Chillin
A male polar bear patiently waits for his turn to feed on a narwhal carcass
A male polar bear patiently waits for his turn to feed on a narwhal carcass
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Jan, 2019Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Contest Finalist in The Exposure Project
Top Shot Award 21
Contest Finalist in Animal Kingdom Photo Contest vol2
Runner Up in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol9
Spring 21 Award
Curator's Selection
Contest Finalist in Travel Photo Contest 2019
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 6
Contest Finalist in Anything Animals Photo Contest
Celebrity Award
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Volume2
People's Choice in An Unforgettable Adventure Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in An Unforgettable Adventure Photo Contest
Runner Up in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 41
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 41
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
On the ice, north of Svalbard, Norway.Time
During the time I was there on a photo tour, we had 24 hour daylight but this was early in the morning.Lighting
With so much white in the shot, it was critical to be able to use settings and some minor adjustments post processing. I love the softness of this bear's posture as he watches five other bears feast.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 5DMKIII and a Canon EF 70-300mm. With the ship in the ice and completely calm seas, nothing else was needed.Inspiration
Early in the trip we had come across this weird combination of a dead narwhal and a dead Greenland shark that was attracting polar bears from miles around. Given the size of both of these carcasses there was plenty to go around, and this bear was just patiently waiting his turn.Editing
Some minor adjustments in Lightroom to increase the contrast and clean up some areas in the snow that had highly reflective points of light.In my camera bag
Mostly, I try my best to travel light. Due to the conditions in the ice, I had no need for a tripod. I usually carry my Canon 5dMKIII and two lenses, the 70-300 and a 24-105, both EF-L. I also carry a Sony A7III and depending on what I will be photographing will bring a 100-400 with a 1.4x teleconverter for wildlife, or 24-105 for street and cultural photography. I use a thinkTank backpack and thinkTank card pockets to keep myself organized. For underwater (diving or snorkeling), I use an Olympus TG-5 and/or Go Pro Hero 5 Black both with housings and lighting (Inon strobe for TG-5 and SeaLife video light for GoPro).Feedback
There are many places to capture polar bears in the wild. I chose to book a very specific trip out of Svalbard that would allow me to capture the bears on the ice. With current climate conditions, it took a whole day of steaming just to get to the edge of the ice. We were incredibly fortunate to come across this baffling kill a day later. With so much action going on, we stayed for 2 1/2 days watching the bears work the two carcasses to the bone. Beyond the bears, we saw walrus, birds, fox, and the incredible glaciers and ice wall at 80+ degrees north.
