Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Photography Masterclass
With National Geographic Photographer Jad Davenport
LODGE
DURATION
9 Nights
WEATHER
Average: -15C to -10C (5F to 14F)
Safari Overview
Nature & Travel Photography Masterclass with National Geographic’s Jad Davenport
Churchill Wild is proud to introduce its first-ever Nature & Travel Photography Masterclass, led by National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Jad Davenport. Designed for both passionate beginners (you can shoot with your phone) and seasoned professionals, this immersive Arctic safari combines extraordinary wildlife encounters with expert instruction in photography, storytelling, and visual craft.
The Masterclass is set during the dramatic autumn freeze-up along the Kaska Coast, the most visually powerful season in the North. Sparring polar bears gather along the shoreline awaiting sea ice, wolf packs hunt moose along the newly frozen rivers, snowy owls patrol the coastal meadows for lemmings, and violent storms make for epic landscape photography sessions.
Your daily safaris are curated around optimal light conditions and wildlife activity. We prioritize sunrise and sunset safaris broken up by midday learning sessions. Depending on conditions, we hope to offer a rare night safari to practice light-painting and astrophotography.
Daily classroom modules focus on the essential pillars of professional nature and travel photography. You’ll learn how to set your camera up for bird photography, how to create compelling landscape compositions, how to design a personal workflow and how to develop a post-production editing style. Jad also shares real-world insight into the business of photography, with discussions on winning assignments, understanding contracts, copyright and model releases, and how to build a sustainable career.
Lodge + Location
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
250 KM SOUTH OF CHURCHILL BY PLANE
57° 07’ 22.4” N / 91° 39’ 52.0” W
Situated next to pristine Arctic waters on Hudson Bay with Canada’s Boreal Forest as its backyard sits Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. The diverse ecosystem surrounding Nanuk is home to Canadian icons such as polar bears, black bears, wolves, and moose.
From the safety of the fence surrounding the Lodge, view the northern lights or get up-close-and-personal with the polar bears and other wildlife that meander past, as curious about you as you are about them.
The eight guestrooms with en-suite bathrooms are housed in two guest wings connected to the main dining room/lounge area, each with cozy sitting areas overlooking the Bay. After a long day trekking the tundra, kick back in our lounge and enjoy an informative presentation by our guides or simply relax and enjoy conversations with new friends.
Note that due to EXTREME weather conditions (i.e. very low temperatures) there may be times when it’s difficult to maintain running water under the mid-winter conditions. There will be no laundry facilities.
Itinerary
Day 1
GET SETTLED, GEAR UP, AND MEET YOUR TEAM
Arrive in Winnipeg where you will enjoy a relaxing stay at our choice hotel, The Grand by Lakeview at the Winnipeg Airport. Your winter gear fitting and collection will take place prior to meeting the rest of your group at an orientation dinner hosted by a Churchill Wild representative.
Includes: dinner
Day 2
WELCOME TO NANUK POLAR BEAR LODGE!
Fly to Churchill, where you will be met by our staff, and then on to Nanuk Lodge. Upon arrival, your hosts will provide a tour of the Lodge and get you settled into your room. A thorough orientation on travelling in polar bear country will be provided. Then it’s time to assemble your photo and video gear, hard drives, and tripods and start shooting. Time permitting, we’ll head out for a shakedown hike. After the excitement of the day prepare for the first of many fine meals from the award-winning Blueberries & Polar Bears cookbooks.
*Flight route subject to change
Includes: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Days 3 - 8
WHAT MAKES A GREAT IMAGE?
Our first day establishes the foundation for everything that follows: what actually makes a photograph compelling. Rather than focusing solely on gear or settings, this day explores how light, colour, composition, perspective, and the ever-elusive “moment” work together to create images that sell and win awards.
Guests learn how to read and work with different types of light—from golden hour and open shade to harsh midday sun, blue hour, night skies, and creative techniques like light painting. Composition principles are explored including negative space, depth of field, and visual flow.
The session also addresses perspective and lens choice, demonstrating how small changes in position or focal length can dramatically alter the emotional impact of an image. Special attention is given to recognizing and anticipating moments—whether fleeting wildlife behaviour or subtle interactions within a landscape.
