Wildlife in Photography

Note: This series is based on personal experience, but it is important to note that any wild animal is capable of being extremely dangerous. Seek expert guidance if you are interested in serious photography or research ventures.

If you’ve followed this series all week, thanks for reading. Hopefully you’ve come away with a bit more knowledge about black bears.

I’m still actively working on the images for this collection, so I may have more to report in the future. Each of my several dozen encounters so far have taught me more about this animal than write-ups such as this could ever fully do justice. I just hope that in sharing these stories and bits of advice one might learn to appreciate the bears a bit more.

Some people can go their entire lives without finding a bear, and when I started this project it certainly felt like I would be one of them too. Only after weeks of searching and hoping did things start to turn around. It was, and still is, hit or miss whether you’ll be graced with a visit.

A young bear wanders through Harrisonburg, Virginia, in August.

As urban sprawl spreads deeper into the territory of black bears, we can be sure that there will be increased conflict between man and animal. It is inevitable in most cases, and will truly be a sad fate for the bears.

Luckily, some refuges exist for bears in the National Park System, where it is usually illegal to disturb or kill them. If you’ve got a little time, and I’ve piqued your interest, take a drive to the nearest park and see what you can find.

Full Series

• Part I: A Basic Background
• Part II: The Signs
• Part III: Safety
• Part IV: Photography
• Part V: Closing Thoughts