Wild Eurasian Brown Bears In Finland [more shots added] ....

RedRobin

RedRobin

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If you go down to the woods today you're sure of a big surprise!

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY YOU'RE SURE OF A BIG SURPRISE! by Robin Procter, on Flickr

This wild Eurasian Brown Bear looks bigger than a cub but is probably a 2-year old but I don't know what made him climb so high. I'm not sure he knows why he climbed quite so high either! If you needed any proof that Bears can climb trees then this is it!

And on a sunny night this Bear came so close to my hide that I couldn't include him all in the frame! It was unexpected and I didn't have time to change lenses :

WILD BROWN BEAR PORTRAIT by Robin Procter, on Flickr

On daylit nights in the thick forests of Finland this Summer Solstice - I love Finland and will be returning in Autumn - It would be rude not to!

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM CONTINUING TO ADD MORE PHOTOS TO THIS THREAD AND TO TELL THEIR STORY

[Thanks to everybody who Likes and/or comments on my images. always very much appreciated]
 
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Lovely and in environment context image :)

PS do tell me/us a bit more about the trip (who through etc please :) )
 
bass_junkie83 said:
That is bloomin awesome!
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.... Many Thanks, Dave! The scene was begging for a photograph!

I cropped a bit off the top to increase the feeling of the Bear's height off the ground and also cropped the righthand side to improve composition and lose some distracting foreground foliage.
 
I like that you've shown a lot of the environment. I think a wider view give a lot more context (not that there's anything with close up views).
 
Nostromo said:
I like that you've shown a lot of the environment. I think a wider view give a lot more context (not that there's anything with close up views).
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.... Thanks Dominic. I always like to at least hint at the wildlife subject's environment/habitat - Unless it's captive or at a zoo, in which case I try to find an angle which hides the environment (I don't hide the fact that my shot is of a captive though).

I have just added a second shot to my original post which is an uncropped close-up.... VERY close-up!
 
The portrait is lovely but the 1st is a great shot and I would have been very happy to have taken that :clap:
 
Box Brownie said:
Lovely and in environment context image :)

PS do tell me/us a bit more about the trip (who through etc please :) )
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.... Cheers! I always like to at least hint at a wildlife subject's environment or habitat (except when captive).

Trip was with BearPhoto : https://www.bearphoto.co.uk

As should always be expected with wildlife, sightings were not guaranteed and you need to be prepared for long sessions. I did 14hr sessions for 5 daylit nights in a row and those who grabbed some short sleeps missed opportunities! Accommodation was basic like a youth hostel with shower etc in a different building. Food very mediocre. Lots of mosquitoes. But I'm going back!
 
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Cracking light on the 2nd Robin (y)

And yes even captive bears climb trees I've seen it a few times ( Lions do also, btw) one day I'll also get them "Wild" :)
 
2 superb shots Robin - I hope you're rightfully chuffed with these 2!

First one is just about perfect - I bet it would look great displayed or printed at a much bigger size - it really is crying out for being seen big! Composition is spot on, especially with the bear looking downwards.

You also did brilliant with the second shot given the fast moving situation you describe. Techs are spot on (kudos for pushing the ISO). What a real pity the gorgeous light didn't come down just a little lower to light his eyes up. No deal breaker though.

What I might suggest is 2 little subtle tweaks. First up, take the cyan out of the back of his neck and his nose. Secondly try dodging the lower right quarter of the bear to get a little more detail in his fur. This is how I see it, what do you think?

48395379927_628f42fb35_b-RP.jpg

Mike
 
2 lovely shots of these lovely Bears, I do like the 1st one, well taken/framed, and I agree, Finland is a lovely place, I was there last December but in Oulu which was lovely but not enough snow as it was very late arriving.
I may go back in Feb next year :)
 
Sectionate said:
That's marvellous, you can see the bears realisation of a mistake in the first image :D
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.... Thanks. I thought the same at first! :D

But I observed and photographed quite a bit of tree climbing by various size Bears while in Finland and whereas it is both very comic for us humans to interpret the downwards look as a mistake realisation oops-moment, they are in fact just checking if it's safe to slide down. Bears most often climb trees to escape from confrontation with other Bears, usually big males. A male will kill cubs and mate with the mother if he can.

