If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a wildlife photographer, it’s that patience and persistence pay off in the long run. A close second is that each photographer does things differently.

One fine, summer day I was sitting on a very rocky gravel bar in the middle of nowhere Alaska. It’s an area I’ve visited for years, and the scene unfolding in front of me was one I’ve witnessed many thousands of times. I watched the giant Alaskan Brown Bears chasing after the pink and red salmon just below the water’s surface. Occasionally, a bear would dive into the water and a fish would launch itself out of the river in an attempt to escape the menacing claws and jaws.

After all my years out here photographing this mesmerizing scene, there was still one image I desperately wanted, one I’d still been unsuccessful in capturing due to the complexity of such a picture. I wanted to photograph a bear running through the water and a salmon trying to escape by propelling itself out of the fast flowing water. I wanted both animals in focus, I wanted very few water droplets in front of the bear's face and I wanted perfect light on the scene. Yes, call me picky, but that’s the scene I wanted to capture. If you’re not familiar with wildlife photography, or just photography in general, let me just say, there are about 50 different conditions and factors that need to line up perfectly for this to happen. And when it does, you need to be ready, focused on the correct bear and you can’t mess up…

Sitting on that gravel bar, the conditions were just right that fine evening and I had my camera ready to go. I knew exactly which fishing hole would be best to capture this scene, I knew where in the river at that fishing hole would be best, I knew where to position myself and even which bears were likely to chase fish rather than just belly-flop on them. Years of practice, observation and experience all leading up to this moment, the perfect opportunity.

Finally the moment came and the impossible scene was unraveling before me! I focused my camera and my finger hit that shutter button. Within 4 seconds the chase was over, did I get the picture, I think I did!

Looking at the back of my camera, I had, I FINALLY GOT MY PICTURE! But wait…. what was that behind the fish? A tangle of sticks that had floated down the river! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the image, everything about it was incredible, everything I wanted! But those sticks, what was I to do about those sticks? Many photographers would simply hop into photoshop and remove them and move on to the next picture. But not me, that’s not how I do things. I smiled to myself. Oh the irony of it all, after all these years of trying for this picture and some sticks just happened to be there just when all the perfect conditions had lined up. Still smiling, I lifted the camera again. Challenge accepted, this was a wonderful image, one that I’ll cherish and remember forever, but now I wanted one without the sticks! Anyways, it was just another excuse to spend more time out here with beautiful Mother Nature and her creatures!