Brown Bears
Finland
Impressive Brown Bear photography possibilities of Finland
Finland is home to the largest predator in Europe – Brown Bear. And what’s more important, Finland offers versatile photography possibilities for photographing them! Female Bears with cute cubs, Bears in flowering cotton grass fields, swimming Bears and even fighting and mating Bears can all be photographed at our partner sites. We at Finnature have partnered up with the best Brown Bear photography sites in Finland and can recommend the most suitable site according to your wishes.
Book a Brown Bear hide
Our partner Brown Bear photography sites are located in Eastern Finland. Brown Bears are nocturnal animals and photography takes place overnight – luckily, we have bright summer nights in Finland. Overnight hide sessions start in the afternoon and last until morning. Early in the spring or in autumn when the nights are dark and long, hide sessions can be day sessions. Brown Bear sites can easily be visited on a self-drive basis.
We at Finnature do not own any of the wildlife photography hides but have worked closely with the best wildlife sites in Finland for years. We can recommend the best hides according to specific wishes. We always recommend at least two hide sessions to ensure the best possible photography opportunities. For booking, we need basic information about which kind of Bear activity you are looking for, how many nights you want to book, and how many persons are coming. We know which sites work best in each season.
Prices for Brown Bear photography hides start from 200 € / person / night. Prices include the use of hide and outdoor snacks for the hide stay. In addition, most wildlife sites have their own accommodation facilities and can provide meals as well. We will provide more detailed information about prices when booking.
Book a Brown Bear photography hide from our office via email at info(@)finnature.fi or via phone at +358 45 129 4264. Full payment of the hide is required at the time of booking.
Brown Bear seasons for every photographer
Brown Bears are active from spring until to autumn. Brown Bears spend their winter in hibernation and start feeding again after spring awakening in April. At wildlife photography and viewing sites, Brown Bears are attracted in front of hides with food. From spring to autumn, Brown Bears visit these sites regularly during nights.
Brown Bears wake up from winter hibernation in early April. The early season in April is the best time to capture Brown Bears in snowy conditions! Later in spring, female Bears are in heat in May and June. During this time, Bears move around most actively. During mating season, the males might fight for the females or Bears might even mate in front of photography hides.
Summertime is a wonderful time to photograph Brown Bears. The long daylight hours and the magical summer light are simply mesmerizing. From mid-June onwards, Brown Bear females might bring their cubs to the wildlife sites as well. Actually – one of our partners is specialized in Bear cubs! In early season the cubs are really cute but they grow fast. The surroundings with flowering cotton grass are a perfect playground for Brown Bears.
In autumn, the vibrant colors in nature make for fantastic background in Bear images. In autumn the Bears have thick furs and they prepare themselves for winter hibernation by eating berries and other food they can find. Brown Bears go into hibernation in October.
Versatile Brown Bear photography
Seasons in nature are one thing – but Brown Bear photography can be much more than the change in seasons in nature! Our partner Brown Bear photography sites have different possibilities for different Bear activity. Finland is a dream destination for wildlife photographers.
Photography hides are located in different habitats to provide variety in backgrounds and action. There are hides with bog, forest or pond landscapes, hides facing the setting sun for amazing backlit images, hides by ponds to capture Brown Bears swimming, hides by big trees where the cubs can climb and so on. Images showing the untouched environment can be taken from low angle and it is possible to achieve close up portraits with the careful placement of food. There are usually at least two shooting opening for each photographer in the photo hides.
Feeding also attracts other scavengers to the wildlife sites: most commonly different Gulls and Crows, sometimes also Red Kite or White-tailed and Golden Eagle, sometimes Wolverine and Wolf are seen in the Bear sites as well. It is exciting when you don’t know what to expect!
Gorgeous Brown Bears are a handsome photography target. The combination of Bear activity, seasons and different locations are a source of endless photography possibilities. See more Brown Bear photos at our Flickr gallery of Brown Bear photography in Finland.
Recommended equipment for Brown Bear hides
Distance to Brown Bears and other animals from hides varies greatly. Varying distances to food allow different angles and compositions in images. In general, almost all focal lengths work well for Brown Bear photography. Shorter, for example 70-200 mm lenses are good for wider views and longer lenses from 300 mm upwards work nicely for tighter composition and portraits. Converters are usable as well. It is good to have wide aperture in you lens because some photography will take place during dusk and dawn in low-light conditions.
Bring your own ball head for your camera. Tripod is not needed. Camera head is attached to a ground pod or to a wooden plank with a standard 3/8” mounting screw (provided in the hides). Don’t forget to bring plenty of memory cards and batteries!
Please note that it is not possible to change lenses during the photography session as it would scare the animals. There are usually at least two shooting openings for each photographer. There are also hides with low-angle photography openings.
The photography hides have bunk beds and sleeping bags and pillows for sleeping. Hides often have gas heating as well. Small hides usually have only simple bucket toilets.
Take warm clothes and woolen socks with you and preferably wear dark clothes. Rubber boots come in handy when entering the hides on bogs. It is also a good idea to bring binoculars for observing the surroundings! Also, do not bring snacks in rustling packaging to hides. The animals are most scared of strange noises and can scare from rustling sounds. Repack your snacks for example to suitable boxes.
