Wildlife Photographer Goes Eye-to-Eye with Brown Bear and the Resulting Image Is Jaw-Dropping

Wildlife photography sounds like a fun hobby (and for some, it is), but it can also be an intense game of strategy, effort, and patience. Anyone who's called themselves an amateur photographer has experienced the frustration of finding the perfect conditions to capture the photo, but can you imagine how complex the situation can be when you add animals to the equation?

Isaac Spotts sure can! This wildlife photographer was on a bear photography group tour in the Alaskan wilderness when a chance encounter with a brown bear resulted in the shot of a lifetime. On July 6, he posted the image, as well as an adrenaline-filled POV video moments after taking the picture, on TikTok. As you can guess, viewers are mind-blown by both the picture and the close encounter!

Wow! At first, I was sure that Isaac was feeling blown away by the monumental moment. Surely, taking a photo five feet away from a bear wouldn't go that well! But in this case, I couldn't be more happy to be wrong. If anything, this wildlife photographer should be bragging even more about this once-in-a-lifetime image.

Related: Wildlife Photographer Captures Intense Moment a Grizzly Bear Shows His Dominance

Several viewers like @alcidafritz share my sentiment. They wrote, "that photo is worthy of National Geographic. Congratulations!" Isaac would be smart to submit this photo to some kind of show or competition, but first, he still needs to catch his breath!

As Isaac explained, the bear's approach was all in play and good fun, but that doesn't mean the people weren't scared out of their minds. Especially when the brown bear stood up on her hind legs and swiped the air (something young bears do to help them stay balanced while standing), it's all too easy to cower in fear. Isaac and the Alaska wildlife photography group made sure to be careful and smart, but he knew he couldn't let this moment pass him by.

Grizzly, Kodiak, or Brown Bear?

While there's no doubt that a photo like this only comes once in a lifetime, there is some doubt about what type of bear this is. Some commenters think she's a Grizzly bear, while others believe she's a Kodiak bear! What we do know for sure, however, is that she's an Alaskan brown bear.

Both Grizzlies and Kodiaks are subspecies of brown bears, but they vary slightly from one another in size, physical appearance, and origin. Kodiak bears are brown bears who live on the Kodiak Islands and have evolved separately from the rest of the brown bears in Alaska. These bears are known for being extremely large, but so are Grizzlies!

If you ask me, it doesn't matter what kind of brown bear Isaac photographed. The picture is spectacular, and I'm sure the experience was unforgettable too!

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