Dan was one of our guests on the recent NaturesLens imposing Brown Bears & Cubs of Finland photography holiday. For 2019, we changed the format & also moved from the location that we have used in previous years, to two new locations. Our guests spent time photographing large predators such as adult bears, wolverine & wolf at one location, before moving onto our next location for super cute bear cubs. I think the change of location worked out very well. Just look at the strong reflected bear photograph above, that Dan sent us.
A wide range of lenses can be used on this photography tour. A wide-angle such as the 24-105mm or even the 16-35mm would be great to capture environment shots. A mid range telephoto lens such as a 100-400mm would provide flexbility as the bears move around. If you have a long lens such as a 500mm or 600mm, bring that too if you can.
I always enjoy seeing the wider images of the bears & other wildlife in the environment. I love the fabulous colours on this wonderful image of a bear walking along the lake edge, while rays of sunlight gently kiss the top of the trees.
Or this image, which despite their size, shows how small the bears are in comparison to the Finnish landscape all around them.
The Taiga, or boreal forest, is home to many species other than just the bears. White-tailed sea eagles, squirrels, wolverine & even wolf all inhabit the forest realm & are often visible to photographers hidden within the multitude of hides.
Of course, one of the reasons for making the NaturesLens Bear tour a dual centre holiday was to maximise the possibility of photographing bear cubs & the guests were not disappointed. Adult bears, juveniles & cubs were all very obliging & Dan certainly made the most of their visits.
Here a juvenile is fastidiously inspecting something at the base of a tree with its mother. What it is we do not know, but it was causing some fascination!
With so many adult bears in the forest, conflict is inevitable. One bear strays into the territory of another or they cross paths while patrolling their areas. Much growling & a show of force is often the result. Our guests noted that one of the adult bears, affectionately nicknamed Yogi, bore battle scars from defending his territory.
The lake provides opportunities for the bears to cool off & to swim … & for our guests to capture images of the bears in the water in action or as gorgeous portrait images.
- NaturesLens wildlife photography holidays are structured around photographic opportunity — every schedule decision is made around light, behaviour, & access.
- Small groups of 4–8 photographers ensure unhurried positions & individual guidance.
- Single occupancy accommodation is included as standard across the majority of our trips.
