Lucky cub

[Roman Kurywczak]

This is one of those moments as a photographer I will never forget. Mom caught the fish, and the larger/more agressive cub on the left tried to rip it out of her jaws......he is about 2 & 1/2 years old and almost her size. She growled/woofed and bit him to let the little one get the prize. I have never witnessed that B4. While I put the hammer down on the Mark 3......I knew the odds of 3 heads in alll that commotion would be slim. This and the next frame are the only 2 that worked (next frame he is a bit closer to edge of frame). Probably the most memorable moment of my week there.
Sigma 300-800mm at 501mm and f7.1 and 1/2000th of a sec at ISO 800. All tripod mounted w/ wimberly head. It was truly a joy to witness....just look at the expressions!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Very cool interaction and sharpness. Thanks for sharing the story. The cub on the left still seems to think about how to get that fish. :)

[Mark Fuge]

Great shot and story. Congrats Roman!

[denise ippolito]

Wow! The story and the picture are fabulous!! Really nice to see the underdog get one!! Congrats!!!

[Jackie Schuknecht]

An amazing capture Roman and to have witnessed the whole thing must have been incredible. It must have been something to see. I agree that the faces tell the story.

[Grace Scalzo]

The image tells the story, terrific image, Roman!

[Charles Glatzer]

Roman,

A fine image, with wonderful communicative impact.

Bet you had fun at the Brook's Circus :)

Best,

Chas

[Roman Kurywczak]

Roman,

A fine image, with wonderful communicative impact.

Bet you had fun at the Brook's Circus :)

Best,

Chas

Hi all, Thanks! It was quite the experience.

Chas.....it may have been because of the economy......but it was pretty empty by Katmai standards. They told me that even though the lodges were sold out......day traffic was down significantly......so the normal zoo was managable. Spent 5 hours every evening on platform. Only 1st night when Moose Peterson was there with his group was it even remotely full.

[Kiran Khanzode]

Roman,
What you said is so true, sometimes a moment matters a lot when you study the animal's behavior and is etched forever in the memory. Thx for the story, what a cute/happy ending to the hunt. Fish in the mouth of the cub tells it all, lovely !!!

[Harshad Barve]

Wonderfull action well captured here
I am loving expressions on faces
picture perfect for me
TFS

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Hi Roman,
Lovely moment. Nice action. I am confused by the terms circus, zoo.. People like me who are from different countries may not know the place.

These days there are tourists in lot of wilderness areas. I only wish that they are quiet, observe the wildlife and create images that appeal to them rather than just "shoot".

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Roman,
Lovely moment. Nice action. I am confused by the terms circus, zoo.. People like me who are from different countries may not know the place.

These days there are tourists in lot of wilderness areas. I only wish that they are quiet, observe the wildlife and create images that appeal to them rather than just "shoot".

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

Hi Sabyasachi,
The amount of people is exactly to what Chas is referring to. Even though only around 150 people a day stay in that area overnight......100's more travel out just for the day. Even though most of the people are respectful and the National Park Service does control things the best they can......some people feel that it is an "actual" zoo environment and feel they can disobey the rules. They are dealt with quickly but because of the # of people and the proximity to so many bears.......that atmosphere is probably not the best for the bears. Remember that the only way in is by float plane....so all that noise is also far from the wilderness experience....although doesn't seem the bears mind.

[Charles Glatzer]

Photographers can obtain wonderful imagery at Brook's. However, the atmosphere is not the best for people either, especially those that truly appreciated a wildlife experience IN THE WILD. To many people, too many conflicting rules...trying to cross the bridge can often take hours due to a sleeping bear. Platform viewing restrictions set up to cycle photogs and watchers alike. I understand the need for safety control, and I am sure the Parks Dept, volunteers, etc are all doing the best job as they see fit. But, I only tolerate the insanity for the images, and not very often. That said, everyone needs to do it once ;) and experience it for themselves. Sept is wonderful, especially after the facility closes. There are far more bears in Sept as well, but the Mangelson iconic salmon in the bears mouth image is best tried for in July/Aug.

Best,

Chas

[Rich Ikerd]

Not much else to add Roman - exceptional image showing good family interaction. While I've visited the Katmai shoreline for bears I haven't yet made it to Brooks; but given all of the talk about the crowded conditions, maybe sticking with some of the other less known lodges is better.

[Fabs Forns]

Wouldn't it be worth it getting a smaller aperture since you have enough ISO and s/s to spare?
Just a thought. Nice action captured!

[Krijn Trimbos]

Great family get together. Cool action and water splashes, it does look on the soft side, maybe another round of USM??

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Thanks for all the info Roman. What an incredible moment. You gotta be stoked mate! It's a priceless image. Thanks for sharing :)

[Ken Watkins]

I somehow missed this before a wonderful image with a good story, the facial expressions say everything.

As to the comments about crowds this is all to common nowadays but you cannot really limit the visitors unless you put the cost beyond the capabilities of many.They have tried to dothis in Botswana, and in my opinion failed, even the rich make a lot of noise.

I am with Sabyaschi on this one I just wish they would try to be quieter and considerate.

[Kiran Poonacha]

Wow.. Sir.. Its beautiful...

[John Ippolito]

Well done, beautifully captured, and a great experience, Roman! I am always captivated by bears and their complex behavior.

[Tim Rucci]

What a great memory captured. Thanks for the background story that tied it all together. Nice comp and a wonderful image.

[Morkel Erasmus]

what a great family interaction captured Roman! you can see the parents almost give up as if to say "he's already spoiled rotten so we can't stop spoiling him now" :)