Grizzly
Griz on the move in Alaska
Griz on the move in Alaska
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Dec, 2015Views
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DavidLeeJudson
April 30, 2016
I hope you weren't as close to this big guy as this image implies....lol.....
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I'd like to say I shot this photo, deep in the wilds of Denali, while trekking a remote mountain path, but alas this photo has more humble origins. This is Hugo, a rescued female grizzly living at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, in Portage, Alaska. When in Alaska I never fail to visit this amazing sanctuary, it houses animals rescued from all over the state, and the animals living within are given large natural enclosures to roam and enjoy.Time
This photo was captured near 2:00 pm, on a cloudy warm day in August. While I love to shoot early and late in the day, sometimes we have only one chance to photograph the things we encounter, and this was certainly one of those moments.Lighting
The lighting that day was soft and washed out, due to the persistent low cloud cover often seen in Alaska. While not ideal, the light gave this photo a nice soft aspect.Equipment
I shot this using my ever trusty, Nikon D7000 and the 18 - 200 f3.5 - 5.6 kit lens. This combo was my walk around favorite for years, as it gave me the range to capture most any scenario.Inspiration
While visiting the AWCC, with my wide-eyed four year old son, we happened upon this bear coming up the hill of her enclosure, towards our location. My son, ever the enthusiast, said "daddy take a picture" as he often does. Well of course I wouldn't have missed this shot, and proceeded to follow this beautiful creature, with a sequence of shots as it neared our position. I'd seen Hugo, on previous visits to the park, but never this close.Editing
The dull light that day, left the photo a bit flat, so I used Lightroom to bring up the colors and enhance the contrast, leaving some of the softness, to keep the natural feel of the scene.In my camera bag
I have a Lowepro Flipside 300, and usually pack it full. I always carry my Nikon D7000. I carry my 18-200 kit lens, my 105mm micro Nikkor, a 50mm prime, speedlight sb 600, 4 batteries, dozens of sd cards, and assorted other cleaning and protection pouches. Its pretty heavy but well worth the effort as I can get most of the shots I desire.Feedback
When visiting Alaska, the Alaska wildlife conservation center, is a easy trip from Anchorage, If you're on a cruise, the wildlife center is on the road between Whittier, and Anchorage, and many cruise lines offer visits there after your cruise is finished. This is a unique and fun place, my son loved every minute of our visit. Go to the bear enclosure with your camera, await the arrival of this fine grizzly and shoot away. Mornings are ideal as the animals are more active but not essential. I've photographed bears in Denali during several bus tours of the park and never gotten this close to any grizzlies. Go see Hugo, as she's a permanent resident at the center, I'm sure you'll find a willing subject for your ursine modeling needs. You may even get a smile.