They use their long claws and great strength to simply slide down a tree trunk - Very easily indeed.

I have other photos of Bears up trees including very cute, very young cubs but haven't uploaded them to Flickr yet.

Perhaps the biggest thing I have learnt from my seeing wild Bear behaviour is that they go out of their way to avoid all confrontation. Even a female in protection of her cubs will adopt defensive behaviour rather than instant attack. This is contrary to how Bears are usually portrayed. But they are very much individual characters. I love them!
 
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RedRobin said:
....

Perhaps the biggest thing I have learnt from my seeing wild Bear behaviour is that they go out of their way to avoid all confrontation. Even a female in protection of her cubs will adopt defensive behaviour rather than instant attack. This is contrary to how Bears are usually portrayed. But they are very much individual characters. I love them!
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As was also evidenced by that lovely wildlife documentary by Gordon Buchanan "The bears and me" I think it was called. They are not the monsters that some sections of media and reporting would have us believe!

PS I will look forward to seeing anything you are going to show of the cubs you mentioned :)
 
Box Brownie said:
As was also evidenced by that lovely wildlife documentary by Gordon Buchanan "The bears and me" I think it was called. They are not the monsters that some sections of media and reporting would have us believe!

PS I will look forward to seeing anything you are going to show of the cubs you mentioned :)
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.... Agreed, not monsters at all! Just potentially dangerous but so are humans! Ah yes, I saw that docu 'Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me' about Russian orphaned cubs. The same Eurasian Brown Bear species as the ones I photographed in Finland within walking distance of the Russian border. I understand that they are a type of the Grizzly Bear found in America. Wild Bears and other wild animals do not take any notice of man-made national borders unless they are contained by a Bear-proof fence.

In due course I can post quite a few more of my favourite Finnish Bear pics here in this thread. Currently I have 3 pics of cuties processed. I'll be adding to my 'Finland' Album on Flickr to then post here.
 
pooley said:
2 superb shots Robin - I hope you're rightfully chuffed with these 2!

First one is just about perfect - I bet it would look great displayed or printed at a much bigger size - it really is crying out for being seen big! Composition is spot on, especially with the bear looking downwards.
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.... Thanks Mike! Yes I am feeling chuffed with these first two posted here. I had plenty of time to create the first stage of the composition which I saw I would want and with my usual expectation to fine tune the crop in post-processing. I waited for the Bear to look downwards as I knew he would because he was no longer climbing.

pooley said:
You also did brilliant with the second shot given the fast moving situation you describe. Techs are spot on (kudos for pushing the ISO). What a real pity the gorgeous light didn't come down just a little lower to light his eyes up. No deal breaker though.
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.... Thanks. The Bear suddenly appeared so close from the righthand side of the hide and he was moving quite quickly towards the left and so I only had seconds to compose the best I could to include the jaw - The image is uncropped. I had noticed that while on the move, as this one was, Bears tend to follow their noses when relaxed, not unlike how dogs pick up and follow scents.

The rather eerie light of the midnight sun (literally sunlight at midnight at Summer Solstice in Finland) was very low indeed but filtered through the thick layers of forest. Bears eyes are quite recessed to shade them and so it's quite unusual to capture their eyes fully lit up.

Re the ISO, I was shooting Auto ISO with a max threshold of 6400 and Manual Mode with the max aperture on my EF 500mm F/4 being F/8 due to a mounted 2x Extender (which I had no time to remove). I had mounted the 2x because the Bears had been appearing at a distance needing it. I find that images captured by the full-frame Canon 1DX-2 are usually acceptable at ISO as high as 6400.

pooley said:
What I might suggest is 2 little subtle tweaks. First up, take the cyan out of the back of his neck and his nose. Secondly try dodging the lower right quarter of the bear to get a little more detail in his fur. This is how I see it, what do you think?

View attachment 251846

Mike
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.... I think your edit is subtle and very good indeed and has preserved the integrity of my original. However, when processing I was aware of the blue tinge on the nose and top of neck and decided that it was down to the eerie daylit night and I quite liked how it complimented the red light. Also, the nose looks wetter with the blue tinge (as it should do on a healthy animal). I was shooting with WB set to 'Cloudy' 5963K which I prefer even in bright sunlight but can always adjust in post-p later.

