Grizzly bear 'Mira' in Fish Creek, Alaska

ghostbear · Apr 19, 2015

I have a love/hate relationship with this image. Alaska’s Fish Creek bear viewing platform is an exceptional location from which to watch grizzlies – and wolves and black bears (and eagles and mink, supposedly) – fish for salmon, but as a photographer, there is one serious drawback: The raised platform creates for an annoying downward shooting angle. With this image, I was at the very beginning of the platform, where the angle isn’t quite as bad, yet when the bears get close (and close they get), the shots you capture look almost zoo-ish. That being said, I love the concentration on Mira’s face as she focuses on finding the perfect salmon.

Location & Date: Fish Creek, Alaska | August, 2013

Camera Set-Up: Nikon D800 w/ Nikon 300 2.8

Shutter Speed: 1/640

Aperture: 2.8

ISO: 1600

baturn · Apr 19, 2015

Nice! I was there last year and so was Mira.

pixmedic · Apr 19, 2015

we have black bears in our area. they are so cute!
the big deal at the moment is the local government wanting to start granting bear hunting permits because we have had a lot of bears lately getting into residential areas and causing trouble.
we take all their habitat away and push them into a tiny corner of land....now they want to kill them for wandering off the rez and getting into some garbage cans.
I fear for the future of all our wildlife.

baturn · Apr 20, 2015

pixmedic said:
we have black bears in our area. they are so cute!
the big deal at the moment is the local government wanting to start granting bear hunting permits because we have had a lot of bears lately getting into residential areas and causing trouble.
we take all their habitat away and push them into a tiny corner of land....now they want to kill them for wandering off the rez and getting into some garbage cans.
I fear for the future of all our wildlife.

Absolutely. We are trying to control the wrong population.

JamesScott86 · Apr 20, 2015

Beautiful shot - so pretty too

ghostbear · Apr 20, 2015

pixmedic said:
we take all their habitat away and push them into a tiny corner of land....now they want to kill them for wandering off the rez and getting into some garbage cans.
I fear for the future of all our wildlife.

So true. It's sad that this is happening. We can hope that our stories and images will help spread the word that wildlife is important and beautiful and that they need our help to protect them.