Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina

I found this mother black bear and her cubs early one morning and spent most of the day shadowing them from a distance as they moved through an understory so dense they could disappear for hours at a time. Eventually, I positioned my truck beside a small clearing and climbed onto the roof, where I could see above some of the brush. Then, I waited.

A couple of hours later, a passing motorcycle suddenly revved its engine. Mom responded with one subtle warning call, and her cubs reacted instantly, racing straight up a towering tulip poplar. There was no need for a second warning—when mom says up, you go up.

For years, I had been in pursuit of an image that properly depicted a young bear family and their relationship with one of their first lines of defense: a towering tree. In a matter of seconds, a day of patience, one enormous tree, a vigilant mother—and one very loud motorcycle—gave me that opportunity.