Bear Smiles For The Camera, Charming SoCal Social Media Users

PASADENA, CA — A smiling bear captured on camera above Pasadena is spreading the joy across social media.

The image, taken by photographer Johanna Turner, has received thousands of reactions and hundreds of comments and shares on her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

“I love how much people are enjoying this photo and hope it shows people how fortunate we are to have beautiful wildlife, and that we should do our best to protect it,” Turner, who works with local conservation groups, wrote in an email to Patch.

To achieve her stunning and intimate wildlife portraits, Turner uses motion-activated cameras, which allow her to document the animals when the moment is right.

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“This camera takes only one shot per motion trigger so I have to be sure my settings will capture the animal in just the right place in the frame,” she wrote. “It's a combination of knowing animal behavior and the sensitivity of the motion sensor.”

The picture of the grinning bear was taken around 2 a.m.

“My goal is to show wildlife in their natural environment, going about their lives, in a way that people can't see with their own eyes,” Turner wrote, noting bears like the one she photographed are more active in the spring and residents of the San Gabriel foothills may see them while hiking or even in backyards.

Turner sells prints of her photographs, including the image of the smiling bear, at her website, www.cougarmagic.com/prints.