Aaron wrote:

And lo, Rich emerged from the ether
and spake thus:

snip

18mm shot and the bear was that large in the frame? She's lucky she
didn't get attacked!


Bears don't typically attack unprovoked. Wearing a "bear-repellent
bell" is usually enough to keep them away. They shy from confrontation
unless they're hungry and you look like food, or if you interfere with
their cubs.

You only need bells in black bear country. Do you know
how to tell the difference between grizzly bear scat and
black bear scat? The grizzly bear scat has little bells
in it and smells like pepper spray ;-).

Seriously, some bears are attracted to bells, especially
a young one who has never heard them before. It is very hard
to predict what a bear will do.

Still, she must be quite the dedicated photographer to get closer for
the shot while the bear was walking toward her, no?

Or it was a controlled environment, e.g. the photographer was
in a car.