scottwickward
FollowThese two siblings loved to play! They were constantly looking for a way to enjoy each other.
These two siblings loved to play! They were constantly looking for a way to enjoy each other.
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Awards
Chatter Award
Top Shot Award 22
Contest Finalist in Around The World Photo Contest Digital Camera World
Contest Finalist in Winter Wildlife Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Wildlife On The Move Photo Contest
Honorable Mention in Bears Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Bears Photo Contest
Exposure And More!
Contest Finalist in ViewBug HQ Photo Contest 2016
Runner Up in Wildlife In Remote Places Photo Contest
Featured
People's Choice in Two Of The Same Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Two Of The Same Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Wildlife In Remote Places Photo Contest
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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Categories
Pegertler
May 02, 2016
A lovely, pleasing composition. The snow is captured beautifully! Must have been fun...would love to know speed of the shot. Really well done.
DavesAdventures
August 02, 2016
Awesome shot. I can't imagine what it would be like to be in the moment of things like this happening. You have captured a gorgeous moment in time.
Dave
Dave
Lisaf
December 11, 2016
Great action shot! I would love to photograph these creatures in the wild someday!
mcampi
December 17, 2016
Can I as where you took this wonderful picture,? was it Churchill Manitoba on Hutson Bay
gianfrancomarzetti
January 07, 2017
Fantastic image! Congrats Scott!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on Barrier Island which is a short distance from Kaktovik Alaska. Kaktovik itself is a Inuit village of about 230 that is nestled at the northern tip of ANWR (Artic National Wildlife Range). This area is located in the very far northeastern corner of Alaska, about 60 miles from Canada's Yukon Territory and sits on the Beaufort Sea.Time
This photo was taken in the morning as were most of the polar bear pictures. Polar bears are nocturnal so they spend most of the day lounging around and sleeping. Early in the morning they are still active and it is the best time for photo's. We would take a jet boat across a lagoon that separates Barter Island, where the town of Kaktovik is, from Barrier Island, where the bears were. We would be out from first light to around noon each day.Lighting
Shooting polar bears on snow is rather tricky as you are shooting white on white. Experiment with what settings work best for your camera. That is how I approached it. Contrary to what most people think polar bears are not actually white. Their fur is clear and their skin is black. It is how the sunlight reflects off there black skin that causing them to look white.Equipment
My equipment for this trip was a Nikon D800 with a Nikon 70 to 200 F4 and a Nikon D7100 coupled with a Nikon 200 to 400 F4. No tripods were used as we were in a jet boat cruising the shore of the island. I would be shooting bears coming our way with my 200 to 400 F4 and soon would have to switch cameras because the bears became to close for the big lens. There were times we were as close as 30 feet from these amazing creatures.Inspiration
I spent a week shooting these bears and during that time I took over 2500 photos. Anytime there was action such as these two cubs playing I was shooting many photos of basically the same scene trying to capture just the right moment. In this case it paid off and I captured the moment. The inspiration to make the trip in the first place came from an article I read in Alaska Magazine. Until that time I had never heard of Kaktovik and after reading that article I knew I had to go. September of 2013 offered me the chance and I took it. Never to look back. It was wonderfulEditing
I use lightroom in conjunction with products from Gavin Seim. I love lightroom as it is user friendly and I can't say enough about Gaven Seim and his presets. I am always looking to bring my images to that next level. Something that makes them pop. Not overly HDRish, just something that still keeps them true to their form but raises the bar enough to make them stand out.In my camera bag
In my camera bag I have both my D800 and my D7100. I also carry a Nikon 24mm F1.4, Nikon 70 to 200 F4 and my big lens, the 200 to 400 is always in the car. I also carry various filters such as a neutral density filter and a circular polarizer. My tripod is always in my vehicle as well. A shutter release is also a big part of both my landscape and some of my wildlife shots. Always depends on the situation.Feedback
Kaktovik is an amazing place. Everyone has heard of Churchill and the tundra buggies, but Kaktovik is Churchill on steroids. The amount of bears you will see is incredible. Standing up in the boat one day I counted 55 bears! Of course many were to far away to shoot but the simple fact that I could see that many is amazing. The changing Artic makes getting photo's like this one rather tricky. It is all in the timing. I went the last week of September. We had snow on the ground. Many times though this is not the case and you have polar bears on sandy beaches on the island. Though there is nothing wrong with these photos what one really wants is that picture of the bear in the snow. Because of the demand one can't just watch the weather and decide now is the time to go. You have to book early. I booked my trip in May. To early and you miss the snow. To late and you miss the bears. My best advise is to try the end of September through the middle of October. Be prepared with warm cloths and be ready for an adventure like no other. Don't expect the Hilton in Kaktovik, the Hotel there is very rustic but has a unique charm. I hope all of you can some day enjoy this incredible adventure like I did. It was a trip of a life time!