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# The Photograph That Changed Everything
- URL: https://thewildjournal.zackclothierphotography.com/the-photograph-that-changed-everything/
- Published: 2026-09-04T04:57:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-12T17:14:37.000Z
- Description: More than finding an animal, wildlife photography is about reading the landscape, understanding the signs, and being there when something extraordinary unfolds. This is the story behind Grizzly Remains, my Wildlife Photographer of the Year winning image.
- Author: Zack Clothier
- Tags: Stories, Camera Trapping

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/61/c7610679-8285-4021-b49a-f941201218b0/content/images/2026/09/Grizzly-Remains-Montana-Wildlife-Grizzly-Bear-Photography-Nature-Fine-Art-Photo-Prints-for-Sale-1.jpg)

***Grizzly Remains**

It all started while I was cross-country skiing near my home in western Montana at the end of January. I was scouting an area for camera trapping when I came across the remains of a bull elk that had likely succumbed to a wolf, or pack of wolves, judging by the tracks surrounding the kill. Although the carcass was mostly picked clean when I found it, I instinctively knew there was massive potential here for a compelling photograph.

The next day, I returned with a custom-built DSLR camera trap, a remote camera capable of capturing high-resolution fine art photographs. After experimenting with several angles, I eventually settled on a nearby tree well where I was able to camouflage it with branches and snow. This was the perfect place to conceal the large camera so I wouldn't spook any potential scavengers that might return to investigate the elk. I was hoping to photograph a wolf, but wolves are intelligent and wary animals. I knew my chances were extremely low, but I had to give it a shot.

I spent the better part of the day carefully setting up the camera. I also placed two speedlights up high to capture any nocturnal visitors. From past experience, I knew the batteries I was using in the setup would last approximately one month, as long as temperatures didn't dip below zero for an extended period of time. Next, I dialed in my exposure, using manual mode on my camera to set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Once I was happy with the settings, I adjusted the focus on the lens, double-checking to make sure the areas where I expected an animal to be positioned within the frame were tack sharp. Once everything was set up, I tested the trap. With everything working as it should, I left the area and let the camera go to work.

A month went by, and I was excited to return to the camera to see if I had captured the image of the wolf I was hoping for. I strapped on my skis and slowly made my way through the deep snow to the location of my camera, which was several miles back in the forest. Along the way, I passed the tracks of snowshoe hares, pine martens, foxes, and wolves. I was hopeful that at least some of these animals had crossed paths with my motion sensor and triggered my camera trap.

When I arrived at the camera, I quickly opened it up to review the images on the back of the camera's LCD. As I scrolled through the images, I came across snowshoe hares, a curious pine marten, and a red fox. All had paid the fallen bull a visit. Unfortunately, the animal I had hoped for, a wolf, never returned. My batteries were nearing the end of their life, so I swapped everything out for fresh ones. After testing the camera trap again, I left the area. Fingers crossed once again.

I was scheduled to return at the end of March to swap the batteries out again, but a mild winter that year led to some early-season flooding. As winter gave way to spring, access became much more difficult. I delayed my next visit as long as possible, waiting for a cold day to help with a creek crossing along the route. After a stretch of unseasonably warm weather at the beginning of April, I arrived to find the once-frozen stream transformed into a raging torrent.

I spent the next two hours building a makeshift bridge from downed timber to safely cross. Once across, I snowshoed the rest of the way to my camera. Just before reaching it, I came across fresh tracks in the snow. They were from a very large grizzly bear, and they were very fresh.

The last thing I wanted to do was surprise a bear on a carcass.

Luckily for me, I had a trail camera on a nearby tree, so I walked over to check it. As I flipped through the videos, I came across the bear. I looked closer at the timestamp on the footage. The date was recent. In fact, it was from the exact same day. I looked at the time. The bear had been captured just an hour and a half before I arrived.

Was the grizzly still on the carcass?

I had no way of knowing, as my camera trap was still several hundred feet farther into the forest.

I decided it would be best to wait it out for a while, make a lot of noise, and try to listen for any sounds coming from that direction. Finally, I gathered up the courage to keep going. When I entered the area where my trap was placed, I immediately noticed the carcass had been dragged away from my camera, and the nearby creek was flowing high above its banks.

The rising water had flooded the area where my camera and PIR sensor were positioned. As I got closer, I could see my camera box had been thrashed around and was pointed up toward the sky, bear slobber spattering the lens. Luckily for me, the tripod had kept the camera above the waterline. Fresh grizzly tracks surrounded the site.

Honestly, I didn't expect much when I opened the case. In my many years of camera trapping, I've learned that bears have an uncanny ability to "disable" a setup without ever getting their picture taken. Scrolling through the images, I saw the usual visitors—hares, a pine marten, a red fox, and lots of ravens.

Then I came to this frame.

A massive grizzly bear, staring directly into the camera.

My jaw dropped.

It was the last frame captured, taken just before the bear lunged at the camera, altering the carefully crafted composition and ending the story in dramatic fashion.

In 2021, I decided to enter the photograph into the most coveted wildlife photography competition in the world, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, put on by the Natural History Museum in London. It was my first time ever entering the competition. With more than 50,000 entries from photographers across 95 countries, I didn't expect to get recognized.

A few months later, I received an email letting me know that several of my images had been chosen to advance to the next round of judging, with this photograph being one of them. At this point, I thought perhaps I had a chance of at least placing somewhere within the competition, but I knew it was still a long shot.

Then, months later, I received an email letting me know that my photograph had indeed taken first place in the Animals in their Environment category.

I was shocked.

My years of hard work had finally paid off.

With the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in London, I booked my flights and was excited for the big event. Unfortunately, the world had other plans, and Covid restrictions led to the cancellation of my flights, forcing the entire ceremony to go virtual that year. It certainly wasn't the same experience, but I made the best of it anyway.

My photograph still appeared in major museums throughout the world the following year, and to this day, this print remains the top-selling piece in my collection.

To this day, I still haven't come close to capturing another photograph that is as unique as this one. If I ever do, I'll be sure to enter the competition again and see if I can finally make the trip to London that eluded me before.

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**Grizzly Remains* is available as a fine art print through my online gallery |* [Explore the Print →](https://www.zackclothierphotography.com/photo/grizzly-remains/?gallery=featured-works&ref=thewildjournal.zackclothierphotography.com)

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