Moose, owls, foxes, and bears—for our Quest with WWF Canada, you submitted phenomenal wildlife photography that made us truly appreciate the world around us.
Ian Stotesbury took first prize with his photo “Brooks Falls Fishing.” The winner was selected by WWF Canada, who explained why they chose this shot:
“A stunning shot. This image speaks volumes about the raw power of nature. Not everyone is fortunate enough to see a scene like this up close and personal, but through the lens of talented, patient photographers like Ian Stotesbury, we are all able to experience and appreciate the wild beauty that still exists all over this planet.”
Ian’s photo will be featured in WWF Canada’s anniversary calendar. Read more about WWF Canada and how they work to protect the environment here.
We asked Ian to tell us about himself and how he captured the winning shot. Read on to find out:
Ian Stotesbury first began getting serious about photography in 2010, after his mother encouraged him to use a digital SLR for taking photos while hiking, mountaineering, travelling, backpacking and backcountry skiing. After having received his first camera from her for his birthday, Ian invested a great deal of time learning all he could on his own while shooting a wide variety of subject matter but mainly focusing on landscape. In Alaska and the Yukon in 2014, Ian and his wife experienced incredible wildlife encounters, which caused Ian to expand his subject matter to include wildlife. Both being teachers, the couple is currently on the road exploring the national parks of Utah, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, as well as the BC coast where Ian will photograph landscape and wildlife during the summer months.
Ian took his wife to Katmai National Park, Alaska in the summer of 2015 so that he could photograph grizzly bears. He spent a week waiting and shooting in Brooks Camp and finally had perfect light when the salmon jumped up and the bear happened to look towards the camera. Ian used a cable release so that the camera would focus on the bear, but Ian was able to see the fish swimming upstream and poising to jump, without having to look through the viewfinder. Ian loves this photo because it captures two species struggling for survival, with the bear having not yet caught the salmon, and the salmon having yet to find out what its future will be.
Want more wildlife inspiration? Check out some other fantastic submissions we got below:
Did you miss this Quest? Check out our upcoming Quests here. We can’t wait to see your photos!
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