Photograph of the Month July 2026 – Polar Bear and Glacier

The photograph of the month for July 2026 comes from my Wild Nature Photo Travel workshop and expedition to Svalbard earlier this year (Read the Trip Report). The new regulations in Svalbard that prohibit approaching Polar Bears within 500m at this time of year can work in the photographer’s favour. In this case, the opportunity to capture the bear against the face of the giant glacier helps give fantastic context and scale to the bear’s environment. Shot with the Canon EOS R1 and Canon RF600mm F4L, the key to this photograph was to ensure the bear was sharp and had great paw position to help convey a strong sense of movement.