Yesterday, I watched "Grizzly Man" and "Diary of Grizzly Man" repeatedly on Animal Planet.

Although I well understand first hand the adrenaline rush of being around wild Grizzlies in Nature, I still do not understand what actually drove Timothy Treadwell. Maybe no one ever will fully. He obviously pushed the envelop too far & ultimately paid the price.

Nevertheless, as the pilot in the film said, "being near wild bears in their own environment can become addicting". The experience gets into your blood & makes you wish for the next time that you can once again be with the bears.

Fortunately, most of us do not take the risks that Timothy Treadwell did. The only times that I personally have been ultra close to Griz in the wild has been by happenstance. Unlike Mr Treadwell, I have never set out in Grizzly territory with a wide angle lens hoping to get a close up head shot. I never will either. I value my life.

Although this photograph was taken out in wild Nature away from crowds and viewing platforms, etc, I was using my 300mm lens. Even then, I considered it to be quite close for a Portrait shot of a Grizzly Bear.

I originally saw the film "Grizzly Man" for the first time in the theater in 2005. That was just after I had gotten home from Alaska following my shooting the first photos for my Grizzly Bear
gallery http://www.pbase.com/britestar/wild_grizzly_bears. Despite having since gained more first hand experience - and additional knowledge - concerning Grizzly Bears in the wild, I continue to be amazed at the life Mr Treadwell led.

Although few of his still photographs are regularly viewed today, many of them were simply amazing. Was it worth his life? NO!!! However, I believe that the essence of a wild Grizzly Bear can also be captured without becoming a Timothy Treadwell. Usually, I don't ramble on like this, but watching the movie over and over yesterday has started me thinking about what I do myself.

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Any and/or all usage or copying of this image, without express written permission from the photographer, is prohibited by law. Copyright 2007, Elizabeth Bickel. All Rights Reserved.