In the finals of Travel Photographer of the Year!

This week I was notified that my Alaska bear-photo’s have reached the finals of this prestigious competition in two categories! ‘Wild moments’  and ‘Spirit of adventure’ This bear running towards me is my entry for Wild moments.

 

Standing in the ice-cold river in my waders, there were several brown (grizzly) bears fishing around me. This big shaggy honey-coloured one chased a salmon right in my direction!

Canon EOS 7D EF300 mm f/4L IS USM100 ISO – 1/640 F/6.3

These next four are for the category Spirit of adventure

Fishing with the bears I

We (6 people) arrived per floatplane. The pilot, also our guide, told us that in his 18 years as guide, he hadn’t lost anyone yet….The bears were busy catching salmon or resting, belly full for the moment, and ignored us after the first minutes.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II-EF70-200 f/2.8L IS USM 100 ISO – 1/400 F/5 160 mm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing with the bears II

These huge bears are surprisingly agile and fast, chasing their prey. The bright red sockeye salmon are clearly visible in the shallow water of the stream and as the bears chase them there is a lot of water splashing in the air.

Canon EOS 7D EF300 mm f/4L IS USM 100 ISO – 1/640 F/6.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing with the bears III

This beautiful chocolate male caught fish after fish. It came very close to our group a few times while chasing a sockeye and surfaced, almost at our feet, with a fish in its mouth.

Canon EOS 7D EF300 mm f/4L IS USM 100 ISO – 1/500 F/5.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing with the bears IV

After nailing the fish nearly at our feet, the bear turned around and took its catch to the riverbank, just a few metres downstream from where we were standing and devoured it in minutes.

Canon EOS 7D EF300 mm f/4L IS USM

100 ISO – 1/500 F/5