Catch of the Day

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 19, 2013311 views11 comments

My Great Bear Rainforest was quite challenging when it came to bears. We had really nice weather throughout the trip--sunny and warm most of the time--which meant it was probably too nice for a lot of the bears, which seem to prefer milder temps in fall.

We spent a day at the viewing platforms where a lot of the spirit bear viewing and photography takes place, but unfortunately struck out on seeing the white bears. However, we did have this healthy-looking black bear to entertain us throughout the day. It passed by a few times, catching a couple of salmon along the way, so at least there was something to photograph. Outside of photographing cubs in Yellowstone a few times, this individual provided some of the best black bear photo ops I've ever had.

Canon 1DX
Canon 500mm f/4 IS
ISO 1600
1/500
f/5.6

We did find a spirit bear at the last possible moment at the end of the tour, so between that and the whale action it was a successful trip.

Max

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on September 19, 2013 at 12:45 PM

terrific photo Max.
Wonderfully rich colours and a real sense of immediacy. It almost looks as though the bear is delivering the salmon to you.

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

Comment posted by James Blue on September 19, 2013 at 1:11 PM

Great capture Max, you really did well exposing the blacks of the bear and the white humpy belly...not easy! Lots of detail and the water fall off the fish adds plenty of action.

Jim

Registered on June 16, 2013, 16 Posts, 144 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on September 19, 2013 at 3:17 PM

Excellent, frame filling shot with lots of detail. Excellent control for the most part on the darks and lights. For some reason, probably the glare resizing, the wet areas on the bears nose, the water droplets and the roiled water look a bit over sharpened on my monitor. Love the "Oh, crap!" expression on the salmon's face.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on September 20, 2013 at 12:38 AM

I hesitate to use the word "gorgeous", sounds more than a little effeminate, but this is a gorgeous photo!!!

Luckily that pink salmon is still relatively intact and she's a beaut ! The exposure shows the bears eyes very well, and they are expressive and attractive, that's not often something you can say about black bear eyes. Bear + fish = wonderful photo in this case.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Christine Adams on September 20, 2013 at 5:22 AM

This is a stunning image, in my opinion! Love how sharp it is. (But maybe too much?) Good for you on your experience!

Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments

Comment posted by Hussain Nalwala on September 20, 2013 at 7:13 AM

Fantastic shot...Love it Max.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 298 Posts, 339 Comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on September 20, 2013 at 10:45 AM

Love the closeup of the bear's face and the fish. Gettig a black bear's eys to show up well is no small feat. The detail is amazing. Great capture.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on September 21, 2013 at 5:34 AM

He sure looks proud of his catch

Perfect timing on this one, catching the moment just as he lifted the salmon out of the water. Love that eye contact.

Sweet One Max!!!

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on September 22, 2013 at 12:17 PM

Great expression n terrific frame !!!
Love that dripping water.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Runco on September 23, 2013 at 11:25 PM

Nice shot Max! In my opinion the crop feels a bit tight, but the subjects more than make up for it.

Registered on September 9, 2008, 77 Posts, 705 Comments

Comment posted by Sandipan Dutta on October 1, 2013 at 12:03 PM

It's a terrific action shot.

Registered on March 9, 2009, 171 Posts, 493 Comments