Jerad Raines Photography
A brown bear sits upright on a grassy rise in Katmai National Park, Alaska, tongue out, framed against an open sky

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Court Jester

After our tense encounter with this massive bear on the riverbank, he eventually decided we were more of a nuisance than a threat. He scratched his ear, turned away, and wandered up into the tundra. I stayed in position, watching him from a ledge halfway up the bank, still carrying the adrenaline of what had just happened.

Then he popped back over the crest.

Only now, instead of the imposing bear who had climbed fifty feet up the riverbank to stare us down, I was looking at a giant, shaggy goof with his tongue hanging out after another ear scratch. The same bear who had seemed so formidable moments earlier suddenly looked downright ridiculous.

After the tension of Staredown, the transformation was almost comical. I caught him in that fleeting moment when the menace disappeared, and the goofy animal underneath came through. Court Jester felt like the perfect reminder that even the most intimidating creature can have its undignified moments.

Nikon Z 7II · Nikkor Z 180-600mm · 420mm · f/6 · 1/1000 sec · ISO 320

Limited Edition Print

Available as a limited edition fine art print, produced on demand in four finishes. Full sizing and materials are on the prints page.

Editions & certificates

Each image is released as a limited edition of 50 — that's 50 pieces total, across every size and every finish combined, not 50 of each. When an edition closes, that image is retired and never offered as a print again. A few signature images are released in smaller editions.

Outside that count, I keep one Artist's Proof of each image for myself. It's occasionally available by private request, at a premium.

Every piece is numbered and comes with a matching signed and numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Paper prints are signed by hand before they ship; the face-mounted pieces travel straight from the lab to you, so the certificate carries the signature rather than the panel.

As an edition sells down, the price steps up. The earliest collectors of an image always pay the least for it.

Full details on The Prints page →

Request a quote

Every piece is made to order. Choose a size and finish and I'll confirm availability, the current edition price, and timing.

Which finish should I choose?

Lumachrome Face-mounted to TruLife acrylic

A layered transparency print, face-mounted to anti-reflective acrylic. The image is printed on clear film over a white reflective base, so light passes through the emulsion twice — inbound and outbound — before it reaches the eye.

Best for: Deep color, dramatic light, anything you want to stop people in a hallway.

Chromaluxe Dye-sublimation on aluminum

Under heat and pressure, the dye passes directly from solid to gas and diffuses into a polymer coating bonded to the panel. The image ends up within that coating rather than sitting on top of it.

Best for: Bright scenes, water, snow, big skies. Also the most durable option.

Supralume High-gloss canvas on aluminum composite

Canvas with the gloss integral to the print rather than varnished on afterward, surface-bonded to an aluminum composite panel. It keeps canvas texture without the detail loss and reduced black density that matte canvas normally costs.

Best for: Texture and detail — rock, bark, forest, anything intricate.

Fine Art Paper Canson Infinity Rag Photographique, 310 gsm cotton

A 310 gsm, 100% cotton rag with a smooth matte surface and no optical brighteners. The most traditional of the four, and the only one I sign by hand before it ships.

Best for: Quieter work, black and white, and anyone with a framer they trust.

Full details on The Prints page →

No payment now — I'll reply with confirmation and next steps.

Prefer email? hello@jeradrainesphotography.com

Frame 62 of 82

More from National Parks

View the full gallery
Western sunset in Saguaro national park Southwest Sentinels Saguaro National Park, Arizona 01 Temple of the Sun in Capitol Reef National Park Sun Scorched Capitol Reef National Park, Utah 02 Pale eroded clay badlands ridged by runoff, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona Pale Palace Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona 03 Cape Royal at the north rim of the Grand Canyon at sunset The Prow Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona 04 A brown bear reads the current at Katmai National Park, Alaska, waiting on the next fish Searching Katmai National Park, Alaska 05 Golden-mantled ground squirrel on a rock, Yellowstone National Park Raising the Alarm Yellowstone National Park 06