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2005: Animal Portraits - Highly Commended Print

Thomas Sbampato Enlarge image Waiting for mother

Thomas Sbampato (Switzerland)

Waiting for mother

Whenever she sensed danger, the mother of this black bear cub would shoo it up a tree until the threat had passed. But on this occasion, she parked it up the tree so she could go fishing. It was August, peak salmon-spawning time, and the Anan Gorge in South-east Alaska's Tongass National Forest was teeming with leaping coho, pink and chum salmon. While she got busy hooking fish, the cub waited, peering down at Thomas and his clicking camera. Just 10 minutes later, the sated female was back to collect her youngster, and they ambled off into the forest together.

Minolta Maxum 9 with Minolta 400mm f4.5 lens; 1/250 sec at f4.5; Kodak VS 100; tripod.

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