Meet John Tidwell
The bears begin to trust him after days and days and months and months of routine. Here he talks about how the bears can survive on land. He agrees that ice is getting thin and bears are having a hard time finding seals on the dwindling ice, but he also has what he considers evidence […]
On Carrying a Camera, Not A Gun
Tidwell, “I don’t carry a gun. What right do I have to shoot a bear when I’m invading his territory.” Here Tidwell tells tales about bears, close calls, Snagglepus, a particularly large foul-mood male with a broken jaw and broken nose and teeth sticking out, coming up to Tidwell in the fog snorting as he […]
Tricks of the Polar Bear Photographer’s Trade
Here he talks about how he “gets a bear,” ways to attract bears to his lens. Back in the early 80s when Tidwell got to Barrow you’d listen to the radio to find out when the bears were in town. What attracts bears to town? Arctic Pizza on the south side of town.