Tell us the story behind your photo in this exhibition.
The bear fishes in the river. He sits down, puts his head under the water and pauses, looking for fish. Once the fish starts to ignore him and comes close, he makes a crucial lunge to catch the fish by his paws or teeth.
This bear came to this place in the river several times a day. Each time he caught about 5 fishes and went for a rest to the beach. Then he returned again.
The bear put his head under the water for about 20 seconds until he attacks the fish. Then he repeated the action..
He did it all almost in silence. The sounds were only from his breathing and from the crunch when he ate the fish.
How did you go about getting that shot?
I constructed the iron cage to photograph a bear from a small distance. I got into the cage and waited for the bear to come closely for fishing. I also used a camera attached to a long wood stick.
The cage was in the middle of a shallow river near the bridge.
How long did you have to wait for this shot?
I had several days of experience with this bear. I worked with him full day. After successfully fishing 5-6 fish, the bear rested in the bushes. At that moment, I had the time to have lunch or to sleep too for a couple of minutes.
Did you use any particular equipment?
Cage, handmade monopod.
What are the difficulties of wildlife photography you face?
To do nothing when you wait.
What would you like people to think about when they see your work?
I would like to show people that to see animals in nature is much more interesting than in a zoo and dolphinariums. Also, I want to show the incredible world that we have and only together can we save it for the next generations.
How long have you been a photographer and how did you get started in your career?
I did my first steps in 2013. I’m an underwater photographer of wild animals, but sometimes like at this moment, I use my camera above the water.
I began to dream about wildlife underwater photography after visiting an Exhibition of photographer Steve Bloom, where I saw an underwater photo of an elephant. Several years after, I was in the water with that same elephant – my first underwater model.
What would you advise someone wanting to start taking photos of wildlife in their local environment?
If you want it – do it. It is not necessary to go somewhere far away. Wild animals are everywhere – even in cities.
What have you been up to since the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 competition? What projects are you working on now?
After that project, I worked with orcas in Kamchatka (Russia), with walruses in Chukotka (Russia), and with Sperm Whales near the Azores Islands.
What are your favourite scenes to photograph?
My favourite actions are salmon spawning in the Kuril Lake in Kamchatka, and Sardine Run in South Africa.