thephotosocietyさんのインスタグラム写真 - (thephotosocietyInstagram)「Photograph by @andyparkinsonphoto/@thephotosociety Kamchatka brown bear chillin’ – Photographically speaking I have a bit of a history of getting slightly obsessed with particular parts of an animal or bird. The gentle sweep of a gannets neck, the regal beauty of a mute swans tail feathers or, as I recently re-remembered in the Russian Far East, the indescribably compelling paws of a Kamchatka brown bear. Time and again I found myself building images around these incredible adaptations but of course we were significantly helped by our close proximity. This bear, a beautifully and distinctly coloured male would often rest on a rock just near to where we sat, his lower canine having been injured in a fight a few years before. It seemed to give him no problem though and we’d regularly see him demolish salmon after unfortunate salmon. Intermittently he would rest however, his enormous paws used as cushions on which to rest his head. Though I had only a 200-400mm lens this was all that I needed, so close was his rock of choice. The reason that I’ve chosen this image however is simply because of those mesmerising, compelling paws, a swipe from which few would recover. Though the front paws are as you can see, adorned with the sort of claw that can multitask, be it digging a den for hibernation, dextrously plucking fruits from a tree, pinning a salmon or tearing the flesh from it unfortunate prey their back feet are just as wondrous. Imagine if you can a massive rubber boot, solid but flexible, the sort of enormous foot that can give you purchase in the most slippery of rivers. These bears then are so fascinating, so multi-dimensional I left Kamchatka not only with thousands of images but also with countless ideas for when I return again next year.」9月1日 12時40分