Polar bear walks along the breaking surf on an island in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. Canon 5D Mark III, 500mm f/4L IS II, 1/500 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 640
Off the far north arctic coast of Alaska lies the Beaufort Sea. On windy days the surf pounds the outer barrier islands which are inhabited by polar bears waiting for the sea ice to form. The broad sky in this composition hints at the wide open space that goes on for miles and miles beyond this last bit of earth marking the edge of North America in Alaska. From here, there is only water and/or ice, depending on the time of year. When photographing wildlife with long lenses one can get tunnel vision, but it in some cases including a larger part of the surroundings helps give context and tell a little more of the subject story.
