This Photographer Just Got Up Close And Personal With A Polar Bear

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The life of a wildlife photographer is probably one of the most exciting out there but it certainly isn’t for everybody.

But for those of us brave enough to undertake this field, there is likely no thrill greater than that of getting the perfect capture of wild animals in their natural environment.

Yet sometimes the National Geographic dream can go sideways and you find yourself staring down a charging polar bear.

Image by echoyan on Pixabay

Maxim Deminov found himself in just that position on a recent shoot in Katmai National Park and Reserve in Alaska, a land known for its pristine, primal vistas and the home of formidable animals.

As FStoppers points out, it is rare for a polar bear to attack a human unprovoked unless it is protecting its babies or is somehow otherwise taken by surprise. Deminov’s response to the bear chasing him down, caught all on camera, is perhaps not the course of action most of us would take but we’re all the luckier for Deminov’s bravery as we get this absolutely epic footage out of the whole ordeal.

Apparently, this is not Deminov’s first encounter with a polar bear and he even joked to website MNN that “One day a polar bear is going to eat me.”

A grim outlook indeed but probably a revelation that is par for the course if you sign up to work with animals like polar bears.

The encounter recalls Timothy Treadwell and the movie about his story, “Grizzly Man.” Taking place in the same park in Alaska, Treadwell’s familiarity with a group of bears ultimately lead to his and his girlfriend’s deaths as they attempted to live among them.

Wildlife photography is often some of the most dynamic and breathtaking work out there but we often forget that some fields of it can be quite fraught with danger.

Deminov’s story may be common but that doesn’t make it any less harrowing.

That said, there are probably some awesome stories that come out of being a wildlife photographer and if you have any experiences you’d like to share with us then please let us know in the comments.

You can watch a video about the story by clicking here.

About Author

Kehl is our staff photography news writer since 2017 and has over a decade of experience in online media and publishing and you can get to know him better here and follow him on Insta.

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