Mother polar bear and cub of the year, Alaska's Beaufort Sea barrier island. Canon 1D Mark IV, 500mm f/4L IS
Mother polar bears with cubs present some of the best photography scenarios largely due to the playful personalities of the young cubs. Born in January, these little cubs grow quite quickly and spend the time before heading out on the ice pack developing in ways that will help in their survival. On average, female polar bears give birth to twins, and why this mother only had one I’m not sure. Perhaps one did not survive, or perhaps she indeed only gave birth to one cub for some reason. One thing is certain, they are a lot of fun to watch, and as much fun to photograph.
Beautiful Image Patrick!
Thanks everyone,
Mark, we do often photograph from either the ground or boat-level, which makes a great vantage point.
They are indeed fun to photograph. 🙂 Looks like you are photographing the bears from a lower angle than is possible on the trips to Churchill using the tundra buggies. Are you actually on the ground, or just shooting from your vehicles at ground level?
WOW! What a great picture! The out of focus white and blue background is perfect for these polar bears!
Wow! I love this! I haven’t seen polar bears yet, but it’s on my bucket list. What a beautiful photo, Patrick!