Calgary-area wildlife photographer wins international award: ‘I got passionate about bears’

This is a big week for a talented wildlife photographer from Cochrane, Alta. Jo-Anne Oucharek is celebrating some sweet success on the international stage, sharing the spotlight with a very photogenic mama bear.

Oucharek was recently recognized for her work at the 2023 World Photographic Cup in Singapore. She was part of Team Canada, up against competitors from 32 countries.

The judges named Oucharek’s photo of a bear catching a fish in a fast-moving river as ‘Best of Nation’ — in this case Canada.

The photo was taken in a national park in Alaska.

“It’s a very famous spot where the bears come to fish,” Oucharek said.  “The bear was in the right spot and the fish jumped in the right spot and at that moment, I was like, ‘Oh my – I can’t believe that just happened!’”

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At that point, she’d been standing alongside the river for eight hours, always working hard for just the right shot.

“Hiking 15, 20 kilometers a day with 40 pounds of gear,” Oucharek said.

It was all part of her winning week in the wilderness.

“In seven days we saw over 100 bears,” Oucharek said. “It was crazy.”

This kind of experience has become a way of life for Oucharek.

“(With all) the wildlife and nature just here in the Cochrane area, I photograph mostly all kinds of birds and bears and foxes,” Oucharek said. “But I got passionate about bears and I traveled to photograph bears, so Churchill (Manitoba), Alaska, the Great Bear Rainforest.”

Oucharek’s winning photo, called ‘The Catch,’  and other World Cup entries by Team Canada photographers are now on display until June 22 at the Route 22 Artist Collective Gallery in Cochrane.

The exhibit will also be at the 2023 Calgary Stampede, which runs from July 7-23.

Oucharek has captured many magic moments with her wildlife photography, but nothing quite like ‘The Catch.’

“She’s a mama bear and she was teaching her female cub how to fish, how to hold her ground with bigger bears,” Oucharek said. “It was spectacular to watch.”