In the Field

Nuances. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 1, 2010.

Just a griz - caught in the act of swimming across a channel in an estuary at the head of the Khutzeymateen Inlet on the northern coast of BC.

What makes this image work for me is the nuanced lighting illuminating the head of this bear. This image is also a great example of why I just love the power and control of shooting digitally, and especially why I love shooting raw images. When I was watching this bear swim by our Zodiac I was struck by how the thinly overcast sky (sun above and slightly behind the bear) produced light that allowed both fantastic detail and colour to show at the same time. In particular, I like how the hairs immediately below the bear's eye were being just ever-so-lightly kissed by the sun.

There was no real "trick" in capturing this image. Even though there was a light cloud cover, between the bear being wet and the sun striking the bear from above, I had to be careful not to blowout critical highlights in this shot. So, I underexposed the image slightly (just to the point where I knew the highlights would be completely "retrievable" with my preferred raw converter), with the knowledge that I could easily return the shadows to the state I observed in the field during image processing. To fully return the image to that I remembered seeing in the field required making 3 separate raw conversions from the original file and then combining (or compositing) them in Photoshop. This was necessary to pull out the nuances of the lighting and colour, simply because our cameras - while getting more amazing each year - still aren't perfect, and most images presented "as shot" don't accurately reflect what we saw through the viewfinder.

This image was captured during my annual "Grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen" Instructional Photo Tour in the spring of 2010. If you're interested in joining me on one of my photo tours into the Great Bear Rainforest or other coastal destinations, check out the details on my "Photo Tours" page of this website. My Instructional Photo Tours into the Great Bear Rainforest are run in conjunction with Ocean Light II Adventures - they offer a number of amazing adventure tours (including top-notch bear-viewing tours as well as tours of exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands) and I highly recommend them!

Behind the Camera

Nuances. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 1, 2010.

Digital Capture; RAW 14-bit format; ISO 360.

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 400mm f2.8 VRII lens - handheld from floating Zodiac. VR on and set to "Normal" mode.

1/250s @ f4; -0.33 stop compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting of camera.

At the Computer

Nuances. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 1, 2010.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass/capture sharpening using Phase One's Capture One Pro 5. Three RAW conversions at different exposure settings. Exposure settings at -0.33 stops compensation through to +0.8 stops (underexposure to retrieve highlight details; over-exposure to help draw out shadow detail on side of snout and cheek of bear).

Further digital corrections on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS5 and Light Craft's LightZone. Photoshop adjustments included compositing and masking of 3 exposure versions, selective saturation of colours and selective sharpening for web output. Final tonemapping and tweaking performed with LightZone use the (tonemapper/re-light tool).

Conservation

Nuances. Khutzeymateen Inlet, BC, Canada. June 1, 2010.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Raincoast*.

Species Status in Canada**: Special Concern (May 2002).

While Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) are not technically listed as "Endangered" in Canada, they have been extirpated from most of their historical range. Grizzly Bears are far more sensitive to intrusion/disturbance in their habitat than are Black Bears and are being increasingly forced into marginal habitat by human encroachment. The Great Bear Rainforest along the central and northern coast of British Columbia is one of the last strongholds of the Grizzly Bear in Canada, and even this population is coming under increasing pressure.

On December 18, 2017 the government of British Columbia banned grizzly hunting across the entire province. This major conservation victory came after decades of tireless work by many dedicated conservationists and ecologists and, most importantly, it reflects the opinion of the vast majority of British Columbians. And, it means that AT LEAST while the current government remains in power grizzlies are finally "safe" in British Columbia.

Now that we've at least temporarily won the battle to save grizzlies in BC, it's time to re-focus our efforts toward protecting ALL of BC's carnivores, including Gray Wolves, Black Bears, Cougars, Wolverines, and more! Simply put, there are no ecological, economic, or ethical arguments supporting the trophy hunting of carnivores.

In a great first step towards ending the hunting of carnivores throughout BC the Raincoast Conservation Foundation has developed a program designed to protect ALL carnivores within the Great Bear Rainforest. Details about this program can be found on this page on Raincoast's website. Check it out and, better yet, make a donation to help Raincoast purchase the remaining commercial hunting tenures in the Great Bear!

*The Raincoast Conservation Society (and Foundation) is an effective and efficient organization that has been fighting for protection of this unique habitat. If you are looking for a meaningful way to contribute to the conservation of this amazing ecosystem, Raincoast will provide maximal "bang" for your conservation dollars.

**as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada