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Section : Bellingham Outdoors
Topic:
Interview with Karen Edmundson Bean following the release of
Walking Wild : Whatcom County, Washington"
Name: Karen Edmundson Bean
Residence: Maple Falls and Topanga, California
Two residences? And several jobs. In Maple Falls, she and her husband rise Shetland sheep and cashmere goats and she hikes
around the mountains making nature films.
In California she films nature television shows. She also works as a director of photography on low-budget Hollywood action
movies. "They're a lot of fun to do" Bean says.
Career direction: Lately bean has been hankering for action of the more natural type. " If someone calls and says
I'm doing this cops and robbers film, but I don't have much money." I'll say: 'Let me get you some phone numbers.' If
they say 'I want to do a film about slugs and I don't have much money,' I'll say 'Great, when do I start?.'"
Nature Films: These include several episodes of a TV series called "Saving The Endangered Species," and a video
produced this spring called "Walking Wild : Whatcom County, Washington"
What's in it? A video journey along five trails: Coleman Glacier, Good Run Pass, Peak 5658, Skyline Divide and Hannegan
Peak
Highlights include: A shot which starts on two ice climbers on Coleman Glacier and moves back to take in the whole vista,
pictures of rough housing marmots, and bloodsucking flies.
Toughest work: Gold Run Pass "I swear the pass is cursed. It took three times to get the footage. I got there one
time and was snowed out. The second time, the camera failed as I got to the top of the pass."
Most demanding work? "Anything involving wildlife," it's tough to get close enough
How close were some of the shots? As close as 8 inches away from the marmots.
How do you get a camera close to a big wary rodent? Slowly and carefully. "It's almost like moving in tai chi,"
she says. "It's like everything slows down and your moving at one-eighth the speed you normally move."
By Fiona Cohen
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