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MICHAEL STAV

PHOTOGRAPHY

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Belugas and bears 🐋🐻‍❄️

Easily the most chaotic morning of my life. Woken up at 4am in the pack-ice to a mother and cub just 20m from our ship. The cub tried to climb aboard, belugas showed up, mum gave hunting a go, and the whales kept circling and vocalising, either taunting or totally oblivious to being hunted.

5,000 photos, 0 hours sleep, and a few fingers with borderline frostbite. Safe to say the breakfast champagne was justified 🥂 (yes, I pretended to like wine in front of the real adults)

Belugas and bears 🐋🐻‍❄️

Easily the most chaotic morning of my life. Woken up at 4am in the pack-ice to a mother and cub just 20m from our ship. The cub tried to climb aboard, belugas showed up, mum gave hunting a go, and the whales kept circling and vocalising, either taunting or totally oblivious to being hunted.

5,000 photos, 0 hours sleep, and a few fingers with borderline frostbite. Safe to say the breakfast champagne was justified 🥂 (yes, I pretended to like wine in front of the real adults)

Still wild to think that deep down this fluffy little guy wants to remove my face 😭

Still wild to think that deep down this fluffy little guy wants to remove my face 😭

Little break from the polar bear action to bring you their favourite snack 🦭

Chubby water pups quickly became my spirit animal, particularly the fella on second slide 🍩

Little break from the polar bear action to bring you their favourite snack 🦭

Chubby water pups quickly became my spirit animal, particularly the fella on second slide 🍩

Didn’t know this photo existed until last week 🥸

It’s been sitting in the reject pile on my hard drive for a year… turns out it might just be my favourite shot from the whole trip.

Bad news: Past me had no taste.
Good news: Present me has added it to the print store 🖼️

(Link in bio if you feel like adopting a polar bear for your wall) 🐻‍❄️🐻‍❄️🐻‍❄️

Didn’t know this photo existed until last week 🥸

It’s been sitting in the reject pile on my hard drive for a year… turns out it might just be my favourite shot from the whole trip.

Bad news: Past me had no taste.
Good news: Present me has added it to the print store 🖼️

(Link in bio if you feel like adopting a polar bear for your wall) 🐻‍❄️🐻‍❄️🐻‍❄️

Captured six years ago, and now finally going up as a big-ass piece on someone’s wall 🙌

One of my favourite images brought to life as a custom 32x40 print for the beautiful humans @tanyasaw & @michaeeeel97 🖼️

Currently offering 10% off all orders with the code DRONEFUND — you get some cool art, I get a drone… win-win 🤝

Captured six years ago, and now finally going up as a big-ass piece on someone’s wall 🙌

One of my favourite images brought to life as a custom 32x40 print for the beautiful humans @tanyasaw & @michaeeeel97 🖼️

Currently offering 10% off all orders with the code DRONEFUND — you get some cool art, I get a drone… win-win 🤝

I had planned this expedition to Svalbard in the peak of Arctic summer — partly because I’d just finished my Masters then, and partly because it’s when bear sightings are at their peak 🐻‍❄️

The downside is that summer means melting ice, and the first three bears we saw were either on rocky shores or up in the mountains. Cool to see - but not the photo of a polar bear walking on ice I’d always dreamed of.

After the third ‘land-bear’ sighting I started to think a bear on ice wasn’t possible at this time of year, and regrettably readjusted my expectations.

Fast forward 24 hours and we spent a morning with this bear not only walking on ice — but in front of the Bråsvellbreen glacier. Very cool, dream achieved 👌🏻 Our luck only got better from here on out too… 🍀

I had planned this expedition to Svalbard in the peak of Arctic summer — partly because I’d just finished my Masters then, and partly because it’s when bear sightings are at their peak 🐻‍❄️

The downside is that summer means melting ice, and the first three bears we saw were either on rocky shores or up in the mountains. Cool to see - but not the photo of a polar bear walking on ice I’d always dreamed of.

After the third ‘land-bear’ sighting I started to think a bear on ice wasn’t possible at this time of year, and regrettably readjusted my expectations.

Fast forward 24 hours and we spent a morning with this bear not only walking on ice — but in front of the Bråsvellbreen glacier. Very cool, dream achieved 👌🏻 Our luck only got better from here on out too… 🍀

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