Winter Wildlife Photography Tips #3: Black Bears in the Den
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Join biologist and wildlife photographer, Brian M. Collins, on a visit to the winter den of a mother black bear and her cubs! Learn about exposure theory in photographing black bears and other animals with dark fur. "To expose for black, dial it back." North American Black Bears seldom use the same winter den twice, but this favorable location has attracted two different bears in just three years! In 2016, the den was occupied by a large male bear. This year, it is a mother bear with her two cubs. Enjoy!
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Wow
very interesting! thanks for sharing this experience.
Well Brian, what an experience indeed! Totally appreciate the respect you show the bear and cubs, to ensure minimal disturbance. Taking us with you on this special trip was a privilege for us too. Walking in the snow and then sinking in it was a blast. I like the fact no mention of location was made, there are times when this is best left out. What exhilaration emotionally you must get to see this. I am sure we all have similar experiences we could all share and I thankyou for sharing yours. Look forward to the next vlog. See you out there.
Thanks so much! It really was a life-changing experience to see and photograph the cubs in the den. Thanks for watching and for your kind words of encouragement!
Sensitively done .
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
Nice video, Brian.
Thanks, Jeff! A great opportunity, and having the opportunity to get to know three hibernating bears, this is the first time I have been fortunate enough to see cubs. Really amazing to see it.
Hello! This is a response to a great question about my gear and the noise of the Canon 7D Mk1. I figured I would post it here as well as this sort of delicate work really should be done with great care for every aspect of the bears' lives. This response will actually be a little bit longer, too, with some bear biology and thoughts about ethics. Here goes.... Thank you for such a thoughtful question! My response is going to be a bit long, as I hope to be equally thoughtful. Visiting a hibernating bear is already sort of "screwing up" in a wildlife photography sense. The bear is vulnerable and using valuable energy resources. The visit in itself pushes the ethical line. As your thoughtful question already reveals, we both agree that if we can share the moment and help others to see the event, as so many nature photographers aspire, other people will care for the animal and the environments that support it. So, now to try to answer your question more directly...I shoot with used gear (I am a teacher and a contract biologist, not a pro photographer), so my only DSLR is a Canon 7D Mk1. By the time I have approached the den, placed my 215 pound body in position, and put my gear together, the bear is already very much aware of my presence. The shutter clicks aren't the issue so much as the snowshoe squeaks, camera bag zipper, and even my own breathing. As the bear begins sending more blood to her extremities with increased pulse and breathing rates, I do spend some time speaking very softly and cooing to the bear to give the assurance that I am not moving in any closer and to allow her to recognize my stationary and "not stalking" demeanor. I limited my shooting to just a couple of dozen clicks. Interestingly enough, the audio you are hearing in the den scenes does not actually belong to that visual moment in time. The winds were blowing pretty strongly from the southeast, and most of the audio, especially onboard the camera, was corrupted with "wind roar". I was using a Zoom H4N Pro (visible in a couple of the shots), and I chose the best audio moment with the bear cubs and with cleaner wind sounds to edit into the scenes. The shutter clicks you are hearing are actually being made while the cubs were visible. I made the decision to get the RAW images as a priority over the video in that moment. Funny paradox, the audio of my shooting RAW still shots with the 7D is overlayed onto video being shot with the same 7D! The only mirrorless camera was a Canon Powershot SX230HS that I had set up on a second tripod for video of the den activity. I hope that makes sense. I have visited the bear four times this winter, and she is doing very well. Her cubs are thriving, and winter is soon to release the icy grip. I limit my visits in duration, and I keep the area a closely guarded secret. I hope to visit the den one last time this month, but only if the weather keeps it safe for the bears. When bears hibernate, they burn about 4000 calories per day and are often quite aware. They will warm up, stand up, stretch, and routinely change body position. The temperature of the bear is around 31 degrees C, or 88 degrees F, and every hibernating bear I have approached has increased heart rate and breathing rate to profuse blood to the extremities. As the cubs have grown older, this female bear has become visibly more active and more aware. The cubs nurse in the den, and they seem to become more energetic as they get older. By this time of year most years, I would imagine the family would have cleared out, but this winter has been lingering in Wisconsin. With the cubs so animated, the mother bear spends a lot of time lifting her legs, repositioning to curl around the cubs, and putting up with their antics. For sure, they have done well this winter and are entering Spring in great condition!
Wouldn't you use a silent mirrorless camera for this type of work ? I'm not sure you'd love to be woken up by a big dslr shutter...
Thank you for such a thoughtful question! My response is going to be a bit long, as I hope to be equally thoughtful. In short, my answer is absolutely yes, ideally. I just don't have one. Visiting a hibernating bear is already sort of "screwing up" in a wildlife photography sense. The bear is vulnerable and using valuable energy resources. The visit in itself pushes the ethical line. As your thoughtful question already reveals, we both agree that if we can share the moment and help others to see the event, as so many nature photographers aspire, other people will care for the animal and the environments that support it. So, now to try to answer your question more directly...I shoot with used gear (I am a teacher and a contract biologist, not a pro photographer), so my only DSLR is a Canon 7D Mk1. By the time I have approached the den, placed my 215 pound body in position, and put my gear together, the bear is already very much aware of my presence. The shutter clicks aren't the issue so much as the snowshoe squeaks, camera bag zipper, and even my own breathing. As the bear begins sending more blood to her extremities with increased pulse and breathing rates, I do spend some time speaking very softly and cooing to the bear to give the assurance that I am not moving in any closer and to allow her to recognize my stationary and "not stalking" demeanor. I limited my shooting to just a couple of dozen clicks. Interestingly enough, the audio you are hearing in the den scenes does not actually belong to that visual moment in time. The winds were blowing pretty strongly from the southeast, and most of the audio, especially onboard the camera, was corrupted with "wind roar". I was using a Zoom H4N Pro (visible in a couple of the shots), and I chose the best audio moment with the bear cubs and with cleaner wind sounds to edit into the scenes. The shutter clicks you are hearing are actually being made while the cubs were visible. I made the decision to get the RAW images as a priority over the video in that moment. Funny paradox, the audio of my shooting RAW still shots with the 7D is overlayed onto video being shot with the same 7D! The only mirrorless camera was a Canon Powershot SX230HS that I had set up on a second tripod for video of the den activity. I hope that makes sense. I have visited the bear four times this winter, and she is doing very well. Her cubs are thriving, and winter is soon to release the icy grip. I limit my visits in duration, and I keep the area a closely guarded secret. I hope to visit the den one last time this month, but only if the weather keeps it safe for the bears.
When i see things like that...I really want to buy a professional camera, unfortunately not in any kind of position to be able to afford one, lol...also ignoring the fact that you wont find many animals where i live (some province area in germany)...but still i'd love to buy a camera and just take more high quality pictures :)
It is truly amazing what kinds of wildlife can be found once a camera is in hand. Even butterflies, common songbirds, and other smaller subjects can make beautiful imagery!
Funny how it says no views for your video at this time but you have 4 thumbs up.