Play Time

Some wildlife moments feel like they’re meant just for you.

This was one of them.

On our very first weeklong trip into the wilderness to photograph Alaskan brown bears, we found ourselves along the coastline in July, under endless daylight. With the salmon run yet to begin, the bears were spread out along the shore, feeding on sedge grass and digging for clams when the tide slipped away.

We had heard there were cubs that year. We just didn’t expect how small they would be… or how much personality they would have.

At barely 20 pounds (9 kg), they were no bigger than a seagull - full of curiosity, energy, and completely unaware of how captivating they were.

One after another, these little cubs began to appear in front of us. Each one in its own moment.

Some were caught mid-step, exploring their surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity. Others paused just long enough to look in our direction, as if trying to understand what we were. And then there were the playful ones - tumbling, swatting, and completely lost in their own little world.

One moment that stands out is watching a cub settle in beside its mother for a nap. The other joined… then rolled over and kicked its sibling in the head... and just like that, playtime was back on again!

The image Play Time is a collection of those moments.

A collage of individual encounters, each one capturing a different glimpse into the personality and spirit of these young brown bear cubs. Together, they tell a fuller story - not just of what we saw, but of what it felt like to be there.

There’s something about bear cubs that feels so familiar.

The curiosity. The playfulness. The way they move through the world without hesitation.

It’s a reminder of a simpler kind of joy - the kind that exists in small, unfiltered moments.

And that’s what this image holds for us.

Not just a collection of photographs… but a collection of feelings, memories, and a time in nature we’ll never forget.

- Keltie Masters

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