I very rarely do any dodging of any areas in my photographs and my adjustments are usually global - I shoot and keep too many different images to warrant spending extra time if I don't get one good enough initially.

Cheers Mike :)
 
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RedRobin said:
.... Thanks Mike! Yes I am feeling chuffed with these first two posted here. I had plenty of time to create the first stage of the composition which I saw I would want and with my usual expectation to fine tune the crop in post-processing. I waited for the Bear to look downwards as I knew he would because he was no longer climbing.



.... Thanks. The Bear suddenly appeared so close from the righthand side of the hide and he was moving quite quickly towards the left and so I only had seconds to compose the best I could to include the jaw - The image is uncropped. I had noticed that while on the move, as this one was, Bears tend to follow their noses when relaxed, not unlike how dogs pick up and follow scents.

The rather eerie light of the midnight sun (literally sunlight at midnight at Summer Solstice in Finland) was very low indeed but filtered through the thick layers of forest. Bears eyes are quite recessed to shade them and so it's quite unusual to capture their eyes fully lit up.

Re the ISO, I was shooting Auto ISO with a max threshold of 6400 and Manual Mode with the max aperture on my EF 500mm F/4 being F/8 due to a mounted 2x Extender (which I had no time to remove). I had mounted the 2x because the Bears had been appearing at a distance needing it. I find that images captured by the full-frame Canon 1DX-2 are usually acceptable at ISO as high as 6400.



.... I think your edit is subtle and very good indeed and has preserved the integrity of my original. However, when processing I was aware of the blue tinge on the nose and top of neck and decided that it was down to the eerie daylit night and I quite liked how it complimented the red light. Also, the nose looks wetter with the blue tinge (as it should do on a healthy animal). I was shooting with WB set to 'Cloudy' 5963K which I prefer even in bright sunlight but can always adjust in post-p later.

I very rarely do any dodging of any areas in my photographs and my adjustments are usually global - I shoot and keep too many different images to warrant spending extra time if I don't get one good enough initially.

Cheers Mike :)
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No worries Robin, you've considered the reasons and your responses are more than valid, especially the wet nose. I would consider doing some local adjustments when required in the future though - that little bit of final polish can often make all the difference after spending thousands of pounds and countless hours in the process of getting the shot.

Time to see some more me thinks

Mike
 
pooley said:
No worries Robin, you've considered the reasons and your responses are more than valid, especially the wet nose. I would consider doing some local adjustments when required in the future though - that little bit of final polish can often make all the difference after spending thousands of pounds and countless hours in the process of getting the shot.

Time to see some more me thinks

Mike
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.... I do what are called 'Local Adjustments' in CaptureOne (I only shoot RAW) but not any dodging. But you are right about having spent thousands of pounds! I don't mind the countless hours - It's an excuse to get out there away from people. I will take notice of your advice though. Cheers!

Okay, so you want to see more! Next we have a pair of cuties : This was on a cloudy evening/night.

CUTE BEAR CUBS TAKING REFUGE by Robin Procter, on Flickr
 
You are a diligent guy Robin, all credit i'm unsure whether I could have put in those hours I know I would have tried just doubt I'd measure up. The images are fabulous I loved the convo with Mike another who inspires me greatly.

I also really like your notes on how you viewed the bears and their reactions to humans. Robin real genuine thanks for sharing cracking images and damn good reading:cool:

cheers muchly

stu
 
Purely awesome and terrifying! :eek:

Really enjoyed your pictures, thank you for sharing. You have certainly inspired me to take some time off and shoot some wildlife :D
 
Rustydon said:
I echo all that's been said above Robin - and it looks a great location for such shots (y)

Russ
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.... Cheers Russ!

The location is absolutely superb - Thousands and thousands of unspoilt acres of forested wilderness with many lakes (and swamps and mosquitoes!). The forest trees are mostly a wild mixture of Pine, Silver Birch and Mountain Ash. The Silver Birch pale trunks sometimes create a distraction in the background as in my shot of a passing Wolverine but hey-ho I'll take that any hour of the day and any day of the week!

