In the Field

Definition: Great Bear Rainforest. Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia. September 28, 2026.

If you're looking for a single image that virtually defines what BC's Great Bear Rainforest is all about, this would be the one from my own collection that I would pick! It has it all - a great bear, rain, and a wonderful and expansive backdrop - and with a forest and waterfalls included back there for good measure!

I was quite excited when this scene unfolded before us. The first reason was simply because it was such a great scene. But I had another reason - it gave me a perfect scenario to test out one aspect of the new Sony 100-400mm f4.5 lens that I was a little concerned - and even worried - about. I love the fact that this new lens has a fixed aperture, but concerned that its f4.5 aperture wouldn't be quite wide enough to allow me to separate and/or isolate my subject sufficiently at focal lengths of 200mm or less. I very much like to be able to separate my subject at least somewhat from its background (so that it "pops" and attracts the viewer's eye) - and I find if I CAN'T do this with a lens, I don't use it much.

Anyway...I shot this image with the aperture wide open and at 186mm. And I found I WAS able to soften the background just the way I wanted to both subordinate it a little and to make the subject "pop". Phew...now I can keep the lens! 😉

Here's a larger version (4800 pixel) of this "essential" Great Bear Rainforest animalscape:

• Definition: Great Bear Rainforest: Download 4800 pixel image (JPEG: 5.2 MB)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

1. These images - in all resolutions - are protected by copyright. I'm fine with personal uses of them (including use as desktop backgrounds or screensavers on your own computer), but unauthorized commercial use of the image is prohibited by law. Thanks in advance for respecting my copyright!

2. Like all photographs on this website, these images were captured following the strict ethical guidelines described in The Wildlife FIRST! Principles of Photographer Conduct. As such, no baiting or any form of attractant was used and, as always, we attempted to minimize our impact on the ongoing behaviour of the subjects. I strongly encourage all wildlife photographers to always put the welfare of their subjects above the value of their photographs.

3. This image was captured during my Autumn in the Great Bear Exploratory Photo Adventure in early Autumn of 2026. Each year I offer photo tours into various locations on the amazing BC coast, including the Great Bear Rainforest and, every other year, into the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary (to photograph grizzlies, of course!). Details about these trips can be found on the Photo Tours page of this website.

Behind the Camera

Definition: Great Bear Rainforest. Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia. September 28, 2026.

Compressed RAW (ARW) format; ISO 1600.

Sony A7R VI paired with Sony FE 100-400mm f4.5 GM OSS lens @ 186mm. Hand-held from floating Zodiac inflatable boat. OSS on and set to Mode 1. Expand Spot (tracking) AF area mode with subject recognition mode set to Animal/Bird.

1/800s @ f4.5; -1.0 stop compensation from multi-metered exposure setting.

At the Computer

Definition: Great Bear Rainforest. Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia. September 28, 2026.

Initial noise reduction and capture sharpening on the .arw (raw) file using the DeepPRIME XD3 algorithm of DXO PhotoLab 10.1 Elite (using the appropriate camera/lens module).

Subsequent adjustments to the adjusted linear DNG file (exported from PhotoLab) and conversion to 16-bit TIFF file (and JPEG files for web use) - including all global and selective adjustments - made using Capture One Pro (build 16.8). In the case of this image I made two global adjustments - a general contrast (Levels) adjustment, and a reduction of highlights. Selective local adjustments performed using Capture One Pro's layers and masking tools. In this case numerous small adjustments and minor tweaks were made on 3 separate layers, with the tweaks being associated with "exposure balancing" and contrast adjustments (such as adjustments to brightness, clarity, highlights, shadows, blacks, etc.).

Photoshop modifications included insertion of the watermark and/or text.

Conservation

Definition: Great Bear Rainforest. Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia. September 28, 2026.

General Conservation Status in Canada*: Vulnerable.

While Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) are not technically listed as "Endangered" in Canada, they have been extirpated from most of their historical range. Grizzly Bears are far more sensitive to intrusion/disturbance in their habitat than are Black Bears and are being increasingly forced into marginal habitat by human encroachment. The Great Bear Rainforest along the central and northern coast of British Columbia is one of the last strongholds of the Grizzly Bear in Canada, and even this population is coming under increasing pressure.

On December 18, 2017 the government of British Columbia banned grizzly hunting across the entire province. This major conservation victory came after decades of tireless work by many dedicated conservationists and ecologists and, most importantly, it reflects the opinion of the vast majority of British Columbians. And, it means that AT LEAST while the current government remains in power grizzlies are finally "safe" in British Columbia.

Now that we've at least temporarily won the battle to save grizzlies in BC, it's time to re-focus our efforts toward protecting ALL of BC's carnivores, including Gray Wolves, Black Bears, Cougars, Wolverines, and more! Simply put, there are no ecological, economic, or ethical arguments supporting the trophy hunting of carnivores.

*as listed by Wild Species Canada (wildspecies.ca)