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Jim Brandenburg Artist
I
grew up in southern Minnesota, not far from the South Dakota border. Even
though I was surrounded by cornfields and overgrazed pasture, I always
seemed to be aware of this land as it used to be—a prairie displaying
its rich tapestry of grasses and wildflowers.
My father taught me to hunt. When I was a young boy, I especially liked to trail fox tracks in the snow. I learned much about behavior, which later was a big advantage in helping me to understand their big cousin the wolf, which I work with today. One day I bought a small plastic camera and happened upon a red fox. The fox came right up to me after I called him in by sounding like a squeaky mouse. I stood there and clicked away with my new camera. This was probably the first sign of my future as a professional photographer, since most people just snap a picture and figure, "there—got it." This picture still helps me to remember the feelings on the prairie the day I met the red fox.
Later, I began my career as a natural history photographer and filmmaker while majoring in studio art at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. In 1978, I became a contract photographer for National Geographic. I have since worked on numerous projects. In my most recent undertaking, I set out to photograph the natural world near my home in Ely, Minnesota. I challenged myself to take only one photograph per day in the 90 days between the between fall and winter.
These photos and descriptions are in Jim Brandenburg's book, Chased by the Light: A Ninety Day Journey. Some other books Jim has written are: White Wolf: Living with an Arctic Legend, Brother Wolf: A Forgotten Promise, Scruffy, Sand and Fog,and To the Top of the World.
**Jim Brandenburg's book, An American Safari, will be featured in the upcoming Bell LIVE! curriculum. It contains stories about Jim's experiences on prairies, where he took his first photo. For more information about the book, visit the website: www.jimbrandenburg.com
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Last modified on May 23, 2002.