Photograph a black bear

“I ran back to my SUV and headed for the 11-mile paved loop that takes you through this wonderful landscape. At about the 4-mile mark (I’m guessing) I came upon cars and trucks at a standstill (reminds me of New York City at rush hour). At the sight of this, a big ole grin appeared on my face because I knew that this could mean one of two things…a deer or a bear. Thankfully the loop road has some small pull-offs and I took advantage of one. Donning my camo rain gear and grabbing my camera, big lens, and tripod I proceeded on the slushy trek past the paused traffic. [...] I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how giddy I was on the inside when I came up on a BIG momma bear and her cubs stretched out on a tree limb. Ignoring the rain, I may have taken a few too many pictures of her doing … well … nothing.”

“The bears were plentiful on this trip. As I searched the forest, they revealed themselves as curious but cautious of my whereabouts. Often, I would find them observing my movements while hiding from me. Some I found snoozing in the trees. The bears were very tolerant of my trespass, and while they did keep their distance, they still went on with their daily activity without hesitation. [...] This large male walked into the area in a straight line towards the camera. As it proceeded to march closer, the bear began to fill the frame and get incredibly lifelike in the viewfinder. Too lifelike. I held my ground as long as possible. The bear continued to trot directly at me. Eventually, I made the sensible choice and moved out of its way. Although this is not exactly the right way to handle an approaching bear, it was a successful method of getting a head-on photograph of this beautiful animal.”