A WILD WOLVERINE! by Robin Procter, on Flickr

The light is constantly changing and the lakes adding mists to the atmosphere. It really was no problem staying awake all night (daylit) on watch for 14 hours at a time. I took one or two photos of the scene with my iPhone.

It is no wonder the Bears live happily and breed up there and are largely undisturbed by Man.
 
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nandbytes said:
Purely awesome and terrifying! :eek:
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SFTPhotography said:
Great pictures - I'd be terrified in case Mr Bear decided I would be his dinner.

How do you keep safe shooting such potentially dangerous beasts?
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.... We are not their natural prey. You don't need to feel terrified of wild Bears unless you surprise them or try to interfere with them. By nature they prefer to avoid confrontation and especially when they are less used to seeing humans as is the case where we were. Because they have such a powerful sense of smell they are familiar with our scent. I expect they sometimes ask themselves whether we sh*t in the woods. Btw, Bears do sh*t in the woods and it is coloured green - I nearly stepped in some one evening on the way to a hide.

A wooden shed with canvas curtained windows is sufficiently safe. The shed hides have been there for years and do not alarm the Bears - Hence my close up shot.
 
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IS IT SAFE TO COME BACK DOWN YET?

IS IT SAFE TO COME DOWN YET? by Robin Procter, on Flickr

These three young wild Brown Bear cubs are coming back down to ground from the refuge of a tall Pine tree but are unsure if the potential danger of a male Bear's presence has passed yet. While a mother is still in season, a male Bear will sometimes kill her cubs and attempt to mate with her in order to propagate his own genes.
 
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nandbytes said:
Really enjoyed your pictures, thank you for sharing. You have certainly inspired me to take some time off and shoot some wildlife :D
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.... My pleasure! I enjoy sharing my pictures and reliving my own enjoyment of the time. Inspiring others is a great compliment.

As you may already know, wildlife is perhaps the most challenging of subjects to photograph but very satisfying when you nail it!
 
RedRobin said:
The Silver Birch pale trunks sometimes create a distraction in the background as in my shot of a passing Wolverine
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You could have waited a second till it passed the tree :D

I love this one Robin, great pose great light, I think you pretty much nailed it (y)
 
RedRobin said:
IS IT SAFE TO COME BACK DOWN YET?

IS IT SAFE TO COME DOWN YET? by Robin Procter, on Flickr

These three young wild Brown Bear cubs are coming back down to ground from the refuge of a tall Pine tree but are unsure if the potential danger of a male Bear's presence has passed yet. While a mother is still in season, a male Bear will sometimes kill her cubs and attempt to mate with her in order to propagate his own genes.
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Great picture.

Charming species eh? Killing off other cubs just to have your own. I thought we were bad but crumbs...
 
SFTPhotography said:
Great picture.

Charming species eh? Killing off other cubs just to have your own. I thought we were bad but crumbs...
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It is the nature of "nature", many other species will do that including Lions and (some?) other big cats.

[Rant]
We (humans) on the other hand destroy whole species without regard for the fact that they have as much right to exist as we do! PS and what about the war crime of raping females of the enemy/civilian population....... the bears and other animals are driven by a genetic imperative, humans on the other hand have a conscious choice!
[/Rant]
 
Rob, Superb pictures. I'm just surprised the mosquitoes you mention haven't appeared on here as "minibeasts" (only joking). I have enjoyed them so much that I am looking at the site to book a trip. I really fancy Brookes falls in Katmai but with the $ conversion rate that is just too expensive. I note they do trips throughout the seasons. Which one do you think gives the best opportunities? - tough question I know.
 
RedRobin said:
IS IT SAFE TO COME BACK DOWN YET?

IS IT SAFE TO COME DOWN YET? by Robin Procter, on Flickr

These three young wild Brown Bear cubs are coming back down to ground from the refuge of a tall Pine tree but are unsure if the potential danger of a male Bear's presence has passed yet. While a mother is still in season, a male Bear will sometimes kill her cubs and attempt to mate with her in order to propagate his own genes.
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Simply sublime to see and read about them :)

Do did you learn anything about litter size, on average is three typical for a sow? And anything in regard to survival percentages?
 
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