Karen Edmundson Bean InCamera Article Karen Bean

Natural history cinematographer Karen Edmundson Bean believes the key to recording animal behavior is patience. "The challenge is to find the moment that tells the story, she says. "It takes a lot of waiting, a lot of watching, and letting the animals become acclimated to your presence."

Bean recently lensed the 30-minute program "Wild Burros: Legacy of the American West," documenting the efforts to save burros in California's Death Valley. The program is part of the "Saving The Endangered Species" series.

The burros were brought into Death Valley by humans and eventually set free. Over the years, they have multiplied and affected the valley's meager water supply and the region's native animals. The show focuses on the efforts of the organization Wild Burro Rescue to relocate the burros from Death Valley to a nearby sanctuary dedicated to the animals.

Bean, who has a background in biology, journalism and film, was a natural for the series. "The idea of working with a group whose intention was to educated people and help save endangered species in an interesting way was very attractive," she says.

For the "Wild Burros" show, the on-site crew consisted of Bean and producer/director Kim Smith. "Everything you need has to be hauled on your back," says Bean. "There is no time for consultation. Kim and I always worked out our theme and ideas before we got to the location, because there was no time for a conference when the action started."

Bean used an ARRI SR Super 16mm camera with a Zeiss 10:1 zoom lens and a Canon 300mm camera with 2X extender.

"The Zeiss 10:1 zoom combines excellent photo quality with the ability to move very quickly," she explains. "You can't be slipping primes on and off because behaviors and actions happen very rapidly in nature. I also carried the Canon 300 because I needed a lens with exceptional resolution quality that would allow me to stay back. I didn't want to affect the animal's behavior."

Bean recounts one scene that took place at dusk where a young burro was playing with its mother. "The mother was showing maternal affection not usually seen. Capturing that scene was more powerful than thousands of words about the need to save these animals."

Bean believes she was able to shoot this scene because the burros had become used to her. In this situation, she used Kodak Vision 800T film. "One of the realities of natural history filmmaking is that a lot of the most intriguing activities occur two hours before sunrise and two hours after sunset," she says. "By the time I wrapped, I needed a flashlight to walk out of that area. The fact that I could start shooting before sunset and carry on into the night was amazing. The film held all of the details including the blacks and whites, and tones in between. We were way under-exposed but it delivered excellent color renditions. It was an amazing experience. Seeing the film is just like being there."

In its initial run, the program was seen in 4:3 format, but Bean protected the edges of the frame for future 16:9 HDTV programming.

"We'll be able to remaster for 16:9 when there's a market for HDTV content," she says. "Natural history is not just the acquisition of images, it's a story. The storytelling comes from the lighting, composition, and the feel and the look of the film. Film delivers that natural feeling."

Written by: Allen Rabinowitz