What is a black bear thinking?

Almost every bad black bear encounter starts the same way — someone surprises one at close range. A bear that hears a person coming has already moved off long before there is anything to photograph, which is the entire reason hikers are told to talk on blind corners.

So the noise is not for you. Standing tall, speaking firmly and backing away slowly is what works; running triggers a chase, and playing dead is advice for a different species of bear entirely.