Water & Stone

2025

Image Story

"Whatever you do, do not run. The last words our pilot-guide said to us as we entered bear country."

Pictures can be misleading, we all know this, but nowhere is it more true than with wildlife. This image is menacing, the bear looks angry, the water droplets add an aura of unpredictability and aggression and my position, low in the water, only emphasises that.

But the truth is a little different. This is a female bear (a sow or she-bear) - you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a big male with no other animal for context. I often find female animals the better looking to photograph - they are less scarred and often better proportioned. Male bears at this time of year are often at their fluffiest, after the long winter, and it would not have the same impact.

I took this a split second after Diamonds Are Forever as she shook off the water from her fur and the last droplets fell back to the river, something I had been waiting for as I lay in the river.

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Standard: 35" x 22" Medium: 45" x 28" Large: 55" x 34" X-Large: 65" x 41"

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Behind the Lens

Bears have recently become a real favourite subject for me to photograph. There's something about their personality and their environment that captivates me every time I pick up the camera. These are my first attempts at coastal brown bears, the biggest of their kind, but I'll certainly be back for more!