Your honest assessment, please

[Steve Foss]

When are those wolves most active?

Me and Micpic need to head up that way with our blinds and a couple bags of those Beggin' Strips thingys to toss at 'em when they won't close the distance.

Just a thought.

Good luck, buddy. You hold out Beggin Srips and croon "here, wolfy wolfy" and the wolves will disappear. But the locals will materialize out of the brush and laugh.

Or you could always hire a wolf whisperer as a guide.

Actually, to be serious for a moment, feeding wolves is a dangerous business. Many of the aggressive wolf/human encounters (the wolves being aggressive, LOL, not the humans) have been the result of wolves habituated to being fed by people. They lose their wariness of people so they come close, and if they're not fed as they've been led to expect, they can sometimes become aggressive. There's one woman within 15 miles of Ely who often throws meat and fat scraps out in her back yard in the woods for the wolves, and that pack has become habituated. Sooner or later, someone will be bitten, and that will spell the end of the wolf and/or the person.

Anyway, sorry to be so serious.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Quote:

Or you could always hire a wolf whisperer as a guide.

With my luck we wouldn't even see a squirrel all weekend but we'd hit a Moose on the way home who was being attacked by a wolf pack and total out the Tahoe.

[Hwood]

I would guess this lady does not have a dog, or not anymore. I do not think I have heard of a wolf having a man burger. It must of happened?

[MARINERMAGNUM]

I would guess this lady does not have a dog, or not anymore. I do not think I have heard of a wolf having a man burger. It must of happened?

She'll make the news someday: "Local woman bitten by Wolf while trying to teach wolf to catch frisbee"

I can see it.

[Yellowhead]

I wouldn't change a thing. This a very powerful image. Strangely there is a couple of painting by Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman "Midnight-Black Wolf" and "Clear Night Wolves" that has the same kind of power.

[Note from admin: Please see forum policy before posting again. Thank you]

[Steve Foss]

With my luck we wouldn't even see a squirrel all weekend but we'd hit a Moose on the way home who was being attacked by a wolf pack and total out the Tahoe.

As long as you get the pictures, what's the problem? The Tahoe is insured. Where are your priorities?

Actually, I'm batting .667 on getting clients on wild wolves. And none of them have totaled their vehicles.

Note: I have been a Robert Bateman fan for a long, long time. If I could photograph nature the way he paints it, I'd be happy to die, go to heaven and let my heirs collect the royalties. Yellowhead, you nailed it. Bateman's midnight wolf was the inspiration for the art in this thread, as well as for a couple of them on the North Shore thread Ken and I teamed up on (can you guess which ones?) I first saw the Bateman print of the midnight wolf in a doctor's office in Harvey, N.D. on Dec. 1, 1993. I missed the appointment. The nurse called my name and I didn't hear it because I'd seen the painting. Aside from some of Jim Brandenburg's work, Bateman has been the primary influence on the way I interpret wildlife/nature art. I think being inspired by a talented painter is an excellent route for any photographer.

Well, guess that got long. Sorry. Writer, too . . . .

[S.D. Ice Angular]

I like the non glare version much better. It does not have the intensity I have seen before on other wolf pics.

I still think it is pretty cool though.

[fishinchicks]

I really like this one, Steve. It feels like it is sneaking up on you. I can about imagine how great this would look in a northwoods room - keeping in mind that those of us living in the southwestern prairie have to "fake" the northwoods type decor.

[Jameson]

Steve bear with me, I may be getting a little nit picky. Now the eye doesn't have enough glare! Could you clone(and mirror) it's right eye? I think you darkened the white also, looks good.

Maybe the photo just isn't one that impacts me (and I'm a male.) If I ever do get a chance to see a wolfy close up your pic would probably impact me in whole different manner. Hopefully this fall....

and oh ya,

Thanks Steve for sharing your knowledge and photos!

[Steve Foss]

Jeez. Guess I asked for that, didn't I?

[finnbay]

Quote:

Wolf. Finn. Hmmmmmmm. Note the Finn's got the same little region of glare in the same part of the eye as the wolf. Coincidence?

I do not have to apologize for my lineage. I've been a member of the Ely "Wolves" for the last 32 years! Problem is I get this funny feeling all over when the moon is full!

Maybe it has something to do with it being the same photographer in both images!

Oh, by the way - the black wolf wouldn't stand a chance!

[Neighbor_guy]

fwiw I like the first one (w/glare) better, but both are great images.

[ShawnZ]

My initial reaction is wow, great impact, black on black with just the facial features emerging, very moody, mysterious, embodies much of what I personally believe about this creature. But for a more detailed assesment, I would request to know more about the image. I read all three pages of posts and I did not notice if you mentioned how the image was created, for example, from a hide? shooting techs? If this image was created pretty much straight out of the camera with some minor ps adjustments, then I'm TOTALLY blown away. If there were more detailed ps adjustments so that the image is more of a digital artwork piece vs digital photograph, I'm still moved and impressed but would view the work differently, if that makes sense?

