Polar bear in Alaska’s Arctic. Canon 5D Mark III, 500mm f/4L IS w/1.4x (700mm) 1/320 @ f/6.3, ISO 200.
This polar bear basked in the afternoon light along the shore of the Beaufort Sea, as ice begins to form. This is one of my favorite color combinations in a photo, the blue and yellow/gold, or warm and cool tones. They work very well to deliver both contrast along with the feelings provoked by warm and cool colors. The polar bear is so well adapted to this chilly environment, and it is amazing to watch them dive into freezing water without the slightest apprehension. I used three horizontal images to create this panorama, and the slight elevation of my position from a vehicle worked perfectly to produce simple linear shapes in the distance. Shooting panoramas takes a bit of habitual and fast thinking, but are relatively easy to do.
