Polar bear symmetry
Polar bear sleeps on the snow covered arctic barrier island in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Canon 1D Mark IV, 500mm f/4L IS, with 1.4x (910mm) 1/500 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 400.
While her cubs were off playing, this female polar bear curled up on the snow and dozed off occasionally. The posture makes a beautiful, symmetrical pose. It is a cropped version of an image taken with a Canon 1D Mark IV, 500mm + 1.4x extender, which translates into a focal length of 910mm. That is a long reach, but it is still very sharp.
As Fairbanks awaits a chilly minus 50 degree temperature this weekend, it is amazing that these bears survive in the chilly arctic waters. They are incredibly well insulated with up to 4 inches of fat under some of that white fur. Ian Sterling reports in his book on Polar Bears, that aerial infrared heat sensing equipment can’t detect the actual bear, just the warm air exiting their mouth when trekking across the ice pack.
I’ll be processing more images from this folder over the next week and will share a few keepers on subsequent posts. You can see more polar bear photos on my website.
This is wonderful Patrick.
Hey thanks Phyllis, lots of good memories from those photo tours, thanks for joining us on one of them!
Fantastic capture! It is definitely a unique perspective.
Thanks Eli,
Were you shooting the aurora during the recent storm?
What an amazing photo! I don’t think I’d have the guts to get close enough to take a photo like this. Heck, I don’t think I’d have the guts to be within a mile of a polar bear if I knew it was there.
Great work. Keep em comin!
Tim, Thanks. In all of my years photographing polar bears at this location, I’ve never seen one express aggressive posture towards humans. Of course, that does not mean it can’t happen, but in general, there are many other places much more scary on this planet, like shopping in a mall or fending off road rage!
Patrick,
I’ve been a frequent visitor to your website over the past few months and have recommended it to several people. Living on Baffin Island I am still a true rookie in northern photography, but your skill inspires me to keep pushing myself in getting that next great shot/improving my skills. Please keep up your hard work and keep those tips coming! (a northerner a couple thousand miles away)
Excellent shot and wonderful picture. Awesome Patrick!!!.
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Hi Mark,
I’m glad you have been enjoying the site, and keep on pursuing photography. I would love to come to Baffin Island some day, I’ve seen pictures from that great land.
Thank you Altax
Love your blog and G+. Stumbled and tweeted this.
Thanks Mari
Beautiful Pictures of Sweet Animals………
Thanks for this Nice Blog…….