The Collection
The Dive and the Chase
The most dramatic images in this collection come from the moment of the strike — a bear fully submerged with only its hindquarters visible, or exploding up out of the water with a salmon already pinned. Katmai's rivers produce this at close range and in good light more reliably than almost anywhere else bears fish, which is why the park draws photographers from around the world during peak run.
Waiting, Standing, Watching
Fishing is not constant motion. A bear spends most of its time at a good fishing spot standing still, reading the water, waiting for a fish to commit to the wrong channel. Those quieter images — a bear upright and alert, water running off its coat, utterly focused — carry as much tension as the strike itself, and they print exceptionally well at large scale.
Bears at Katmai occasionally turn to a different food source entirely, working the tide flats for clams rather than the river for salmon — a behavior far less photographed than the fishing itself, simply because it happens on a different schedule in a different place.
Clamming — A Mother Teaching Her Cubs
Coastal grizzlies come out of hibernation in spring and feed first on the new grass along the coastal plain. Soon after, attention turns to clams — and it is the sows with cubs who turn to it most. When the tide goes out, a mother brings her cubs into the bays and estuaries where clams congregate, and the family works the flats for hours until the water starts coming back in. This is not simply feeding. It is teaching — a sow showing cubs how to find a clam and how to dig one out, patiently, over and over, until the lesson takes.
Across more than forty trips to Alaska's coastal plains, I have spent hours and hours photographing exactly this — not the drama of a strike, but the quieter, longer story of a mother teaching her young how to survive. This collection includes a substantial body of that work alongside the salmon-fishing images.
What Makes This Collection Different
Katmai's bears are used to people in a way mountain grizzlies never are — decades of managed, non-hunted viewing have made the fishing bears remarkably tolerant of a photographer at a respectful distance. That access makes for extraordinary images, but it also means the work here is only half the story of this collection. The other half is the interior mountain grizzly, wary and rarely seen, photographed under entirely different conditions. See both sides of the work in the full bear photography collection → and the Alaska grizzly and brown bear gallery →.
Print Formats
Lumachrome HD TruLife Acrylic — a transparency print face-mounted to museum-grade acrylic, producing depth and luminosity that suits the water and motion in these images particularly well. The TruLife face carries an anti-reflective coating and significant UV protection, which reduces glare and helps guard against fading in bright rooms. Arrives ready to hang.
Framed Lumachrome HD TruLife Acrylic — the same panel finished in museum-quality Roma Italian wood molding. Arrives ready to hang.
Chromaluxe Metal — dyes infused directly into aluminum for exceptional contrast, well suited to the high-action strike images. Arrives ready to hang.
Museum-Quality Fine Art Rag Paper — heavyweight cotton rag with archival pigment inks. Arrives unframed for your own framing specification.
Prints are made from ultra-high-resolution medium format capture — 100 megapixel — for portraits and considered work, and from high-speed 35mm cameras where fast action demands it — including the split-second timing a fishing strike requires. Both enlarge to 120 inches and beyond; the medium format files hold the finest detail at that scale, and each image is offered only at the sizes its own file genuinely supports. Architectural and mural-scale installations are produced through a separate custom process — contact me to discuss a specific wall.
Every print is signed and numbered and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity recording the title, date of capture, edition number, size, medium and materials. Everything ships fully insured. If a print does not arrive in perfect condition it is replaced immediately at no cost.
For Interior Designers and Corporate Art Consultants
Fishing bear photography is one of the most requested wildlife subjects for lodge and Alaska-connected interiors, and the high-action images in particular work well as a single large statement piece in an entry or great room. Trade pricing, room preview mockups, high-resolution digital proofs, custom sizing, and multi-piece collection pricing are available to verified design professionals. View the full trade services page →
Frequently Asked Questions
Where were these grizzly fishing photos taken?
Katmai National Park, Alaska, with additional work from Lake Clark National Park. Both are known for their coastal brown bear salmon runs.
Are these bears photographed in the wild?
Yes, without exception — no zoos, no game farms, no controlled settings, ever.
What makes this collection different from other fishing bear photography?
Katmai's fishing bears are habituated to observers at a respectful distance, which allows for close, detailed images most locations cannot offer. This collection also connects to a much older body of interior mountain grizzly work, made under very different conditions — see the full bear photography collection for both.
Are these prints limited edition?
Yes. Edition sizes vary by image and reflect how repeatable the subject is. Every image page states its own edition, and that number is fixed permanently the day it is published.
What sizes are available?
From 16×20 inches up to the largest size each material allows. The high-action strike images are particularly effective at 40 inches and above. Custom sizing is available, and architectural or mural-scale installations are produced through a separate custom process — contact me with your wall dimensions.
Can I see how a print will look in my space?
Yes — send a photograph of your wall and the image you're considering, and I'll send back a scaled mockup showing it in your actual room. Free, no obligation. Request a room preview →
Do you offer trade pricing?
Yes — trade pricing, room mockups, high-resolution digital proofs, custom sizing and multi-piece collection pricing for verified design professionals. Trade services →
How long does production take?
Allow 4–6 weeks from order to delivery. Custom orders and the holiday season may run longer. Rush production is available at a 20–30% premium — contact me if you have a date to meet.
Can I see prints in person before purchasing?
I work from my Island Park, Idaho studio and my Washington State studio. A private gallery by appointment is planned — contact me for current availability. Virtual consultations by email or video call are available now.
Related Collections: Bear Photography Collection · Alaska Grizzly & Brown Bears · Grizzlies of Grand Teton, Yellowstone & Glacier · Wildlife Photography · Free Room Preview · For Designers & Trade