This day sets a shared visual language for the group and helps photographers begin seeing with intention rather than reacting. The goal is clarity: understanding why certain images work—and how to consistently create them.
WILDLIFE
Polar bears? Wolves? Moose? Snowy owls? They are all here and hungry and our job is to search for them.
Our pre-dawn departures ensure we are in the field when wildlife is most active and the potential for stunning light is the highest.
Midday when the light flattens we’re back in class. Jad presents a module on the skills and mindset need to photograph wildlife ethically and efficiently. We’ll look at practical technical aspects, too. What focus modes work best for birds? How can we make our cameras work, for instead of against us? What are the in-camera and postproduction tricks to managing ISO and noise to achieve maximum sharpness? And what are the unique situations when blurry is better?
Beyond technical skills, the session dives deeply into animal behaviour, understanding daily rhythms, seasonal patterns, social interactions, hunting behaviour, and moments of stillness.
Ethics are central to this day, with discussion not just around respectful distances, baiting, captive wildlife, and minimizing disturbance. We’ll also look at some famous cases of unethical photography and AI fails, and the consequences they can bring.
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
When we find wildlife, we’re shooting wildlife. But what happens during the quiet moments? Landscape photography!
Landscape photography is about far more than wide lenses and the dramatic scenery we’re travelling through. This module teaches guests how to translate a sense of place into a compelling image through light, weather, composition and post-production tricks.
Topics include planning for light using apps and observation, returning to the same location at different times of day, and working creatively with changing weather—especially storms, clouds, and atmospheric conditions. Guests learn how perspective choices can either emphasize scale or compress distance for a more graphic result.
Composition is explored through concepts borrowed from classic painters: visual balance, “journey for the eye,” foreground-to-background relationships, and panoramic storytelling. Special attention is given to water, reflections, motion blur, and night photography, including northern lights.
The session also introduces filters and digital equivalents, depth of field control, and postproduction considerations specific to landscapes. When wildlife isn’t around, we learn to slow down, revisit locations and why National Geographic photographers talk about ‘making images’ instead of ‘taking images.’
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
Even more so than wildlife photography, travel photography has become a booming artform. But there’s much more to it than just capturing an Insta-worthy moment.
From his three decades working for travel magazines Jad will introduce you to an artform that blends many disciplines into one: landscape, portraiture, detail, food, and architecture. This module focuses on telling the story of a place—not just documenting it.
Guests learn how to work efficiently with lightweight systems, adapt quickly to changing light, and choose camera settings that balance speed and control. Lighting—both natural and artificial—is discussed in practical, usable terms. How do you meet and photograph strangers? What’s the best way to capture food? Why are detail photos the best-selling images of all? And how do we make them?
When wildlife is fickle, there is so much else available for us to photograph. You’ll learn how to play with colour (and why it’s critical to understand the role color plays in both fine-art and editorial photography.
VISUAL STORYTELLING
This module shifts photographers from single images to story-driven work. Guests learn how professional photographers approach assignments, from initial pitch to final edit.
Topics include researching stories, planning shot lists, keeping photo logs, using maps, and scheduling days to maximize storytelling opportunities. The core of the session focuses on the nine essential storytelling elements used in editorial and documentary work.
Guests learn how to shoot with intention—capturing opening images, details, action, portraits, transitions, and closing frames that work together as a narrative. In the field and in front of our computer screens we will piece together images like a puzzle, crafting a cohesive story complete with visual ‘punctuation.’ You’ll also learn the vocabulary of editors, what it means to shot a lede or kicker or hero.
This day helps photographers think like editors and storytellers, not just image-makers, and is especially valuable for those interested in editorial work, books, or long-form projects.
VIDEO
At National Geographic there is a saying that video beats photos and photos beat words. Today is especially designed for photographers expanding into motion by introducing the fundamentals of video storytelling in the field.
Guests learn essential equipment considerations, the five foundational shots every video story needs, and how to capture usable footage without over complicating the process. Time-lapse techniques and basic audio principles are covered, along with common mistakes to avoid.
Editing is discussed from a practical standpoint, focusing on simple workflows that integrate smoothly with still photography. The session also explores where video fits in today’s markets—from editorial and conservation work to social platforms.
