Hibernation Preparation #5

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
1

It was late October and I was in the brush at one side of a pond where salmon were spawning, shooting photos of eagles that were feeding on the salmon. It happens there every year so I was ready for the eagles. I wasn’t expecting a very large and dark brown bear that showed up on the other side of the pond though! He didn’t know I was there so I got quite a few photos while he foraged around in the brush and then got into the pond, to try for a salmon. The pond at his end was very muddy though (almost up to his belly) so he gave that up and got out of the water. That was the point where he realized my presence. This photo is that moment where he zeroed in on me. Fortunately he wasn’t too concerned and went on with his foraging and eventually walked back into the brush. At that point I left as I wasn’t sure that he wasn’t going to circle around in the brush to my side of the pond!

Hibernation Preparation #5
Hibernation Preparation #52400×1600 2.48 MB

Specific Feedback Requested

Any feedback is always appreciated.

Technical Details

Sony a6500, FE200600G @ 600mm, ISO-1600, f/7.1, 1/640, hand held.

2

Quite an exciting moment. You have some really quality time with wildlife and so can have these perfect moments. Great job catching the moment so precisely. You could experiment with cropping the mud a little and I’d lose the tall grass on the left, but that’s pretty minor. The bear has such presence.

3

Very sharp and this bear is not quite ready for fat bear week. Those minor crops will strengthen the comp. I like the lighting as the bear looks like a detailed Andrew Wyeth egg tempera painting…Jim

4

Hi Gary,

Love the back story and the face to face with the bear (with the mud as a buffer).
He sure has you locked in so probably smart to retreat as you did.

I agree with the crop suggestions because it would make an awesome moment even better! :slight_smile:

Great shot and a pleasure to view.