Isolation and happiness
by Mark ~ October 31st, 2009. Filed under: art, artistry, composition, nature photography, wildlife.It is quite difficult to portray animal emotions in photographs or reveal something about their nature in a fraction of a second. It is so much easier with human facial expressions that we associate with happiness, sorrow, or anger. Even colors in photographs, or the lack thereof, can help establish certain moods. Even then, one person’s reaction to a certain characteristic can be completely opposite from another’s.
Solitary Bear
This first image I wanted to portray isolation and solitude. It is an interpretation of how I thought these bears were at certain times in their lives. Bears are solitary animals except in times of mating or caring for their cubs. I thought a single bear, emphasized by the starkness of a monochrome image and simple graphical elements helped communicate that aspect of their lives.
Portrait of happiness??
But what about a happy bear? I would tend to think a well fed, no competition from other bears, and feeling safe from threats could be situations leading to a happy bear. None of these translate very well into a single photograph. I suppose then we rely on our own familiarity with facial expressions. Now, I don’t know if this bear was overly happy or not, or perhaps just suffering a bit of gas from sucking on a rotting fish head. However, the general reaction from others who have seen this image seems to be quite uniform.
October 31st, 2009 at
Kind of like the painted smile on a dolphin’s face. At least dogs have no guile (& eyebrows, of sorts.) They truly wear their hearts on their sleeves.
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November 1st, 2009 at
It is difficult to attribute human emotions to animals in the wild but I think you were successful with these two images. The solitary bear image conveys a series of similar or related emotions – lonliness, tiredness, depression even. And the second bear does seem to be expressing happiness, contentedness. Nice work, Mark.
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November 1st, 2009 at
Mark,
Always fun to try and figure out what animals are thinking. Regardless if the bear is actually happy or lonely, the photographs portray that feeling so they work for me.
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November 1st, 2009 at
Great shots. Isn’t the open mouth like that a sign of stress in a bear? Whatever the case, it does look like he’s laughing or trying to talk.
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Mark Reply:
November 1st, 2009 at
Roberta – it can be. If it was a prolonged gesture, I would be more inclined to think so. This particular shot is from a sequence of images and this is the only one where the mouth is open. Yawning and salivating are also in there as signs of stress – also easily misinterpreted for something else.
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November 2nd, 2009 at
Again, I think that images show your intention pretty well. The BW truly shows a solitude and sadness while on the second one the bear seems quite relaxed. I know nothing about expressions on bear faces but if I remember it well then animals have no mimic muscles as humans and thus it’s very hard to guess what appropriate expression means if you’re not a zoologist.
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November 2nd, 2009 at
Both images work for me and I feel certain that I would have seen what you were hoping to convey without the labels. It’s fascinating that we have a language of gesture in which we have such confidence. And, this in spite of fact that it so often leads us to erroneous conclusions. Apparently, what matters to us is that this language allows us to read stories in images. Everything about the first bear says, solitary, solemn, bordering on weary. The second bear looks happy enough to start laughing out loud any minute. The bears aren’t speaking up to reveal the facts.
Are these more examples of photos that you imagined before your trip?
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Mark Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at
Thank you Anita. I think you are quite correct that it can lead us to erroneous conclusion. I certainly don’t know if that second bear was happy or not, had gas,
or even perhaps as Roberta suggested showing signs of stress. One might think that the first bear may also represent loneliness, but that is from a social animal’s viewpoint looking at a normally solitary one. I wouldn’t think from a bear’s perspective that the two are equatable.
I do have some other images in the category you mention. I hope I am not milking this trip for post material too much though!
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November 3rd, 2009 at
Hey Mark,
Great shots – I love the monochrome, and the composition on it is wonderful.
The 2nd doesn’t look stressed to me at all.
I think you’re point that bears might not experience loneliness quite as we do is an important one. On the other hand, many students of the bear, particularly grizzlies, have said they’re not really the ’solitary’ creatures we’ve declared them to be. They don’t have a territory they claim, but live within a home range that is typically home to a number of other bears – and though they may have a larger personal space than we do, they also have far keener sense than we do, so perhaps know just as well what their neighbors are up to a mile away in the woods as we do of our neighbors next door.
Great photos.
Cheers
Carl
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Mark Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at
Carl – thanks – very good point about defining personal space!
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November 3rd, 2009 at
That smiling bear is totally happy! Ok, so it’s not a proven fact but it sure made me smile
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November 4th, 2009 at
Hey Mark. Perhaps I missed it, but did you take a guided tour to photograph all the grizzlies or were you just wandering around on your own? After seeing the Ken Burns series and your photos, I really want to go up there.
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Mark Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at
Richard, I went on a photo trip led by Michael Francis. Great guy, well run trip, and very respectful in the field with the bears.
http://www.michaelfrancisphoto.com/
“Wandering on your own” is not recommended simply because there is more “security” traveling in a group around the bears unless you know the territory and the animals well.
Carl Donohue is also starting some trips in different areas, also a top notch and knowledgeable guide as you probably already know.
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November 5th, 2009 at
Thanks for the tip Mark.
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November 5th, 2009 at
I won’t even pretend to know what makes a bear happy…other than perhaps a full stomach…but that might be more satisfied than happy since it seems pretty much instinct that drives them to do what they do. I don’t know how to ascribe human emotions to wild animals, domesticated ones is easier perhaps. Since bears generally seem to prefer their personal space the first one might be more accurate in showing “happiness” for the bear. In the second image the bear certainly has an amused looking expression though. Either way both are truly beautiful images. The black and white is absolutely wonderful.
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November 7th, 2009 at
Both of these shots are great Mark. Thanks for sharing these and those in earlier posts with us! Man, it must have been an adventure!
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November 9th, 2009 at
You can milk them till the cows come home Mark, they are all fabulous and each one gets better, keep them coming !!
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November 14th, 2009 at
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