[waterbound]

Whoa. That's quite a picture.

[Steve Foss]

My initial reaction is wow, great impact, black on black with just the facial features emerging, very moody, mysterious, embodies much of what I personally believe about this creature. But for a more detailed assesment, I would request to know more about the image. I read all three pages of posts and I did not notice if you mentioned how the image was created, for example, from a hide? shooting techs? If this image was created pretty much straight out of the camera with some minor ps adjustments, then I'm TOTALLY blown away. If there were more detailed ps adjustments so that the image is more of a digital artwork piece vs digital photograph, I'm still moved and impressed but would view the work differently, if that makes sense?

Shawn, thanks so much for looking and letting me know your thoughts. This is photo art, a poster, if you will. A statement reminiscent of Robert Bateman's paintings. It's not a factual representation of what was in front of my lens that day, simply a perfect representation of what was in my mind when my lens captured that wolf that day.

I came up in photojournalism, where photos must reflect fact as well as truth and must not be doctored. Luckily, I don't feel in any way bound by those contraints anymore when I work on nature photography unless the client requests that level of fact.

The actual photo was posted here awhile back, as most will recall. Here it is again, from about 30 feet. Buzz may ding me a bit for dipping into the archives, but you did ask for provenance.

Canon 30D, Canon 100-400L IS at 260mm, iso400, 1/100 at f7.1, handheld.

[Birdsong]

Really nice. I prefer the glare left in the eyes, and the crop left as is. I noticed your avatar right away--was going to make some comment about you and finn having a few too many spirits on the day trip. But seeing it this way, looming up out of the black is really powerful. And frightening. I actually do think your comment on male/female preferences may have some truth in it. I wonder if it may have something to do with most of us (women, that is)not having had the same types of outdoor experience when young?

[JulieA]

Hi Steve--

I'm no photographer by any means (just a long time lurker), but I'd hang that in my living room today....if I could afford it. Like your ghost trees it's fabulous.

JulieA

[ShawnZ]

Thankyou for your explanation into the nature of the image. It's a stunning image and concept. The original, which I had never seen before now... wow, very excellent, the wolf god's have been very good to you sir! I know it's "time in the field" and so on, but still, how lucky you have been

[machohorn]

Steve I would like to know where you BUY all those excellent shots. Just kidding. You live in truely amazing place and you do spend countless hours working to create masterpieces. Keep them coming. It only inspires myself along with many more.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks so much, folks.

Shawn, I moved up here six years ago from Duluth/Superior with pretty much one thing in mind. In all that time and through all the days spent in the woods, the black wolf is one of only two chance encounters (not counting more structured wild wolf photography sessions) that have resulted in photographs. The other was with finnbay last October.

I consider myself tremendously lucky to have had those encounters.

I'll be selling a few smaller versions of the wolf poster shown here at the HSO/FM swap meet at the Twig Community Center on Friday.

[DTro]

Steve my very first thought whan I looked at it was Bateman. I'm sure you have no qualms with that comparison

[Lisa Almquist]

I love this shot Steve. But I'm pretty partial to the Black Wolf on the Fernberg. I say leave the glint in the eye and don't crop it like your avatar.

[dockothebay]

Ok, now that I've looked at the image many times, and seen the rest of this discussion, I still say the image is haunting. The glint in his eyes and depth of the black canvas are part of the intensity. I like the original image best, I'm sure it will be very well received at the swap meet.

Ken, I take all nits with a grain of salt, especially when they come from photographers as stern as you look in your avatar. You darn teachers. You're so mean!

... that's just high school teachers!

[Steve Foss]

It's all those hormones they have to deal with, Jackie. Ken's actually the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet and spend time with. I'm not just saying that because he lets me borrow his big lenses, either!

Are you an elementary teacher?

My wife and I are kicking around doing a production run of actual posters to sell on the Web site. There's no way as much money can be made on posters as there was 20 years ago (as with Brandenburg's Brother Wolf) because the poster market has completely changed since then, but we'll see. It would also make a dynamite logo for black Tshirts, hoodies, mouse pads and caps.

[dockothebay]

It's all those hormones they have to deal with, Jackie. Ken's actually the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet and spend time with. I'm not just saying that because he lets me borrow his big lenses, either!

Are you an elementary teacher?

Actually I am a retired speech therapist - for young kids with special needs - I worked for the school and with kids from birth to 5 for the last 20+ years of my career. I worked in a middle school for 1 year - couldn't take all those hormones bouncing around in the building and opted for the little ones! (Altho I'm better at it since I've had 3 kids go thru that stage!) And I know Ken must be a good guy/teacher - my son-in-law is an Ely HS grad - good people up there. Truth be told, I admire all those who teach in middle and high schools - I have lots of friends and relatives in those ranks

At any rate, your image is really outstanding and I think you're right, there are probably lots of ways to market it. I also liked the original image and remembered it right away when you posted this version.