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Laying around

S

Steve Fines

New member
Hello,

These bears are tricky as stink when it comes to hunting. We were on a frozen lake and this guy approached and laid down about 40 yds away. Appeared to go to sleep, but was watching us the whole time. When we started to move to get a better angle he was up and bluff charging within about 0.03 seconds. The guides told us that the polar bears often pretend to sleep or not look at their prey for an extended period of time to lull them into a sense of complacency, and then strike.

Got the old heart beating a little bit.

Fines_20061104_1130-Edit_web.jpg
 
S

Steve Fines

New member
Brian Lowe said:
what camera and lens were you using if I may ask?
-Brian-
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Specs: 1Dsm2, 500/4 IS + 1.4x tc, Gitzo 1348 with Wimberly head, f/6.3 at 1/2000, ISO 800, no flash and me pushing a few buttons.
 
M

Marian Howell

New member
neat photo steve!!
i love the way the ice/snow make the body line underneath him soooo straight...almost as if fake!!
glad you were using the 500 + 1.4x LOL!
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Steve Fines said:
Hello,

These bears are tricky as stink when it comes to hunting. We were on a frozen lake and this guy approached and laid down about 40 yds away. Appeared to go to sleep, but was watching us the whole time. When we started to move to get a better angle he was up and bluff charging within about 0.03 seconds. The guides told us that the polar bears often pretend to sleep or not look at their prey for an extended period of time to lull them into a sense of complacency, and then strike.

Got the old heart beating a little bit.
Click to expand...
I saw a similar thing in Africa. A lioness by a water hole will wait under a tree in the grass hunched down only the shoulders showing. The wilderbeast and zebra look that way every so often as if to check that it's not moving and then get lost in drinking.

Then kabam!! The lion leaps up and makes a 100 yard dash to one particular animal and it's dead!

That is the law of conservation of energy. It's terrifying to watch!

Asher
 
S

Steve Fines

New member
Nill Toulme said:
Wow... great shot. And yikes... what was your plan if he did jump up and charge you?

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net
Click to expand...


Trip the person next to me and run.




haha.

We had two armed guards. They also carried flare guns. The flares made a lot of noise and flashes of light. We actually had to use the flare with this guy, but it promptly did the trick and he scampered off. No harm to the bear or the photographers.
 
J

Joe Russo

New member
Steve,

Terrific photograph! And a great choice to use a slightly panoramic framing to emphasize the bear being stretched out on the snow/ice.

Good thing you had that tripod otherwise that 'heart beating a bit' might have caused a little camera shake. ;-)
 
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