Shot of the Month – April 2026

Each year, millions of mature salmon leave the ocean in search of the inland tributary where they were born.  If they survive this epic Ulyssesian journey, they will mate and die at their birthplace.  The sudden bounty of food in the rivers attracts numerous predators and fuels entire ecosystems.

You can read more about this natural wonder here:

Keystone Krisis

I have visited Katma National Park twice to witness this epic event.  Standing on the bank, we watched the river’s surface churn as thousands of fish coursed through the water.  Massive brown bears were all around us, but we were in little danger as the bears were solely and completely focused on catching the calorie-rich salmon.

At times, the scene was chaotic as the bears would bound into the water, the fish fleeing in every direction, some leaping out of the water to escape teeth and claws.  The shrill calls of the seagulls nearby only added to the cacophony as they impatiently waited to feast on the remains of the partially eaten salmon.

In the image above, I used a slow shutter speed to convey the mad rush, highlighting the splashing water and chaos.  The swirling fur adds to the sense of motion.  I like how the image is divided into three horizontal layers, and how the bright yellow grass in the middle adds a nice contrast to the brown bear and the gunmetal blue water.

Here’s a bit more on how to use a slow shutter speed to convey motion:  Capturing Speed

Here is another slow shutter attempt (I don’t like this one as much):

And another:

I like this closer view that highlights those massive claws:

Here is a slow-motion video that I shot that captures a brown bear in hot pursuit (this is the mother of the first bear):

You can read about more Brown Bear adventures here:

Brown Bear?

So Many Stories

Using a slow shutter speed is a high-risk proposition, and one can easily shoot hundreds or even thousands of images before finding the right mix of blur, motion, and sharpness.  But when it all falls into place, a blurry image can sometimes convey the essence of a natural scene better than the standard “all-sharp” capture.

Until next month…..m

Nikon Z9, Nikkor 100-400mm, f/5.6, 1/20 sec, ISO 250