Polar Bear

by Marco Poggioni

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 4, 2010326 views15 comments

Just returned from Svalbard Islands (Spitzbergen).

Nikon D300
Nikon AF-S 300mm
f5.6
1/3200
ISO 200
-0.3EV

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Anand Narayanan on September 4, 2010 at 2:07 PM

Stunning Shot

Great to see polar bears in their element.

Registered on October 25, 2009, 110 Posts, 835 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on September 4, 2010 at 5:51 PM

Very nice. I would love to have a shot like this! I really like the pose and the streaming water. One of the best polar bear shots I have seen here. This is not meant as a criticism because I believe cropping is pretty much a matter of personal preference but I would have cropped a little off the bottom to eliminate some of the foreground and just a tiny bit from the right. Of course you would lose some of the reflection and maybe you didn't want to do that. I would really like to see a large version of this.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by Shreyas Yadav on September 4, 2010 at 10:27 PM

wow

Registered on July 28, 2010, 0 Posts, 5 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on September 5, 2010 at 1:26 AM

A nature photographer's dream opportunity, at least it would be for me!!! Very cool (no pun intended) jumping pose, I like the way the splash is captured. Composition is ok, I am sure you didn't have a lot of time to ponder this in the field. If you had been a little further to the left it would have been nice to capture him broadside to the lens. I suspect your were at the mercy of your ship's captain and the whims of the bear. (Or is that whims of the captain and mercy of the bear?

)

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on September 5, 2010 at 6:42 AM

Very cool shot Marco! I especially like the water spray. Exposure is excellent. It would have been cool if you would have had a clear reflection here, but that was beyond your control.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Marco Poggioni on September 5, 2010 at 2:24 PM

Thanks all for your kind comments.

Robert, I had already tried to crop a little right and bottom, but I didn't like the cut reflection. I agree less right space, or more left space, would have been better.

Registered on August 6, 2009, 15 Posts, 38 Comments

Comment posted by Pete Bengeyfield on September 5, 2010 at 3:07 PM

This is great. A full reflection only would have made it unbearable

Registered on December 2, 2003, 1247 Posts, 3439 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Cunliffe on September 5, 2010 at 4:25 PM

Now I really know I have to go to Svalbard. Its not often one sees the environment of the bear, as well as the animal itself, so nicely portrayed.

Registered on May 25, 2009, 62 Posts, 202 Comments

Comment posted by JACK NEAL on September 5, 2010 at 4:42 PM

Great shot!

Registered on September 26, 2009, 131 Posts, 554 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on September 5, 2010 at 11:24 PM

Great moment captured! I like the interesting lines of the ice edges and the cool blues of the water. In a perfect world you would have been positioned for the bear to be moving slightly into the camera rather than away.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Geslin on September 6, 2010 at 3:04 AM

great timing on the just-taking-off pose. the colors are what drew me in on this shot. wonderful work!

Registered on November 25, 2008, 12 Posts, 27 Comments

Comment posted by Ákos Lumnitzer on September 6, 2010 at 4:24 AM

Looks great, love the water under the belly. Excellent work.

Registered on April 24, 2004, 25 Posts, 510 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on September 7, 2010 at 8:07 PM

Awesome

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on September 8, 2010 at 8:47 AM

Superb timing on this one, Marco! I'm so glad you went to Svalbard Islands; we get to enjoy images like this!

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on September 9, 2010 at 8:38 AM

A wonderful moment captured.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments