George Turner is a British wildlife photographer who travels around the world, photographing incredible animals from different places.
His latest adventure took him to Northern Canada in a town called Churchill, also known as the “polar bear capital of the world.” He spent some intimate time with these huge white animals in their natural habitat. The polar bears situated in northern Manitoba spend many months on the Hudson Bay, waiting for the ice to freeze over at the beginning of the hunting season.
Churchill Wild, the only operator who offers up close and personal experience with polar bears, offered Turner this once in a lifetime opportunity, making his ultimate wildlife dream a reality.
Turner opened up to My Modern Met about his incredible journey with these majestic animals. “It was the intimacy that struck me. In such a silent world—snow snuffles out sound—the stillness creates a magical, ethereal feeling to the air. Photographically, it’s a dream. The crisp, cool air results in super sharp images, with the light interacting with every single snowflake.”
And the most memorable moment was “The first encounter, without a doubt. With the magical Arctic sunset came our first bear, a subadult male. Coming out of the willow bushes, he laid down on the frozen river, directly facing us. My first 10 shots were blurry, as I was shaking with pure excitement. His stare was incredibly intense; he was looking at me.”
