tiny treasure in its mouth. The abundant resources of the park's coastline make for spectacular bear viewing opportunities.  

Brandon and Summer Jackman

Tiny Treasure

On their first visit to Lake Clark in 2023, Brandon captured the moment when a young cub proudly showed off a clam shell to her mother and sibling, who were just out of the frame.

Meet our "Through My Lens" Second Place Winner

Brandon and Summer Jackman are a husband and wife photography team from Idaho. The Jackmans spend most of their time in the Greater Yellowstone area where they enjoy fishing, hiking, and nature photography in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Their images have appeared in Idahome Magazine, Cowboys and Indians Magazine, and have been on display at the Museum of Natural History at Idaho State University. After submitting their photo "Tiny Treasure" to the 2024 Lake Clark Photo Contest, the photo received high praise from the public and was selected as the second place winner of the contest.

Read below to learn more about their experience visiting Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and how they came about taking their winning photo.

Brandon and Summer Jackman pose for a picture while photographing coastal brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

Brandon and Summer Jackman

What drew you to visiting Lake Clark?

We traveled from Southeast Idaho to Lake Clark. We are fortunate to live just a few hours away from both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, where we usually spend time hiking, camping, and photographing animals and landscapes. Grizzly Bears are our favorite subject to photograph in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, so we naturally wanted an opportunity to photograph coastal brown bears in Alaska.

What was your trip itinerary?

Our home base for our trip was Homer, where we took advantage of day trips to Brooks Camp and Lake Clark. Both day trips were planned with bears in mind. In addition to visiting the parks, we also took advantage of a glacial hike and kayak trip and fished for sockeye salmon on our visit.

Out for a stroll with Mom.

Brandon and Summer Jackman

Reflecting back on your visit, what do you remember most about your trip?

Our day trip to Lake Clark was nothing short of magical! The weather could not have been better for our flights with Smokey Bay Air into and out of the park. The vistas of glacial lakes and rivers, Mount Iliamna, and Red Glacier were incredible, and our pilot spent extra time giving us amazing viewing opportunities from the air. On land, we were treated to seeing many separate sets of sows with new cubs of the year. Watching the cubs attentively following their moms, playing and racing after one another across the reflective beach at low tide, and eventually resting against the breathtaking backdrop of snow capped mountains was so special and memorable.

What insipired you to take your winning photo and how did you choose it to be the image you'd submit?

The photo we chose is actually a cropped version of an original image that includes two sibling cubs. The siblings were mimicking mom as she expertly dug for and harvested clams. While both bears were diligent in their efforts, the moment when the one cub stood up, clam shell proudly gripped in its tiny jaws, was one Brandon was quick to capture. The cub seemed to be showing off, and highlighting just that one cub in that moment seemed to tell a really fun and lighthearted story.

What advice would you give to future visitors and photographers?

We think it’s always important to visualize the images you wish to capture before visiting any location. This holds true for Lake Clark. Knowing how much time you’ll have to photograph, what weather conditions are for the day (or days) of your visit, and what gear you’ll want to bring (and leave behind) are all helpful. However, it is equally important to leave room for the unexpected. Look for the shot you set out to capture, but also know that there will be MANY small, unexpected moments that can (and will) take your breath away. Whether it’s a sweeping vista or small, playful cub, Lake Clark is a delightful park to experience. We plan on many more visits.

A special thank you to Brandon and Summer Jackman for submitting their winning photo and sharing their story through this interview. To read the interviews of our other 2024 Photo Contest winners and see their winning shots, visit our Photo Contest page.

NPS Photo