Cindy Smith  


Untitled by Cindy Smith

June 2021 - Untitled

About the Image(s)

Canon 5D Mark III, 70-200 f/2.8 lens in Ketchikan, Alaska a few years ago.

Edited in LR, mainly with contrast and cropping.

I was very lucky that we were so close, and the conditions were good.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
7 comments posted




Jennifer Marano   Jennifer Marano
Cool looking bear and nice of him/her to pause feasting long enough to pose for the camera! I'm going to Alaska in less than two weeks and hope and pray I see some exciting stuff like you did.   Posted: 06/13/2021 20:10:45
Cindy Smith   Cindy Smith
We were on a cruise, and this was a stop in Ketchikan. There was an excursion to see the bears. There was a boardwalk above a stream where the bears were feeding. Very cool, and so exciting! Good luck. If you go to Fairbanks, be sure to book a Northern Lights excursion/tour, but they fill up very early, and it may be too early in the year. We were there in September.   Posted: 06/13/2021 22:07:09



Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
Agreed....great capture! Important note...the eyes are crystal clear! Perfect.

Was autofocus ON, or did you have time to manually focus this?

I use manual focus 99 percent of the time, and it is vital I focus on the eyes of
my subject, especially at times when rushed....well done on seeing, stopping and getting the shot regardless of the method! : )   Posted: 06/15/2021 07:33:20
Cindy Smith   Cindy Smith
Thank you!! I'm sure that autofocus was on, as my vision (even with bifocal contacts) is not great! LOL!!   Posted: 06/15/2021 07:55:03



Steven Jungerwirth   Steven Jungerwirth
I must confess that upon reading that you were " . . . very lucky that we were so close" . . . I heard my wife telling me to stay back and be careful. Sounds like you were on a raised boardwalk . . . offering some protection - plus this guy looks busy/satisfied with his catch of the day!

I like the sharpness of the eyes and contrast with the brighter background - really makes the bear pop. The blurred background also helps draw attention to the bear. Great shot!

Regarding focus - I use autofocus >80% of the time. I'll use manual for tripod mounted macro/table-top photography, landscapes/cityscapes and focus stacking - where I have fixed scenes and lots of time to use the magnified view on the LCD. Otherwise - autofocus is a more reliable method for me. I recently bought a camera with eye autofocus - that does a good job finding eyes (human and animal) and tracking them. The iPhone also has this functionality.   Posted: 06/20/2021 08:41:02



Sharon Prislipsky   Sharon Prislipsky
(Group 52)
Cindy, I am so happy to see that you have found a study group to work with. This is a wonderufl image. You captured a decisive moment and I feel as thought the brea is looking right at me. Nice work.   Posted: 06/28/2021 14:51:04



Jamie Federick   Jamie Federick
(Group 48)
Love your image Cindy! We never got close to any when we were in Ketchikan on our cruise. He is really starring you down! Love is expression! Good job!   Posted: 06/28/2021 17:54:48