Bear Round Table

Gallery: WildlifePosted June 14, 2013395 views5 comments

So from a technical standpoint, this shot isn't great but I've long thought it was pretty funny looking. As many of you know, Brown Bears aren't necessarily very tolerant of other bears but when the salmon run is on their zone of personal space can get much smaller than under other conditions. It would seem that these three "teenage" bears were about as close to each other as these guys ever get. Most of the time they were all facing the same direction but for a few seconds two further away turned towards me giving the illusion of a bear circle around this one spot, almost as if they had a fish corralled in the middle of their little circle.

The only thing I wish is that the bear in the foreground had made a 1/4 turn to the right to make it look even better.

BTW - Yes, it was dark, dreary and rainy...life on the Alaska Peninsula.

Thanks for looking and hope you enjoyed the round table.

Canon EOS 40D, Canon 100-400L @ 170mm
ISO 500, F5, 1/400 sec

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Jamie Douglas on June 14, 2013 at 11:02 PM

You can almost make out the conversation here :). Great image and it could be improved with a boost in contrast and sharpness.

Jamie

Registered on July 16, 2012, 10 Posts, 87 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on June 15, 2013 at 5:22 AM

Your photo tells a story Joseph. It does look as though the 3 of them are hunting together. Shame sharpness and contrast are a bit below par.

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on June 15, 2013 at 2:08 PM

Cool title Joe. It definitely is an interesting and fun image indeed with them all pointing towards each other. Your self-critique is spot on.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on June 24, 2013 at 2:27 PM

A pose with three subjects has to be about 9 time harder than of just one! Well done. In a perfect wish, we would see the shape of a salmon somewhere between them!

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Joe James on June 24, 2013 at 9:49 PM

Thanks folks! I'm hoping my next Alaska trip has at least a few "good weather" days. I think in our last three trips we've had maybe five full days of what I would call decent weather total and two of those days were work days!

Registered on November 20, 2009, 89 Posts, 808 Comments