Alaska’s wild landscapes present a shocking backdrop for capturing unforgettable bear encounters, particularly in Lake Clark Nationwide Park. Whether or not you’re chasing the golden-hour gentle or ready for that good bear profile, these moments are the essence of wildlife images.
Guided by specialists like Nat Hab Expedition Chief and Photograph Expedition Director Mike Hillman, photographers of each degree—and with any form of gear—have the chance to border extraordinary photographs that showcase the wonder and energy of those inspiring animals.
Within the video beneath, Mike reminds us, “No matter you occur to have with you goes to be the very best digicam… it’s all about your eye as an artist.” Discover these important picture suggestions, seize the bears of their pure habitat, and return residence with a set of breathtaking recollections.
Learn on for 11 iconic bear images you gained’t need to miss in your subsequent Alaskan journey: From close-up particulars of a bear’s fur and claws to dynamic motion photographs of bears wrestling, every picture tells a narrative of the bears of their pure habitat and are available full with How To Suggestions from Mike.
Bear Bums for Katmai Nationwide Park’s #FatBearWeek
Because the temperature drops in September, it’s time to seize a unique angle—bear bums! In early October, Katmai Nationwide Park’s Fats Bear Week celebrates the spectacular seasonal preparations made by brown bears as they put together for winter hibernation.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Brad Josephs
The #FatBearWeek competitors, collectively organized by the Nationwide Park Service and Discover.org, attracts spectators from all over the world to take part by casting on-line votes for the very best bear bum—or the bear that has most successfully gathered fats reserves. In 2023, AP Information known as the competitors “Alaska’s most-watched reputation contest.”
Tip: Regulate the big, well-fed bears, and don’t be afraid to seize a couple of humorous photographs of their sizable backsides!
Bear Silhouettes in Golden Hour Gentle
Alaska’s prolonged summer season golden hour offers photographers with distinctive alternatives to seize beautiful bear silhouettes towards gentle, angled gentle. The lengthy, gradual sundown affords loads of time to experiment with results and excellent your photographs.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Arthur Kampmann
Even cloud cowl can add fascinating layers to the picture. Mike explains, “Solar popping out by one of many holes within the clouds… is… nice. That’ll give us some lovely kind-of silhouette gentle for our bears.” This offers a novel alternative for silhouette images, the place the bears stand out dramatically towards the glowing horizon.
- Search for cloudy breaks: When the solar peeks by the clouds, it creates dramatic lighting.
- Place your digicam low: Capturing from a decrease angle highlights the bear towards the sky.
- Seize a number of photographs: Use burst mode to take a collection of photographs because the bear strikes.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Arthur Kampmann
Tip: Pay shut consideration to how clouds work together with the sunshine—this could create dynamic shifts in tone and temper to your iconic Alaskan bear silhouette.
Bears within the Panorama: Inform a Broader Story
Incorporating Alaska’s dramatic mountain ranges into your bear images provides context and grandeur to your photographs.
Capturing the interplay between the wildlife and the encircling surroundings creates a extra compelling visible narrative. You possibly can inform a extra advanced story of the bears of their surroundings by together with Alaska’s beautiful mountain ranges, for instance, within the shot.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Arthur Kampmann
Mike emphasizes the significance of setting: “It’s necessary right here in Lake Clark Nationwide Park to not solely inform the story of up-close bears but additionally to inform the story of bears within the panorama. We have now the attractive mountain ranges right here within the Aleutian Vary in addition to the Alaska Vary.”
- Body with the panorama in thoughts: Place the mountains or different pure parts as a background to your bear topic.
- Use a wide-angle lens: Seize extra of the surroundings to present a way of scale.
- Search for reflective surfaces: Water our bodies and fields can add a layer of depth to your photographs.
Nat Hab Employees © Megan Transient
Tip: Use the rule of thirds to steadiness the bear and the panorama, however don’t hesitate to interrupt the rule when the scene requires extra emphasis on the mountains. If the mountains dominate the scene, focus extra on establishing a balanced panorama composition.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Rylee Jensen
Persistence for Iconic Bear Profiles
For iconic bear silhouettes, persistence is vital. Ready for the proper second to seize a clear profile could make all of the distinction. “You’ll have to attend for these bears to maneuver into simply the fitting place so that they’re silhouetted,” Hillman advises, “so that you get that lovely bear profile.”
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Jessica Morgan
A transparent silhouette can make sure the bear is immediately recognizable and likewise spotlight its highly effective presence within the scene.
- Set your digicam prematurely: Put together your settings primarily based on the accessible gentle and anticipated bear motion.
- Look forward to the fitting pose: A transparent, recognizable bear profile can elevate your picture.
- Shoot in burst mode: This ensures you seize a number of poses throughout motion.
Tip: Concentrate on the angle of the sunshine, and search for moments when the bear’s profile stands out towards a softly lit background.
Nat Hab Employees © Megan Transient
Motion Photographs: Bears Wrestling
Bears wrestling or play-fighting offers improbable motion shot alternatives. To seize these dynamic moments, Mike recommends beginning with “shutter speeds a lot increased. 1/1000, 1/2000 is oftentimes the place you need to begin.”
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Justin Gibson
- Improve shutter pace: Begin at 1/1000 or 1/2000 to freeze quick actions.
- Use steady autofocus: This helps preserve the wrestling bears in focus as they transfer.
- Search for playful conduct: Anticipate interactions like play-fighting or sparring.
© Ralph Lee Hopkins
Tip: Be prepared to regulate your aperture and ISO settings as wanted to take care of the fitting publicity in altering gentle circumstances. Fast reflexes and excessive shutter speeds are key to freezing the motion in sharp element.
