I would like to start out my expressing my eternal gratitude
to our veterans. There is no way to thank the men and women of
this country for their bravery and sacrifice.
I do not want to forget the families of the veterans who have also made a
monumental sacrifice as their love ones leave home, putting them in harm’s way
for our country!
To answer the question why would a bear symbolize a
veteran? I have chosen the bear because
bears symbolize benevolence, bravery and peace.
The bear is also a strong symbol of motherhood. A mother bear is a devoted and determined
mother! They are a contradiction of
sorts as lurking below their peaceful exterior lies a fierce warrior that will
protect her family and his domain with a resolute power.
In June, I had the opportunity to spend the day and photograph
the bears in the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in Orr, MN. I had
a photographers pass and roamed the field with these magnificent
creatures. They are completely wild
roaming free without barriers. They are fed of course, but they are not
captive in any sense. The volunteers
respect and abide by the bears nature.
I will cherish this exhilarating experience forever. I
must admit I was extremely intimidated, as I stood, unprotected and vulnerable in
an open field with only my camera between these powerful animals and me. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and
reminded myself as long as I respect their space, do not impede, and take care
not to pose a threat to them, they will allow me to observe and photograph
them.
To my amazement, my first photo opportunity was a mother
bear with her three cubs. She remained
tight to the edge of the woods first, analyzing my presence for any potential
threat..sniffing the air, ensuring her babes were safe. She became more comfortable and slowly
brought in her cubs within 50 yards from me.
I struggled with the intense desire to get closer to get the perfect
shot and the need to uphold my unspoken promise to them to respect their
world. My respect for them paid off and
even the cubs stopped to pose for me!
I was surprised to see how calm the bear were as they
moseyed around the field looking for food, resting in the shade and taking in
the beauty of their surroundings. A
calm washed over me as they transported me into their world. The only time I felt tension was when a
large male entered the field putting momma bear on extreme alert. She rushed her babes into the woods and up a
tree. This large male had a powerful presence
that unsettled me as well!
It was an incredible experience; I hope to visit again
soon! Please, please remember if you
are photographing wildlife to respect their environment. Wildlife is no different from us; we do not
want our comfort zone and homes intruded on!
Do not be a wildlife paparazzi!
Until next time....take care! - Mel
Looking for gifts with bears on them? Here are a few of my products.
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