This day demystifies video and shows how it can complement still photography rather than replace it.
CRAFTING YOUR CAREER
The final module focuses on turning images into opportunities. Guests learn the differences between amateur and professional practice, and how to research editorial, commercial, fine art, and stock markets.
Topics include contests, copyright, contracts, model releases, social media strategy, and protecting work from misuse. Real-world scenarios—such as stolen images or video—are discussed so photographers know how to respond.
This session empowers guests with knowledge, clarity, and realistic expectations, helping them navigate the photography world with confidence.
The program concludes with reflection, portfolio discussion, and clear next steps—so the learning continues long after the safari ends.
Includes: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Days 9 - 10
BACK TO WINNIPEG
After breakfast it’s time to say goodbye to the Lodge and the wildlife whose home you’ve shared over the last 8 days.
Includes: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10
HOMEWARD BOUND
After a restful sleep you will pack your bags in preparation for your flight home.
Churchill Wild reserves the right to make changes to this itinerary due to weather and logistical complications that can arise from traveling in the north and to remote locations.
Photo Leader
Jad Davenport
Jad Davenport, a photographer, writer, and storyteller for National Geographic, has spent the past three decades exploring some of the world’s most remote places. Assignments have taken him trekking through Papua New Guinea to investigate the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller, spelunking deep into Belizean caves to document ancient Maya sacrifice sites, and sailing into Greenlandic fjords in search of a lost Viking colony. He brings decades of field experience to mentoring photographers, guiding guests through the art, craft, and professional realities of storytelling with images.
His stories and photographs have appeared in dozens of publications including National Geographic, LIFE, Popular Photography, Outside, and Audubon. His fine art photography has been exhibited in galleries in the United States and Europe. An early pioneer in digital photography, Jad created National Geographic’s first fully digital cover story in 2004. Before this, he spent a decade as a freelance war photojournalist covering more than a dozen conflicts including Iraq, Bosnia, Cambodia, and El Salvador.
A 20-year member of The Explorers Club and Director of Wolf Programs for Churchill Wild, Jad leads the Arctic Safari, Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast expeditions, and the Photography Masterclass.
Dates & Rates
2026 Dates
Dates
Lodge
Availability
Inquire
November 16 - 25, 2026
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
SOLD OUT
2026 Rates
2026
Price Per Person (Double Occupancy)
$25,495 CAD
2026
Single Private Room
$47,095 CAD
Download 2026 PDF Itinerary
2027 Dates
Dates
Lodge
Availability
Inquire
2027 Rates
2027
Price Per Person (Double Occupancy)
$26,795 CAD
2027
Single Private Room
$49,595 CAD
Download 2027 PDF Itinerary
Prices are subject to taxes of 8.5%.
* Single guests can sign up to share a room with another person of the same gender at the regular rate per person based on double occupancy. If a single guest prefers to have a private room option we also have a single private room rate as listed above. This rate guarantees a private room at the Lodge as well as at the hotels required within the package.
Inclusions
- Roundtrip airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba
- Roundtrip airfare between Churchill and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
- Two nights’ accommodations in Winnipeg
- 7 nights’ lodge accommodations
- All meals, excursions, and guide services while at the Lodge
- All alcoholic beverages – Canadian wines and beers
- Winter gear (Rain gear in July)*
* Temperatures will range from -20 to -40C in the winter, likely with high wind chills, blowing snow and/or blizzard conditions. Only the very best winter clothing is acceptable and for this reason we will provide you with insulated boots, pants and parka for this expedition. The items are designed to fit adult guests. Boot sizes larger than a men’s size 13 would be considered a custom size that we do not provide. Additionally, guests over 6’4” may be required to bring their own gear as we may not have clothing sizes to fit. For your own safety and comfort, we will provide you with an additional list of what to bring.
Not Included
- Taxes and Gratuities
- Personal outdoor gear not included are winter hat, balaclava, scarf and mitts. If you cannot get at home, you can purchase them with us but advance notice is required.
For questions or booking inquiries, call 1-866-UGO-WILD (846-9453) or contact us.
Download Itinerary
For questions or booking inquiries, call 1-866-UGO-WILD (846-9453) or contact us.
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