As a keen wildlife photographer, I am always looking at ways to challenge myself so when Sean Weekly told me of availability on a trip to Finland to photograph the Wild Brown Bears, I jumped at it. I had met Sean on Skomer Island back in 2016 photographing the Atlantic Puffins & learnt so much in that short time I was confident that I would enjoy the trip even though it was my first organised wildlife trip.
This is part two of my blog about my encounters with the Wild Brown Bear of Finland – if you have missed it, please read part 1 here.
Night 4 for me was a bit of a bust from a bear perspective. I chose to go into a single man hide for the night & was quietly confident of some good results. However, it was not to be as the wild brown bear sightings were too far away although there was some amusement as a very large male brown bear approached a nearby hide & the occupants started to panic as they were ‘over lensed’ for the shots & great panic ensued as the bear serenely walked past!
I was very excited waiting for the day I was to head off to on an adventure to see &, hopefully, capture some images of the wild brown bears of Finland for myself. I had previously spent a wonderful weekend with NaturesLens on their “Birds of Prey Workshop” prior to going abroad, this was primarily to help hone my, admittedly, very basic photography skills when it comes to wildlife & the capture of images of nature.
After this taster I was keen to get going on my wild brown bear trip & to try out my newly acquired skills. The time soon came & I was in this wonderful boreal location where wild brown bears were to be found & it was just beautiful; watching the sun rise, set & rise again in a few hours in the land of the “midnight sun”, lakes with mist gathering & the white balls of cotton grass seeds swaying in the breeze.
Prior to my trip to Finland to photograph the Wild Brown Bears, I knew that I wanted to come away with a series of compelling & interesting black & white photographs.
With wildlife photography you can use monochrome to highlight the details of the animal or draw your viewers eyes directly to the subject of your image.
B&W images are also useful in turning distracting backgrounds into a dark uncluttered one. Probably the biggest reason I love shooting this way is that it keeps you focused on the actual composition & texture of the photo. It allows you to focus on shapes, light, shadows, lines, & small details allowing for a more interesting image. That is why some photos look more convincing & compelling in black & white than colour.
It was not all about big Brown Bears during the Finland Photography Holiday in the Taiga Forest; we had opportunities to see other species too & this included the rather rare & elusive Wolverine!
Once abundant in numbers, the wolverine is now a very rare animal due to over-hunting. However it was certainly one of the main highlights from the Wild Brown Bears of Finland Photography Holiday.
In June I had the pleasure of co-leading the NaturesLens Wild Brown Bears of Finland Photography Holiday to Vartius.
Close to the Russian border lies an area of the Taiga forest as wild & untouched as it gets within Europe, & here roams one of the greatest predators in the world, the wild Brown Bear!
Continue reading
[/is_singular]
Join NaturesLens guide, Sean Weekly on a week-long wildlife adventure, heading deep into Finnish forests to photograph the native brown bears of Finland which inhabit the region, observing this magnificent animal as it roams freely throughout its remote woodland habitat. The environment offers the perfect backdrop in front of which to capture the bears as they hunt & maintain their territory.
This is a unique opportunity to capture incredible images of this secretive species within their picturesque natural environment. Group numbers are limited, so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment!
The majestic brown bear, considered by many as the king of the forest, wanders predatorily across an expanse of unspoilt woodland which lies along the Finland/Russia border. This is one of Europe’s few remaining true wildernesses, allowing native species like the brown bear to thrive without any threat from human activity.
Following on from our successful photography holiday in September 2016, we are pleased to offer a pair of wildlife photography holidays to Slovenia to photograph the European Brown Bears, the first in May 2017 is focussed on the adult Slovenian Bear &, hopefully, their cubs, the second in September 2017 is to capture images of the Slovenian Bears & their yearling cubs, how will be more bold than those encountered during the May trip.
We have included below a selection of the images that we captured during the photography workshop conducted during September 2016 – unlike the trip to photograph the Bears of Finland, both the Slovenian Bears & Cubs Photography Holiday, & the Slovenian Bears Photography Holiday do not require you to spend overnight in the hides, you exit the hides when the light has gone, return to the hotel, have a warming evening meal & sleep in the comfort of your bedroom
Slovenia is an increasingly important location for the European Brown Bear & their survival as a top-level predator within Europe & it is easy to see why. The lush forests provide the ideal habitat free from being hunted for the European Brown Bear to thrive & survive, our 5 day photography workshop in the midst the territory of these impressive animals provides an abundance of opportunities.
We have two opportunities for you to photograph the amazing Slovenian Bears, both costing £1599 exc travel to Slovenia itself – all transportation within Slovenia, breakfast, lunch & dinner, accommodation & guidance/tuition from Sean Weekly is included, the date for the Slovenian Bears & Cubs Photography Holiday is May 20 – 25, 2017, whilst that for the Slovenian Bears, who will hopefully be bringing their older & bolder cubs to the hides, is set for September 2 – 7, 2017.
To hold a place on either trip, we only require a 25% deposit from you, £400, with the balance due 12 weeks prior to the trip taking place.
Please be aware, you will require lenses that let in the maximum amount of light – largest aperture or smallest f-stop – & a camera with which you are comfortable capturing images at a high ISO – the action is not fast-paced, so rapid FPS is not a deciding factor for equipment suitable for this trip.
We are happy to show a selection of images typical of the type of image that may be captured at the location used for the NaturesLens Brown Bears of Finland Photography Holiday.
All these images were captured by Dan Trim over a period of three nights, the NaturesLens Brown Bears of Finland Photography Holiday spends seven nights at this location, meaning the guests should have many photographic opportunities.
The various locations available, lend themselves to atmospheric morning shots when the mist & light conditions coincide.
Of course, the stars of the photography holiday are the brown bears, who can be found ambling through the cotton grass at the time of year our visit is scheduled for.
Finland is one of the most important locations for the European Brown Bears in Europe & it is easy to see why. For photographers keen to add brown bear images captured in different conditions & lighting to their wildlife portfolio, our seven night stay in Finland in the midst the territory of these apex predators provides an abundance of opportunities.
With the early-bird pricing, our Brown Bears of Finland photography holiday costs £1099 exc flights & airport hotels – all transportation, food, accommodation & hide usage from landing in Kajaani to the return to Kajaani airport is included & is held during the dates of June 25, 2017 – July 3, 2017.
Join NaturesLens guide, Sean Weekly on a week-long wildlife adventure, in June 2017, you will be heading deep into Finnish forests to photograph the native brown bears of Finland which inhabit the region, observing this magnificent animal as it roams freely throughout its remote woodland habitat. The environment offers the perfect backdrop in front of which to capture the bears as they hunt & maintain their territory.
This is a unique opportunity to capture incredible images of this secretive species within their picturesque natural environment. Group numbers are limited, so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment!
We have a tiered pricing for the places on the trip, however, any places booked prior to October 31st, 2016 will have the early bird price applied to them – the places are limited & you will not find another trip priced at a similar level to this for the same duration of nights.
Full details available on the dedicated event page – click here.
