I look forward to going to Lake Clark every year! Getting off the beaten path and photographing brown bears is always great! I’ve been going to Lake Clark for many years now, but I’m just as excited going each year as I was previously. On any photo trip, I hope to get it started off well. On our very first shoot we got some decent shots, but on our second time out, we knocked it out of the park! A saw a mother and two cubs from a distance, and we hurried over to where they were. When we got there, the two cubs started playing king of the stump, and played and played and played!! I don’t even know how many photos were taken by my group while they played, but it was a lot, and it was awesome!

First thing the next morning, that same mom and cubs were actually in the yard as the group prepared to go photographing. It’s always fun to see the bears by the lodge! It was a clear morning, and we waited for the mom and cubs to head out into the sedge flats so we could photograph them. The light was amazing, and the family of bears were so photogenic! We got some great closeups in the sedge flats, and then they headed to the tidal flats to go clamming. With the soft morning light, the mountains out, and a cooperative family of bears, we had a very successful morning! By the time we went in for breakfast, it felt like we had already shot a days worth of photos! In the afternoon we found the other mom and two cubs, and it was great to photograph them too.

Another highlight of the trip was the other mom and two cubs resting out on the beach. A bear that was nearby startled the cubs, but after mom got them to relax again, the cubs were very cuddly and stayed close to mom. The cubs even climbed over mom at one point, and gave the cutest resting poses!! Every time they moved it seemed to be a cuter photo!

Throughout the week we saw many other bears, but the moms with cubs were the highlight! New brown bear cubs are so small, and so full of life and energy. And brown bear cubs enjoy playing with each other, so it makes great photos when they are playing. As usual, the trip went by fast, and before we knew it, it was time to fly out and leave Lake Clark. My group was all very happy, which makes me happy, and they couldn’t wait to look through all their photos and the many exciting encounters we had!

I want to give a special thanks to Pili Palm-Leis (author) for her hard work in helping to get our book published!

Keep Up, Katmai is a remarkable up-close view into an inquisitive real grizzly cub's day, with stunning photographs shot by renowned wildlife photographer Barrett Hedges.

In this unique format, photographs give an up-close view into a very important event in a grizzly cub's life - when she learns to fish for salmon with her brothers and sister. Young readers will cheer for Katmai, the smallest of the cubs, as we follow her day. The incredible collection of photos shows how wild bears eat, learn and play, as their mother protects and feeds them. The result? A beautiful introduction to this incredible, endangered species, and a wonderful story celebrating the love between parents and their children.

Back of book material includes a fascinating interview with author Pili Palm-Leis and photographer Barrett Hedges. While anyone would look at these photos and know they are special, an experienced nature photographer would immediately recognize that they also represent a unique shoot. To see a grizzly mom in the wild with four live cubs is almost unheard of. Barrett's shoot captured behaviour that is very hard to get, especially in the same frame. Thanks to his eye and deep knowledge and respect for the wildlife he photographs, young readers will witness magnificent scenes in nature that most of us would never have a chance to experience.

This book is written for kids ages 6-12 years old. My first edition is written for toddlers.