Low tide meant a predawn hike into Kuliak Bay in Katmai National Park. We followed a bear trail through frost-dusted vegetation, watching the first rays of sunlight illuminate the mountain peaks around us. Above the still-shadowed coast, the summits began to glow. It is an incredibly beautiful walk, and one I always look forward to.
That morning, I reflected on how fortunate I am to keep returning to this wild stretch of Alaska’s coast. After more than forty years behind the lens, I still get excited about heading out before dawn, wondering what the day might bring.
We can prepare carefully, draw on years of experience and put ourselves in promising places, but Mother Nature has the final say.
Late September on the Katmai Coast
Late September has usually given me the best opportunities to photograph the biggest coastal brown bears, looking magnificent after a summer of feeding on rich, oily salmon. We are usually among the very last people on the Katmai Coast, and it is a moment I look forward to every year.
This year, however, was an exception. There were fewer fish and bears than on previous visits. Usually, at this time of year, the stream banks are littered with partially eaten salmon, with bears seemingly around every bend. This September stood in stark contrast.
Finding photographic opportunities required more searching, more waiting and the willingness to work with whatever unfolded.
I have hopes for every trip, too. Returning to a place I know and love brings memories of extraordinary encounters and the anticipation of seeing them again. But experience can only guide us. It cannot tell the salmon when to arrive or the bears where to be.
Mother Nature’s Consolation Prizes
Then there are moments like this.
This coastal brown bear was clamming on the exposed tidal flats at first light. As it moved along the water’s edge, its reflection stretched below it, surrounded by soft greens and golds. I love the strength in its stride and the scene’s quiet feel.
If this is one of Mother Nature’s consolation prizes, I’ll happily accept it.
The photograph you hoped to make may never happen, while another opportunity becomes one of your favourites. Being there, watching carefully and staying ready gives you the chance to recognize it when it comes.
This trip brought some amazing adventures and incredible moments. This image is one I am particularly happy to have brought home. Looking at it takes me straight back to Kuliak Bay—to the frost along the bear trail and the first light on the mountains as we walked in.