Shut-Up Photographs of Bears’ Faces and Particulars
Zooming in on the intricate particulars—like fur, claws, and even the bears’ eyes—brings an intimate perspective to your wildlife photographs. That is the place precision issues.
Nat Hab Visitor © Seth Webster
“Attempt close-ups of the fur or some particulars that make bears, bears… their claws, their ears, their enamel, even their nostril,” Mike suggests.
- Use a telephoto lens: Zoom in with out disturbing the bear’s pure conduct.
- Concentrate on texture: Seize the feel of fur or the sharpness of claws.
- Use a mid-range f-stop: Shoot round f/6.3 to f/7.1 for detailed, sharp close-ups.
Nat Hab Employees © Dana Cama
Tip: Preserve your topic sharp by utilizing guide focus if wanted, particularly for close-ups that spotlight small options just like the bear’s nostril or eyes. Balancing depth of discipline and sharpness to convey out small options.
Bears in Tall Grass
Photographing bears in tall grass could be difficult, however by adjusting your place and focus, you possibly can create fascinating photographs.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Justin Gibson
Mike explains: “The grass is sort of tall, and if we’re too low, we’re going to simply be mired within the grass. So we’re getting slightly bit increased up.”
- Elevate your digicam place: Capturing from the next angle helps preserve the bear in focus above the grass.
- Use autofocus monitoring: Observe the bear’s actions to take care of readability in tall grass.
- Manually refocus if wanted: Reset focus if the grass obscures the bear or catches the main focus.
Tip: In case your digicam doesn’t have monitoring, you possibly can reset focus manually or use back-button focus to make sure readability in your shot. Attempt capturing above the bear’s eye degree to border it correctly towards the grass.
Tremendous Telephoto Photographs of Bears
Utilizing a super-telephoto lens means that you can seize shut, detailed photographs whereas sustaining a secure distance. These photographs can supply a novel perspective on the bear’s conduct.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief and Photograph Expedition Director © Mike Hillman
“I’m searching for these bears as they carry their head up from grazing, both wanting in direction of me or wanting in direction of the open facet of the body,” Mike shares about his approach.
- Alter shutter pace: Use a pace round 1/400 to 1/600, relying on lighting circumstances.
- Create bokeh: Decrease the f-stop to blur the background to create a ravishing bokeh impact across the topic and make the bear stand out.
Tip: Search for moments when the bear lifts its head or interacts with the surroundings to create a extra dynamic shot.
Vertical Bear Portrait Photographs
Switching to portrait mode is a wonderful strategy to emphasize the peak and presence of a bear, particularly when they’re standing or strolling towards you.
Nat Hab Visitor © John Sensible
“It may be very highly effective to flip your digicam from capturing a typical horizontal or panorama orientation and flipping it to vertical or portrait,” Mike advises.
- Flip your digicam vertically: Portrait orientation highlights the bear’s top and stature.
- Concentrate on the face and eyes: Eye contact with the topic creates a robust visible influence.
- Use shallow depth of discipline: Isolate the bear from the background for a extra dramatic impact.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Jessica Morgan
Tip: Portrait photographs work particularly effectively when the bear is standing or shifting towards you, because it fills the body vertically.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Jessica Morgan
Shut-Up Photographs of Bears Grazing
Alaska’s wild brown bears‚and the salmon they feed upon—face many threats, however bears grazing affords the possibility for extra serene close-up photographs. Persistence is vital right here, as you anticipate the proper head-lift or interplay with the surroundings. The trick is “simply patiently ready as they’re grazing, ready for that head to choose up in simply the fitting second, and getting that shot,” Mike explains.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Brad Josephs
- Use steady capturing mode: Seize a collection of photographs because the bear grazes.
- Look ahead to head motion: Anticipate when the bear will carry its head for a clear shot.
- Preserve your deal with the bear’s face: A barely blurred background provides to the impact.
Tip: A average f-stop will preserve the bear in sharp focus whereas softly blurring the environment for a clearer composition.
Bears Towards the Panorama
Bears in proximity to the digicam present the proper alternative to spotlight each the topic and its environment.
© Ralph Lee Hopkins
“Don’t solely take into consideration these close-ups…now you might have a chance with a really shut bear to essentially showcase the panorama and the background,” Mike suggests.
- Steadiness bear and panorama: Body the shot to point out the fantastic thing about Alaska’s pure options together with the bear.
- Use a wide-angle lens: Seize extra of the surroundings with out shedding deal with the bear.
- Embody water or mountains: These parts add depth and scale to your composition.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Rylee Jensen
Tip: Preserve the bear as the focus, however use pure parts like mountains and rivers to create a balanced picture that tells the complete story. Embody simply sufficient of the surroundings to present context with out overwhelming the bear within the body.
Bear Witness to Alaska’s Wild Magnificence with Your Iconic Photographs
Whether or not you’re a seasoned photographer or simply beginning out, there’s nothing fairly like capturing iconic bear images in Alaska. From the serene moments of bears grazing in tall grass to the highly effective vitality of wrestling siblings, every picture tells a novel story of those magnificent creatures of their pure habitat.
Nat Hab Expedition Chief and Photograph Expedition Director © Mike Hillman
The great thing about photographing in locations like Lake Clark Nationwide Park lies within the number of alternatives—from broad panorama photographs framed by towering mountain ranges to intimate close-ups of bear fur or claws. Mike emphasizes that it’s not concerning the gear, however creating your eye and being affected person for that good second.
Whether or not you’re zooming in for an in depth shot or capturing an action-packed wrestling match, bear images challenges you to be artistic and versatile. Each second spent ready for the fitting gentle, the fitting angle, or the fitting bear motion may end up in an iconic bear images picture.
For extra on Iconic Bear Images in Alaska
Nat Hab Expedition Chief © Rylee Jensen
