Wildlife photographers are familiar with two unpredictable elements: wild animals' behaviour and light. On Vancouver Island it can rain, be foggy and sunny on the same day therefore the light varies all the time. No matter what type of light, harsh or soft, I have to adapt and be creative. Over the years, I have photographed black bears in all kinds of weather conditions and these are some photos to illustrate how I used the light.

Bright sunny day

Harsh light on a sunny day creates strong contrast between shadow and light. Details are lost in dark shadows and bright spots. Furthermore bright spots attract the eyes of the viewer so I take that into consideration when I frame my subject. Light can also bounce off shiny surfaces such as water and leaves, and for this reason I use a polarizing filter to suppress the glare.

Black bear on a sunny day. Photo taken with a polarizing filter.

Black bear on a bright sunrise. Photo taken without a polarizing filter.

Overcast day

Soft light on a cloudy day means less contrast between shadow and light. The viewer's eyes are attracted by the details in the fur of the black bear, its brown snout, its beady eyes and the scales of the fish. This is my prefered type of light.

Black bear with a salmon on an overcast day.

Shooting in thick fog

One morning, I found myself surrounded by black bears in thick fog. The only way to differentiate between rounded boulders and fatty black bears was when the large dark mass started to move. Instead of putting my camera down and waiting for the fog to dissipate, which could take a long time, I used the fog to capture the mood of that moment.

Female black bear and her cub in thick fog.

Silhouettes

A backlit subject, or a dark subject against a bright background, can produce interesting silhouettes and create bold images. The subject really stands out.