Bruce Benson
July 2024 - Katmai Brown Bear
About the Image(s)
Taken at Brooks Falls Katmai National Park Alaska. This bear was wading up and down the river looking for migrating fish. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit this location many times and get hundreds of once in a lifetime image of brown bears. You have to have some courage to come face to face with the many bears that gather there to feat on the salmon that come there each year. I mainly cropped the image and adjusted the brightness, adding a little sharpening.
Canon 1DX MKII/Canon 400 2.8
F 4.5/ 1/1000/ ISO 800
This round’s discussion is now closed!
9 comments posted
Bruce, indeed the amount of brown bears that we can see at Katmai National Park in Alaska is impressive. They are so busy catching salmon which are in abundance that they just do not care about us humans. In fact; in our visit one mama bear brought her three cubs near us since she new that other male bears would not come close because of us and the cubs would be safe, and she went on to catch more salmon. We did not get to go to Brooks Falls since the waiting time to use the photography platform was two years. Go and figure
Your image is at peak of action. It is sharp. I think that the edge is to close and creates some tension. Using the magic of Generative function in photoshop, I added some real state to the front.
Posted: 07/09/2024 11:20:12
Your image is at peak of action. It is sharp. I think that the edge is to close and creates some tension. Using the magic of Generative function in photoshop, I added some real state to the front.
Posted: 07/09/2024 11:20:12
Here is Mama Bear and her Three coming towards us. It is a screen capture from a video in my iPhone Posted: 07/09/2024 11:27:50
That's a lovely image Isaac Posted: 07/13/2024 10:33:05
Hi Bruce,
you are so fortunate to have the opportunity to be so close to this brown bear. Your image is sharp, with a great amount of detail all over the bear and the water. The diagonal position of the bear in the frame and the action captured makes for a dinamic image . I agree with Isaac about creating more space in front of the bear as it is jumping in that direction.
Posted: 07/13/2024 10:32:32
you are so fortunate to have the opportunity to be so close to this brown bear. Your image is sharp, with a great amount of detail all over the bear and the water. The diagonal position of the bear in the frame and the action captured makes for a dinamic image . I agree with Isaac about creating more space in front of the bear as it is jumping in that direction.
Posted: 07/13/2024 10:32:32
Bruce, what a wonderful photo of a brown bear leaping through water. This frozen moment shows a raw, natural energy which is captivating. There is good clarity, capturing detail of the bear's fur and the water droplets. The angle of the bear's extended body adds visual interest and motion. The visible claws, and the extended leg are a nice element to the action shot. The color palette is true to the environment. I do agree with the others about extending the left side a bit to allow more space. Posted: 07/18/2024 13:14:46
(Group 79)
Bruce, I agree with others about more space in front, but getting a sharp action shot in the moment would have been my priority. Pause to zoom out and your shot is lost. I was not aware that it is okay to manipulate the image and add elements that were not in the photo. I like the water coming off the bear. I think it is a captivating image. Posted: 07/20/2024 18:52:24
Thanks for your comments Heather, This was not taken with a zoom lens to there was no way to get more space. The version from Isaac is certainly a better composition. I am not sure how much freedom is allowed for adding canvas but do know how to do it so it is certainly an improvement Posted: 07/26/2024 01:33:02
What an amazing experience Bruce! Your image certainly gives the viewer a sence of close up involvement! More space is needed in front and I wander if you cropped any off. Adding canvas wouldn't be allowed for Nature class, but would be fine for open colour. Posted: 07/26/2024 21:58:37
Hi Bruce,
Beautifully sharp image of the action. I think some of the sharpening is too strong (at least for me) on the background - especially the upper right of the image. If I'm using Topaz I frequently take the edit and the original into PS and mask out most of the background to avoid any artifacts/grittiness.
Wonderful shot, as always. Posted: 07/29/2024 21:11:30
Beautifully sharp image of the action. I think some of the sharpening is too strong (at least for me) on the background - especially the upper right of the image. If I'm using Topaz I frequently take the edit and the original into PS and mask out most of the background to avoid any artifacts/grittiness.
Wonderful shot, as always. Posted: 07/29/2024 21:11:30