AudibleSilence wrote in post #8526648
I hear talk of folks shooting in pretty extreme conditions ranging from the desert to pouring end of the world style rain. Basically I'd like to see pics of you guys (
Ed this means you 
) shooting in wild weather, environmental conditions. Please also post a bit of the story behind the shot as well as personal takes on the performance of the lens, etc.
personal note: I'm heading to the Mid East later this year and I am lens hunting
I'm heading off to Cuba in October too....this thread will help me tremendously in choosing a new lens.
okay we were in kuliak bay, katmai national park. after great morning weather we're hit with rain.
three of us decide to go ashore anyway. dan, me and buck wilde.....the man david attenborough called the bear whisperer 
.
we're in full rain gear and hip waders. buck doesn't carry any camera gear .... or pepper spray or flares. he believes in "negotiating" with bears, something he's done successfully for almost 20 years. dan carries a can of bear mace in case negotiations break down.
dan carries only the 1ds mark III and 100-400L. i carry 1d mark III mounted with 70-200L f4 IS and i also bring the 16-35L II. we both also use optech rain sleeves because it's pouring.
we see a lone bear at the mouth of the falls. she goes back and forth from the falls to the pool. unlike other bears she always watches us.
the bear moves up the falls so we wade across the salmon-choked pool and sit on the rocks at the base of the falls which means the bear will be close when she passes us. one of my boots has a leak and fills with water. i switch to 16-35L II in the rain to take this shot of buck and dan. the UV fogs up and i remove it.
the bear returns and hesitates and then passes us and returns to the pool. the water is a couple feel deep which makies fishing difficult. the bears are waiting for the fish to run, and then as the tide goes out it'll be a bloodbath.
the bear stands and looks at us. then she crouches and that's when i get a scared.....
the bear advances, never taking her eyes off of me, and gives me "the look".....
i look over at buck and he has his head down. i imagine that he is praying. dan has his hand under his rainjacket clutching the cannister of mace.
the bear looks off and then passes us and heads back up the falls.........
ed rader
