From one year to the next, this brown bear cub seems to be growing up nicely. The first image was taken in 2022 and appears on page 17 of my book, "Seasons of the Nature Center." The second photo was taken earlier this fall.

Speaking of my book, I will be at Title Wave Books in Anchorage tomorrow, Saturday Nov 25, from 1 to 3 pm for a book signing along with 3 other Alaskan authors. Please stop by if you can!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday and look forward to the season ahead. A big thank you to Title Wave for hosting the event tomorrow and I hope to see you there.

Cheers!

Colin

PS - Signed copies of "Seasons of the Nature Center" are still available on my site, please allow 2-3 weeks for shipping: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store

 

Black Bear Video

It's getting to be that time of year again! Baby animals, including bear cubs, will soon be emerging and attracting photographers and onlookers alike.

I shot this series over the summer last year and waited to post it for a couple of reasons. First, it took a while to edit the clips and create the entire video. Second, and more importantly, I didn't want to draw any more attention to the bears. As a photographer who is continually building an online audience, I understand the desire for likes, comments, and overall traffic on my page. However, I have learned how this can draw crowds and ultimately, create a bad situation for the wildlife. I now wait to post content of unique and sensitive subjects until they have moved on, and unless there's a defining feature in the image, I don't give a location - if asked, I'll usually say it was "In the woods".

So remember, it's OK to be selfish and keep unique opportunities to yourself and still get the 'likes' when you post after the fact, and it might help prevent a dangerous and potentially tragic situation for both the animals and the observers.

Thank you for following, and please enjoy the bear cubs play fighting...

Colin

Black Bears & Cottonwood Trees

Cottonwood trees are popular with black bears - not only do cubs easily ascend them but the adults are proficient climbers as well, often reaching heights of 50 feet or more to strip and eat the seeds in late spring & early summer. With all the cotton releasing in the breeze right now, it looks like this source of nutrition will soon be gone for the season...

Colin

Black bear cub in a cottonwood tree, Alaska.

Black bear cub in a cottonwood tree, Alaska.

COY - "Cub of the Year"

Hello everyone! I'm happy to have something new to share today - a black bear COY or "Cub of the Year." This tiny little bear and its sibling were showing off their innate climbing skills while their mother was grazing on vegetation right below them. Black bears retain their ability to scale large trees into adulthood, serving as a method of escape from larger and dominant brown (grizzly) bears as well as a means to feed on cottonwood seeds in the spring.

Colin

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Black Bear Family

Yesterday I had the privilege of observing a sow black bear with two little spring cubs feeding in a cottonwood tree. The cubs were learning to break off branches and eat the seeds, discarding each branch after it was stripped clean. I watched them for nearly 3 hours from a respectful distance until they descended and moved on. Perhaps most encouraging was the fact that fellow human observers were keeping a safe distance as well - nobody approached the tree or let their dogs run loose, which is much appreciated by the staff here at the Nature Center but most of all, by the bears. 🐻

Colin

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More Mother's Day Offers...

With Mother’s Day just over a week away, I have added a couple more promotions to my website. In addition to the Mother’s Love (moose) and Mother’s Day Aurora prints, I am offering another pair of signed & numbered 12x18” artist proofs (first ten prints, of which there are 5 left) of the sow and cub brown bears from last fall at the Eagle River Nature Center – also $75 for the pair and I will include a 2019 Aurora Borealis Calendar from Todd Communications of Anchorage as well. My photo is on the month of March, which I will sign for you. Click the image below to make a purchase. http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/brown-bear-sow-and-cub-signed-numbered-artist-proofs-purchase-both-and-save-25

In addition to the artist proof prints, I am offering a 25% discount on all canvas and metal prints through Mother’s Day by entering the following codes at checkout: MOTHER’SDAYCANVAS or MOTHER’SDAYMETALPRINT http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/

You can also order a personalized 2019 Aurora Borealis calendar for mom - I will sign under my photo on the month of March and include a birthday note for her (message me the details). $20 includes shipping. http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/2019-aurora-borealis-calendar

Thank you and feel free to share. Have a great weekend!

Colin

Cyber Monday 2017

Good morning and Happy Cyber Monday, everybody! Beginning today, I am offering 20% off all canvas prints and 15% off all metal prints on my website. If you are looking for a unique gift to brighten someone's home or perhaps you'd like to decorate your own space with an image from my collection, please visit my online store: http://www.colintyler.com/online-store/

Use the code "CYBERCANVAS" for 20% off canvas or the code "CYBERMETAL" for 15% off metal prints at checkout. Both canvas and metal prints arrive ready to hang - no framing required!

Thank you for following along and have a safe and happy holiday season, wherever you are in the world. Feel free to share this post!

Colin

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Morning Brown Bear Cub

Occasionally, if your mind is in the right place, opportunities are presented when subject and light briefly collide. After the moment has passed you may find yourself short of breath, reeling from the exhilaration, knowing that you captured the moment perfectly and no matter how many times you go back and look at the image, scanning for details of exposure and clarity, you nailed it.

When the universe provides such a moment, I am grateful for the experience first and the images second. Given a choice of responding with either ego or gratitude, I will always choose gratitude.

Colin

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Little Climber

Black bears are excellent climbers; you might even say that cubs have "squirrel-like" agility, which serves as an escape mechanism when there is perceived danger. If you compare the claws of a black bear to those of a brown/grizzly bear, the difference is easy to spot, making it apparent how black bears are suited for climbing trees while grizzlies have claws designed for digging.