Bear Conceptions Photography

A very rare opportunity presented itself. A piebald Eastern Washington Mule Deer. Certainly the highlight of my day.

This immature Bald Eagle was coming into a carcass (off camera right) for some dinner. The sun lit him up beautifully.

This is one of the bull elk I regularly find and photograph. He survived the winter just fine.

This Marmot seemed to be thankful for the warm sun after a long winter.

Talk about adrenaline rushes.... this Canadian goose, was very protective of his half of the pond. When you are sitting on the side of the pond, and the action keeps getting closer and closer, and all you can do is hope your focus keeps tracking, and you do not become part of the argument!

This lovely lady was perched, and chattering away, as I brought my camera up, she decided to take off...

Osprey actually migrate every year to warmer climates where the water does not freeze over. Spring brings them back to the same nests year after year.

Finally, I can take this one off my bucket list! The wood ducks come to Central Washington every spring to nest and raise their babies.

Caught this River Otter having dinner this evening. Bass. Yum!

Went out and sat next to a local pond today. This guy came over and joined me for a snack.

We have a habit of naming the birds we see on a regular basis. This is Lorraine. One of the biggest Redtails I have ever seen. She gave me quite a show today, with plenty of photo ops in some fantastic lighting.

This Female Bald Eagle posed for me for over 30 min. She also decided to talk to me and anyone else in the area. Chattering away like crazy. Loved it.

This male Great Horned Owl, was sitting there, when I looked up and all I could see was his yellow eyes staring back.. Talk about a lucky shot, though. It was the only one I got, and the focus was perfect.

Nice Mule deer buck last fall during the rut.

It is always the young ones that cause drama at the table. Not wanting to eat veggies, etc..

Pic #3, the final shot of this lovely eagle as it came right at me. It veered away and across the field behind me at the last second.

Pic #2 As she is launching herself right at me. Talk about a rush, and praying my focus was on, and my settings were right, because at 30 ft. there is not time to adjust.

It is so cool to be able to get up close and personal with Bald Eagles. It is even cooler when they actually "pose" for you. This was just before she took off and was coming right at me.

1st decent sunset in months, photography wise anyway.

Female Bald Eagle staring me down.

This lady sat so pretty for me as I snapped her picture. Then she just turned and screamed at me...lol

A Redtail Hawk as it takes off from its perch.

Out on my usual shooting adventure the other day. This guy was out in the snow covered sage, hunting I presume.

I think he was eyeing the coffee sitting below him. Either that are he was falling over from being asleep, lol.

A friend told me about this owl, so I had to go looking. It sure did not mind me there, although it did look a bit sleepy as I snapped some shots.

This Rough Legged Hawk and crow were battling over territory..

This immature bald eagle was being harassed by crows for sitting in a tree. She finally decided enough was enough and took off for parts unknown.

“Eagles: When they walk, they stumble. They are not what one would call graceful. They were not designed to walk. They fly. And when they fly, oh, how they fly, so free, so graceful. They see from the sky what we never see.”

Unknown

To say today was an excellent day for shooting Eagles would be an understatement. It was freaking awesome.

This Bald Eagle took off from its perch and gave me a perfect shot of it in flight.

Stopped to watch some deer in the sage. Noticed the horses, as they started towards me. The black certainly was in a hurry to get some petting.

Here in Central Washington, farms are now covering the historic wintering grounds for the elk. So, they feed them alfalfa hay during the winter behind fences that keep them out of the valley and destroying the hay fields and fences. We call them Welfare Elk..

This almost mature eagle was sitting in the diffused sunlight, wings spread open, drying out.

Went out today, the weather was awesome. Patches of blue sky, temps in the upper 30s, the air was crisp and clear, the lighting was awesome. The Bald Eagles did not disappoint either.

It was snowing heavily today, as I was out looking for shots. Found these 4 fine gentlemen out feeding on a hillside.

Immature Bald Eagle, spitting out the hair of a dead deer or elk, as it was digging in the snow for a meal.

Nature is not always pretty and nice. It can be ugly at times. Animals kill and eat other animals.. it is how nature is.

2 of our resident eagles, guarding their nest from the intrusion of migratory eagles that have come into the valley.

Scratch another 1 off my list. Was driving looking for something to shoot. Saw something on a fence post ahead, thought it was just a small hawk. Surprise, Surprise... Short-eared Owl. In the snow, no less.

This bull just stopped and looked at me as if to ask, "is this pose good enough?"

Look closely and you can see the mud on his antlers, he was bucking and running around, hooking the dirt with his horns and tossing it in the air... he was having a ball...

30 ft. away from a 2500 lb. bull buffalo is such an adrenaline rush...

The Auroras put on a show last night. It was cold up on that mountain, but so worth it. Elk were still bugling in the distance. Taken in Central Washington State.

Frost is but slender weeks away,
Tonight the sunset glow will stay,
Swing to the north and burn up higher
And Northern Lights wall earth with fire.
Nothing is lost yet, nothing broken,
And yet the cold blue word is spoken:
Say goodbye to the sun.
The days of love and leaves are done.

A gorgeous evening, a bottle of wine, and time to relax.

Watching bull elk in the rut can be intense at times. This was one of those moments as challengers began filtering in from the timber. All I could hear was those famous words "Are YOU ready to RUUUUUUUMMMMMBBBBBLLLLEEEE"

Fall colors, Bull Elk bugling, it is a magical time.

The sight filled the northern sky; the immensity of it was scarcely conceivable. As if from Heaven itself, great curtains of delicate light hung and trembled. Pale green and rose-pink, and as transparent as the most fragile fabric, and at the bottom edge a profound fiery crimson like the fires of Hell, they swung and shimmered loosely with more grace than the most skillful dancer.

PHILIP PULLMAN, The Golden Compass

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”
― Jim Bishop

As I sat watching the storm cloud roll over the hills towards me. Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds at sunset and lit up the Aspens.

“An individual human existence should be like a river – small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls.”
―Bertrand Russell

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins, not through strength but by perseverance." Unknown

French Cabin Creek - Central Washington State.