black bear cub waiving

PART III: This is my favorite photo from this "encounter" because it appears that the cub is waiving to me. Getting close to black bears -- especially, black bear cubs is a process involving much patience. My experience (after photographing around 350-400 bears) is that 50% of the time you see a bear it runs away; 25% the bear walks away. When this happens I NEVER go after them, track them etc. The bear has told me they would rather not be around me. I "listen" and comply with much respect. What that means is 25% of the time I have an opportunity to get a good photo if I don't screw up. First, I make sure that the bear knows I am there. And, that the bear knows I know that he is there. I stop, look at the bear, and then look away. I continue to do that until the bear starts eating again. Then I take diagonal steps to get closer -- or get the angle I want. If the bear stops eating and looks at me, I stop and look at him, then look away. That continues until the bear starts eating again. If the bear walks away, then that's it. It's over. But, if the bear starts eating again I start walking again. This process continues until I get where I want to be, to get the photo I want to get. At some point I can usually move about freely -- albeit slowly, quietly, and without hand and arm movement -- and without disturbing mom who remains focused on eating as much vegetation as she can. In the case of the cub in this photo, I am standing about 20 feet away. The mom is about 50 feet away to the right. But, it took a good 45 minutes to get close enough for this photo without upsetting either the cubs or mom in the process.