Jason Ching

The sockeye salmon migration in the watersheds of Bristol Bay, Alaska. The lakes, rivers, and streams that feed into Bristol Bay, Alaska are the home to some of the last remaining intact and wild salmon runs we have left in the world. Because these critical salmon landscapes have remained unchanged, the salmon populations here continue to thrive supporting the very ecosystem they themselves depend on as well as local communities and an incredibly successful, sustainable commercial fishery. #bristolbay #sockeyesalmon #salmon #sockeye #alaskaphotography #wildsalmon #migration #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #dronevideo #dronephotography #underwaterphotography #alaska #rivers #freshwater #fish #bear #brownbear #grizzlybear #conservation #conservationphotography @rawrseason #natgeo #yourshotphotographer #petapixel

The sockeye salmon migration in Bristol Bay, Alaska. New and continuing research projects, different approaches and more attempts with cameras, and looking into the swirling questions about the state of the ecosystem - these are what I look forward to when I return to these places. #sockeyesalmon #bristolbay #sockeye #salmon

Always an inspiring sight, watching these massive schools of colored-up sockeye salmon in Iliamna Lake. In August, these impressive groups of sockeye can be found dotted around the lake just outside their spawning grounds. There they wait for appropriate conditions and proper timing before making the very last leg of their journey. This final stretch can range from migrating several more miles up a river, to swimming a few feet up a small creek into a pond, or simply dispersing along a beach to pair up and spawn. #bristolbay #sockeye #sockeyesalmon #salmon

Happy to share that the amazingly talented team for National Parks: USA - @natgeo is an Emmy winner for outstanding cinematography. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the amazing series, filming in some of my favorite places in Olympic National Park, and working alongside an amazing crew. Lots of memorable experiences, projects, and wildlife! Reel by @grizzlycreekfilms @_strongholdstudios_ Congratulations to everyone involved! @jeffreedfilm @3bearsmedia @danny_schmidt @ricksmith_media @blueskyaerials @jakehewittfilm @john_shier @alexcooke @e.ranney @andrew.studer @jakedavistv @biolapse @chrriscross @thomaswinston_gcf @schoolyardfilms @zatzworks @mat_goodman @benjamingoertzen @rach4thesky

Following salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. Hopping between documenting salmon runs in Bristol Bay and the Pacific Northwest, it’s always been interesting reflecting on the differences between healthy, intact salmon ecosystems, and many that have been negatively impacted here at home. It’s important to continue to protect these remaining landscapes, valuing salmon and the diverse ecosystems they support. #pinksalmon #cohosalmon #pacificnorthwest

A female sockeye salmon prepares her redd, scouring out gravel with her tail. In rivers like these the nests must be deep enough that eggs don’t immediately get swept away, but shallow enough to ensure embryos still get sufficient oxygen after being buried. It’s always amazing to me to think that so many of these behaviors are simply inherited traits. They go through each stage of their lives just once so nothing is learned, they just know.

Tanner, a research technician, sorts through captured sockeye salmon and prepares them for measurements by an Alaska Pacific University undergraduate class. Throughout August, fieldwork and data collection on Iliamna Lake is a daily experience (weather permitting) shared between researchers and students. For nearly 80 years the University of Washington, Alaska Salmon Program has been operating in Bristol Bay. Through diverse studies and continuous long term monitoring, the program has answered numerous questions about sockeye salmon in these watersheds and the ecosystems in which they’re connected. All while providing rich educational experiences. I’ve felt fortunate to be a part of a program with such a long standing history. Amazing to be able to photograph, document, share, and continually learn more about these remarkable ecosystems and see how they change over time.

Sockeye salmon school up in a riverbend where water is more focused, deep, and calm relative to the shallow, wide runs of the river where the current is faster and spawning is more ideal. Space is limited on the spawning grounds and when the river is at full capacity with redds and pairs, newly arrived salmon have to wait for territory to open up. In the meantime they seek these calmer currents, conserving their limited energy.

Still lots of fresh looking salmon in the lake. Interesting to think about potential timing shifts that may have happened over the last several years for the streams I frequent in Iliamna Lake. I’ve often considered mid-August to be the peak of spawning, with activity winding down in the beginning of September, but at least in the last couple of years there seems to be a strong pulse of fish that arrives a little later towards the end of August.

Out on Iliamna Lake again. It’s been nice to see the sockeye stack up once again. It’s always interesting to see how they distribute in terms of timing and density between spawning grounds. There’s been a bit more variation in the last few years, or maybe I’m just noticing it myself a bit more, but the variation between summers always leaves me guessing if certain spawning populations are late, early, and or just comparatively smaller than previously years. Luckily, where I may notice a thinner population of salmon, I see other habitats where salmon are doing incredibly well, and many more that remain on par with what I remember. It’s important to remember that all of these intact pieces of habitat work together to keep the Bristol Bay sockeye run thriving overall.

In a clear, cold stream in the Pacific Northwest, chum salmon eggs hatch under rocks and gravel. That’s what we would have you believe anyway haha Throughout my years of photographing salmon at various life stages, the chance to document salmon embryo development and hatching seemed rather slim and certainly impossible in the wild. However, a few years ago I was given an awesome opportunity to give it a try with Nat Geo and again this year on an educational program with @e.ranney @kelseykroon It was a fun project to get acquainted with the studio filming process - thinking about how to create a space with all the environmental conditions these embryos required to be successful, while mimicking a setting that felt as natural as possible and lended itself to a variety of photographic techniques. Luckily raising salmon eggs in classrooms and hatcheries is a pretty common thing here in the PNW so there was a lot of detailed information to start with and we had a tremendous boost from experienced folks (Erin’s parents who have raised salmon in classrooms many times). I had a blast getting creative with shots, staging, and framing with Erin and Kelsey - fellow salmon lovers and extremely talented nature camera operators. Shout out and special thanks to @laowa.cine for their support on this project. Their range of macro and ultra macro lenses really opened the door for us to capture the process using a variety of techniques. Helping us to frame up and dial in those creative shots and ideas 🎥

BTS reel of our salmon hatching by @kelseykroon @e.Ranney “I recently had the chance to trial Laowa lenses with @kelseykroon and @jasonsching while filming hatching salmon eggs. I’ve written up a blog about this experience with the different lenses, the behind the scenes of creating this studio in my dining room and a look at how we can use this imagery to increase the understanding of salmon for students. @jasonsching has filmed salmon at every stage of their life cycle for programs for BBC, Disney+, Nat Geo etc so it was fun to do a deep dive with him into the different filming techniques for fish eggs. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom on this Jason. “ You can read about the experience here: /field-notes/2025/1/20/testing-out-laowas-lenses-with-salmon