King Salmon, Alaska - 2026

Two factors elevate the sense of place in this bear shot: my low position and the heavy snowfalls that Alaska experienced this past winter. This picture was taken on 7th June 2026 - early in the mating season—and the snow cover in the mountains was the most I have seen when filming in this remote part of the world. It is as good a backdrop as I could have imagined and the generous light allowed me to showcase the snow. 

A small creek lay between me and the female bear, giving me the opportunity to get low and dirty in the creek and raise my lens upwards. That made all the difference to the final composition. It is not unusual for me to bin my waterproof trousers after an Alaskan trip and this was no exception. I will always be as low in the field as I can possibly be. 

Bear photography requires partnership and trust between the photographer and the bear guide. I would never consider doing this alone and we owe a great deal to Brooke Bartleson’s knowledge of many bears in the Silver Salmon Creek area. Of course, new members of the bear community arrive each season that she must get to know, but she knew I would be okay with this mum. That was invaluable advice; in this part of the world, it is all about the guide, not the camera.

As for borrowing the title of the recent movie about the bear who stumbles across the wrong package, well there was a white ring around her nose that I could not resist playing on.