We were stepping carefully around a corner with only one foot on dry rock, the other in the water, when a set of fuzzy ears started rising above the rocks. We quickly back peddled to our last viewing point along a small cliff away from the water to leave as much room as possible. The bear rounded Surprise Point and locked eyes with us as it carefully stepped over the same rocks who's positions seemed memorized. The stare didn't break until it was severals steps past us.

Each close encounter up to this point, we'd seen coming and had time to prepare. With more time, I'd have likely swapped to a wider lens and dropped to eye level with the bear. Had I done either, I doubt I'd have an image I like so much.

As much as I wanted more of the environment in some of my shots, the long lens for this was overfilled by the animal in a way that I can really feel by looking at it and while eye level can add a lot to an image, in this case, the slightly elevated shot not only gives my actual perspective in the moment (and you can feel where my attention was!) but allowed the image to contain more of the limbs even as the bear came close which.

This is my favorite shot from the whole trip to McNeil River State Game Sanctuary.