November 2025 Wildlife Images Contest Newbie Class Winner

40 Winks

On my first guided wildlife images journey, I traveled to a distant area of Alaska, the place we camped close to a river recognized for its heavy bear exercise. The salmon run was in full swing, and the variety of bears alongside the river far exceeded something I had imagined. Bears of all ages have been fishing, feeding, and transferring via the panorama, providing numerous photographic alternatives. I used to be lucky to seize a number of robust pictures throughout these early days.

One morning, whereas strolling alongside the river, we encountered a number of bears and had repeated probabilities to {photograph} them. As I repositioned myself for a greater composition, I stumbled and fell into the river. Thankfully, I managed to maintain my digicam dry. By that afternoon, as we hiked again towards camp, I used to be soaked, chilly, and keen to alter into dry garments.

As we crested a small hill, I seen a bear mendacity peacefully close to a waterhole. At first, I assumed it was rolling round or scratching its again. After anticipating a number of moments, I noticed the bear was really asleep. I slowly and thoroughly moved nearer, hoping to not disturb it throughout its nap.

I used to be capable of get fairly shut and seize a number of pictures from totally different angles. At the time, I used to be nonetheless very new to wildlife images and studying learn how to use my first DSLR. I experimented with my settings, decided to come back away with no less than one profitable picture. This {photograph} turned my favourite—and the primary picture of my very own that I ever printed and hung in my workplace.

That second marked the start of my ardour for wildlife images. I’ve been hooked ever since. I now plan to take no less than 4 journeys every year to proceed studying, bettering my expertise, and increasing my alternatives. I’m grateful to JoWP for the coaching classes and articles which have had an amazing influence on my images journey.