This poor little one was spotted hiding in the trees, trying to take a nap above where I was fishing. He had either been booted out of the family by mom, or he ...
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This poor little one was spotted hiding in the trees, trying to take a nap above where I was fishing. He had either been booted out of the family by mom, or he was an orphan .
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Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 7
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This little guy had been wandering around campsites along the Russian River, trying to scrounge up something to eat. He was orphaned, being left to try and fend for himself with mom either kicking him out, or something else happened to her. I'd heard from friends that he'd tried to get into a "bear box" (where campers store food and other items in a bear resistant metal container) and had been sprayed with bear spray. The day I took this and other photos of him, he had scrambled up a tree alongside the river where I was fishing. He was pretty wary of me at first, but eventually he relaxed and felt safe enough to take a nap.Time
This was taken in the late morning, the sun finally rose high enough to warm the upper part of the tree he was resting in.Lighting
This was all natural lighting, the summer and fall in Alaska is great to have sunlight into the evening hours.Equipment
This was shot with my Canon 70D, with the Tamron 150-600mm lens. I was somewhat un-prepared for using the big lens, and did not have my tripod with me, so this was a handheld shot.Inspiration
Anytime I'm fishing, I've got my camera as I fish in an area that is well known for it's bears. I like to say that I go fishing just so I can find the bears!Editing
I rarely do post-processing. I feel that nature in itself is the best we could possibly see, and my photos are a direct correlation of that. If I ever do any processing, it's just to bring the exposure up or down, whichever brings it closest to the true colors of the shoot.In my camera bag
I always pack my Canon 70D body and various lenses with me, but on the water I tend to travel light. I've always got my Canon 75-300 and 18-55 lenses, but I'll add in my 50mm and 10-22 if I've got something specific in mind to shoot. My newest toy, which helps in the bear photography is the Tamron 150-600mm. I've had more fun shooting with this lens than any other I own.Feedback
My advice? Always be prepared, for any event that may happen, within reason of course. If I know I'm going to shoot bears, I've got the telephoto lenses ready to go. If I'm shooting the aurora or the sky, I've got my wide angle.