Marty’s photo of the day #2898: I try not to post the same species too often, but there are so many photos that I love from the bear encounter while hiking in Yellowstone National Park that I can’t let languish on my hard drive.
I had a lightweight telephoto lens on my camera when the bear approached. For those who don’t know: a zoom lens moves back and forth and a telephoto lens is fixed in a single position. While telephoto lenses are generally more expensive and higher quality than zoom lenses, they can’t move in or pull out. In this case, I was backing up—not only for my safety, but also because the bear was getting too close for my lens to focus on. Finally, I need to say, that the bear was not being aggressive, and I was giving him plenty of space. It was just one of those magical moments where bear and photographer meet in the woods.