Each year, during the annual salmon run, brown bears emerge from the misty glacial peaks that ring southwestern Alaska’s coastline and river valleys. Each bear has a favorite feeding ground and a technique refined over years. The largest males can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and are generally the first to claim the prime spots on the river. This one was no exception.

For days I watched him read the current, hold his position, and then strike with pinpoint precision, pulling fish after fish from the rushing water. Photographing bears is almost like a meditation practice; you sit in perfect stillness for hours, resist the urge to anticipate, and let the animal dictate the encounter. When he finally turned and came straight down the channel toward me, shoulders rolling with each step, I made the shot.

This image is available now as a limited edition print. To inquire or explore more of my work with bears, please visit https://paulnicklen.com/fineart/born-to-rule/

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