ON RUSSIA'S far eastern coastline, the wilderness of the Kamchatka peninsula sprawls across hundreds of thousands of square kilometres. Volcanoes and geysers rise out of the landscape. Untouched by humans, this is the kingdom of the grizzly bear.
Alone in this wilderness, Michel Roggo took these photographs by the Ozernaya river, which nourishes Kamchatka's Kronotsky nature reserve. Their startling closeness and rare perspective are thanks to Roggo's daring – and his waterproof camera, which he attached to a 9-metre-long pole. Laying the pole on the riverbed revealed the grizzlies hunting and devouring their catch from a viewpoint normally reserved for fish.
Despite the bears' fearsome claws and tremendous size Roggo says he felt calm in their presence. "It is probably the most powerful moment I had in my life as a wildlife photographer," he says. Sometimes just 5 or 6 metres from the animals, he took care not to look into their eyes or show fear. Most of his photographs – and all but the one on the top right here – are of the same, old male bear, a dominant figure who is afraid of absolutely nothing, says Roggo.
Visiting the Kronotsky reserve is regulated and tourism strictly limited. Roggo hopes his art will help keep such ecosystems pristine the world over. His global freshwater photography project is designed to encourage humanity to treasure them.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Grizzly camera man"
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