You lookin' at my Butt ?

ho ho hoooo what a moment , did you have to go change (I would have to...) congrats on the shot and happy return back home!!!

Cool looking back pose n wonderful details on the Bear!
Jagdeep Rajput

Gary,
Beautiful shot and great eye contact! No nits from me!
-Cam

William, the short answer is "yes", we have bugs. However, it really depends on where you are in the province. The montane areas of Jasper and Banff are actually not too bad however. I walked in the bush where this bear was for half an hour without any deet and was very comfortable. I do keep a can of the stuff available however, if you are near water and under the right temps conditions the mountain parks can be a problem for biting insects. ie. Mosquitoes. On a positive note, we don't have rats in Alberta.

Very nice Gary, i like the head turn and expression. Well done!!

Very nice shot Gary - well done!

Wonderfully candid shot Gary, I love the eye-contact, the expression, and the marvelously texture and detail you've managed to capture, very well done :^)

Hey Gary,

Great use of selective focus/DOF control here...just about perfect in that regard. LIke the expression, the simplicity of the shot, and the techs look great to me. Oh yeah, and a heck of a nice looking bear too! Overall just a super solid and visually appealing shot. My only incredibly small nit is that the butt of the bear is perhaps just a smidgen too close to the right side of the frame for my taste - if your remaining 12% of the original image has any room there () it might be worth adding a tiny bit of room there? Just a thought...

Cheers...thanks for sharing this one...pleasure to look at...

Brad

Wonderful title, brought a good laugh at work today when I need a laugh. I really like the look with the open mouth and good detail on the bear in the larger image, way to go.

I love the eye contact! Great detail, catchlight, and I really like your comp.

Great shot Gary - I think I would be heading backwards slowly if I got that close with the lens you had. That look is hard to break from! I love the eye detail and the ethereal looking pine tree! Good one!!

Gary - congrats on the WP! This is such a great image. I love the moment that was captured (especially his expression) but really it's your choice of composition and what must be as close to perfect techs as possible in this situation. Great look in his eye, excellent DOF, really nice balance. And as Brad said, a beauty Griz to boot.

Congratulations again!

Congratulations Gray, well-earned WP :^)

Wish to thank you all for the views and comments. I am really honored that this photo received the WP, there were so many wonderful photos in the category. Thanks again.

Haaa on the title. Such a neat shot and one I have never had an opportunity at. Congratulations And only a 400 mm man you are brave.

I was away from the Wildlife forum too long Gary and missed this beauty. Great shot and congrats on the WP!