There are moments in the field when instinct takes over. One of those moments happened recently as I watched a Coastal Brown Grizzly Bear COY (Cub of the year) playing by the water's edge, tossing around a freshly caught salmon during my recently concluded Ultimate Brown Bears of Alaska Workshop. Glaucous-winged Gulls lined the water’s edge, circled and called in the background, hoping for scraps, but I locked my focus on the bear—and had the feeling that something was about to happen while trying to keep the distracting gulls out of the image.
Sure enough, the bear cub suddenly stood up, salmon still in its mouth. Without thinking twice, I zoomed all the way to 800mm with the new Sony 400-800mm lens on the Sony a1 II and framed a tight, horizontal head-and-shoulders composition. It was a split-second decision, but the kind that comes from time in the field—watching, waiting, and knowing when and how to make images with visual impact. The bear's posture, the glint in its eye, the fish in its mouth and claws extended with the trailing water for dramatic effect—it all lined up in an image full of drama.
At this time of year, the rivers are teeming with salmon as they return to spawn. It's a feast for the bears, who gorge on these fish to build fat reserves for the winter. But many of the salmon are reaching the end of their lives—scarred, discoloured, and barely holding together after completing their incredible journey upstream. They may not be the pristine, silver fish we imagine, but in their worn-out state, they're arguably even more beautiful—symbols of endurance and the cycle of life.
While adult bears waste no time tearing into their meal, the cubs approach things with a bit more curiosity (and comedy). Watching young brown bears figure out what to do with a slippery salmon is pure entertainment. They chase them, chew the wrong end, toss them in the air, and sometimes forget why they were holding them in the first place. But every awkward step is practice for the future—and fun to witness through the lens.
Wildlife photography is about patience, timing, and the ability to react when instinct says "now." That brief moment when the bear stood tall with its ragged prize was one of those times—and one I won't forget anytime soon.