Bears in Europa and Amerika

Bears are very interesting animals to photograph. They are intelligent and display an extensive repertoire of behaviors. They also appear very ‘cuddly’, especially when there are cubs. In addition, a bear captures the imagination due to its brute strength. Therefore, particularly in America, many bear stories and legends are circulating. A bear is therefore a rewarding subject for any nature photographer.

Bear photography in the past

Over the years, I have photographed a many bears. Many of those photos were taken in the analog era on slide film in the 80s and 90s. Mass tourism didn’t really exist back then. At famous places like McNeil River and Katmai in Alaska, I could photograph in peace without being disturbed by tourists. Unfortunately, those days are over, and a location like Katmai is overrun with tourists these days; you have to book a campsite many months in advance! McNeil River? You have to enter a lottery to get a spot, and a visit now costs a fortune. I can still leaf through all those old bear slides with a touch of nostalgia. It makes me think back to how things used to be.

The digital era

But ok, times have changed for good, and with some effort, it is still possible to find quiet locations where you can photograph a bear undisturbed. On this page, you will find a number of photos of bears that I took over the years. Most photos were taken after 2000 with a digital camera. Unfortunately, as far as I am concerned, the quality of scans of the slides I made in the previous century is usually insufficient. The quality achieved with a digital camera nowadays is so much better that scans would look out of place.