Bear in the fog
by Daniella T.
I just returned from a trip to Sequoia and wow..the bears are quite active! That was a surprise since I thought they were hibernating but it seems that they don't in that park and stay active all year around. Lots of bold new cubs from this year and that one wanted to sniff me out. This is my second encounter with bears at quite close distance. Good thing they are not aggressive because the giant forest is one of the place in the park that is most crowded with tourists, kids etc. That day was very quiet so the bears were roaming around.
This was taken in a foggy day, very mystical in the forest and peaceful.
Taken near the giant forest, with Canon XT and the unfamous kit lens EF-S 18-55mm:
Focal Length 18 mm
Exposure Time 1/30 sec
Aperture f/7.1
ISO Equivalent 400
Comments
17 commentsa moody and fascinating photo!
What a mystic mood this picture has! Beautifull
a wounderful moody image... Just a little nit, I would crop the right hand site a bit, to eliminate the obvious cutted fallen tree...
Lovely! The fog really makes the mood here. I agree with the crop suggestions. I find those curved branches get my attention.
First I just have to say that this is a truly magnificent image. I love how the bear still manages to look big and impressive even between those huge trees and while being so small in the frame. The cropping suggestion may be good, but despite that the composition is marvelous, as is the light.
Secondly however, I would like to remark that I think your assumption that the bears are not aggressive because they are used to people is a very dangerous one. I am currently working on a project about the Canadian Rockies in which bears play an important role. What I have learned through conversations with a good number of experts is that habituation of bears is a dangerous thing, for both bear and man. The loss of the somehow instinctive fear for humans can on one hand lead to bears ignoring people when they come close, but it can also lead to bears becoming bolder and starting to see humans as a source of food, be it direct (human chop) or indirect (content of a backpack). The line between the two is vague and easily crossed as many examples in the past have proven. I recommend the book "Bear Attacks" by Stephen Herrero if you are interested.
I don't want to scare you or something, just to make sure you are cautious for both yourself and the bear (habituated bears often become problem bears eventually and are therefore much more likely to get killed by human hands than 'truly wild' bears).
It's a beautiful immage, and the fact that it was an 18mm ..kudos... you were close,
keep it up
Dave
This is SOOOOOOO sweet - really nice. Thanks for posting it, and congrats on such a fine image.
Cheers
Carl
Wonderful work.
Arthur, I know pretty well that black bears can be dangerous. I am afraid that one will eventualy get into trouble just because that..he is just too bold. not aggressive though but that might change as he is still quite young. I beleive you about the bears getting used to humans not being a good thing for them but it's hard to do otherwise in Sequoia NP. there are tons of people and the bears there have to coexist with us. they are hunted outside the park so it is in their best interest to stay there and "behave" which they usualy do. if people don'T feed them, they will do just fine. it is when people start to feed them that they become to associate people and food and this is a big call for trouble.
I consider them dangerous but with some common sense it is not that much of a risk. my risk of being killed in a car accident are far greater :)
All of the elements in the picture work for me. You did very well to get such a sharp shot at 1/30 of a second.
Great work.
Great shot, I love it, my sort of photography!
Regards