In the summer of 2016, I traveled to Finland to achieve a dream of mine: seeing and photographing the incredible brown bears that stalk through the ancient Taiga forests.
They move silently, foraging for fruits and berries amongst the marshes. One bear, in particular, stood out. Nicknamed Brutus, this huge male bear was once known as the biggest bear in Finland. The first time I saw him was mesmerizing. He swaggered out of the mist and sniffed at the air, before walking across the marsh in front of me.
I spent 2 weeks in a hide in the forest, waiting for 15 hours each day overnight. Each glimpse I caught of Brutus formed a memory I will never forget. At times, his huge frame was just a few meters from my hide. Keeping very quiet and switching my camera into 'quiet mode', I was able to take images without disturbing him.
More info: naturettl.com
