Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Cub with Salmon in Golden Light

Here, we see a Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear cub captured in the warm, golden light of the setting sun, enjoying a salmon during my Ultimate Brown Bear Photography Workshop in Alaska. Notice the detail – the cub's bloody lips, a testament to the raw, natural moment we were privileged to witness.

Many of you might immediately point to the low angle of view as the defining element of this shot. And you'd be right; it creates a sense of strength and immediacy, placing us in the moment with the cub. However, I want to draw your attention to something more subtle yet equally crucial: the background. Observe how it's rendered soft and out of focus. This wasn't accidental. To achieve this, we needed to position ourselves strategically, ensuring the background was far enough away from our subject. But that's not all. Look at the light illuminating that background. It's the same golden light bathing the cub, creating a harmonious and cohesive image. This golden light on the background is as important as the cub itself.

The key takeaway is that capturing a compelling wildlife shot isn't just about the subject. It's about understanding and controlling your entire frame. Knowing where to position yourself to achieve that desired background – both in terms of distance and lighting – is absolutely essential.

So, while the low angle adds drama, the careful consideration of the background and the golden light truly elevates this image, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. Remember, thoughtful composition and light management are your allies in crafting truly impactful photographs.

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Cub with Salmon in Golden Light (Ursus arctos, ours brun) from my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai adventure workshop in Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens. ISO 1,600, f/4 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Pouncing

The adrenaline was off the charts as we watched this magnificent sow as she ran directly towards us. Imagine the view through the viewfinder!

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Pouncing (Ursus arctos, ours brun) from my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai adventure workshop in Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens. ISO 1,600, f/4 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Charging after fish

A Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear charging after salmon during my Ultimate Brown Bears of Alaska Adventure Workshop in Katmai National Park. I love the monochromatic feel to this one ;)

Join me for my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Adventure from September 17 to 24 for an incredible 8-day/7-night photographic adventure on a private charter along the Katmai Coast of Alaska. We will photograph the numerous Coastal Brown Bears congregating along streams overflowing with salmon as they fatten up for the long and harsh Alaskan winter. Unlike many other tours, our itinerary starts by flying out to the ship from Kodiak, Alaska, on day 1 (flights from Kodiak to the boat and back are included), and we remain there until we fly back to Kodiak on day 8. We photograph bears from day 1 to day 8, so eight days of epic brown bear photography! There are only two spots left!

September 17-24 is the best time to capture images with autumn colours and golden light. The sun has already started its winter journey south of the equator, so the low light angle is spectacular for photography. The bears will be about as big as they will get before winter hibernation, and all that fish oil they have been digesting makes their fur glisten in the light.

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Charging after fish (Ursus arctos, ours brun) from my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai adventure workshop in Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X Tele extender @1,200mm. ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full-frame image shot vertically and cropped slightly on top & bottom to make a 4 X 5 aspect ratio.

Coastal Brown Grizzly Bear with Salmon for breakfast

A Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear sow (female) with freshly caught salmon for breakfast from my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Alaska Adventure in Katmai National Park.

ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT!

September 17 to 24, 2024 (8 Days / 7 Nights) BEARS FISHING: This is the very best time to photograph the many fishing bears of Katmai National Park. The gorgeous light from the lower sun illuminates the glowing, rich fur of the Brown Bears as they pounce and gorge on Salmon to prepare for winter hibernation.

Embark on a truly exclusive adventure with our specialized Brown Bear photography tour. This unique experience includes photography on all eight days, a return float-plane flight to and from our private yacht, meals, instruction, guiding, and accommodations.

• Tour groups are strictly limited to only seven photographers + leader, expert bear guide, Coast Guard-certified vessel, Captain, and crew (Buyer beware: Other workshopspert bear guides; instead, the photographer tries to play host, instructor, don’t employ expert bear guide/safety officer…).

• The small group size means more assistance, one-on-one guidance, and coaching for every participant.

• Long lenses are not mandatory for this tour. 100-400mm, 100-500 mm, and 200-600mm zoom lenses are adequate to make an impressive portfolio.

• Photographers of all levels are welcome and catered to on this tour. The pace is designed to suit everyone’s needs and skill level, ensuring a rewarding experience for all.

Coastal Brown Bear eating fresh salmon

Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Alaska Workshop Update:

Join me for my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Adventure from September 17 to 24 for an incredible 8-day/7-night photographic adventure on a private charter along the Katmai Coast of Alaska. We will photograph the numerous Coastal Brown Bears congregating along streams overflowing with salmon as they fatten up for the long and harsh Alaskan winter. Unlike many other tours, our Itinerary starts by flying out to the ship from Kodiak, Alaska, on day 1 (flights from Kodiak to the boat and back are included), and we remain there until we fly back to Kodiak on day 8. We photograph bears from day 1 to day 8, so eight days of epic brown bear photography! There are only two spots left!

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Cub Eating Fresh Salmon (Ursus arctos, ours brun) from my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai adventure workshop in Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 1.4X Tele extender @840mm. ISO 20,000, f/5.6 @ 1/1,000s Manual exposure. Full-frame image.

Grizzly Coastal Brown Bear Mother and Cub

Another image from my recent ULTIMATE BROWN BEARS OF KATMAI WORKSHOP in Alaska. After another of Melissa’s epic home-cooked meals on our private charter ship, we returned to shore in heavy overcast and foggy conditions and spent a few hours waiting for this mother and cub to wake up from their afternoon nap :)

Coastal Brown Bear Mother with cub

At the end of a very long day hiking around Katmai National Park (Alaska) in the rain knee-deep in mud this mother and cub seemed to look as wet and muddy as I felt - smile. As always in Katmai, we respect the bears from a distance, but they usually tend to gravitate to my group as a trusted shield from the roaming adult males (called boars) and move closer to us. I can see from the timestamps on the images that we spent 44 minutes waiting for both of them to look our way at the same time; we were lucky to have the added bonus of the cub touching mom :)

Since the sky is much brighter than the bears, it was extremely bright and washed-out in the image, so I replaced the background sky to make the scene resemble more closely what my eyes saw.