Winter's End

Winter's End

Late afternoon dusting on weathered moose skull

Lynx wanders through the courtyard at Jim's north woods home called Ravenwood;  

photo was shot through the window. 

It has been an exceptionally long cold winter with many record breaking low temperatures and snow depths here in the Northwoods.  But we live in Minnesota and we, as most northern states, claim the saying, 
"if you don't like the weather just wait a minute."

A week ago, I made the two-hour drive down to Stoney Point on the north shore of Lake Superior.  This time of the year, during our last days of winter, ice chunks are pushed into the shoreline creating small Arctic type ridges of glistening chunks of ice of all sizes.  The scene brings back fond memories of my time living with the Inuit on Bathurst Inlet in the Canadian Arctic in 1970 and working with the white wolves on Ellesmere Island while covering the Steger North Pole Expedition for National Geographic Magazine in 1986.


On this particular day, it was in the mid 50's.  The crunching, grinding sounds of shifting ice, and the suns radiant spring light melting the blue ice sheets made us feel that we are finally getting close to the end of winter.   But within a few days, winter came back to remind us that it's not done with us yet. Within a two week period the temperature recently ranged 80º F -30 to +50.

Jim on ice ridge - photo by Anthony Brandenburg

Stoney Point I

Stoney Point II

Stoney Point III

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2013

For the past two years, Jim has served as Chairman of the Judges for the acclaimed 'Wildlife Photographer of the Year' competition co-owned by Natural History Museum, London and BBC Worldwide*.  The award ceremony for this year's competition took place October 15th at the Natural History Museum, London. We thought we’d share some of the festivities, 
along with a fun Jim flash back.

Exclusive interview with Jim regarding the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 competition 
by What Digital Camera

Central Hall at Natural History Museum, London

Central Hall transformed for awards ceremony – Natural History Museum, London

Jim presents trophy to grand title winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013,  Greg du Toit from South Africa. Jim described Greg du Toit's winning portrait as capturing a "unique moment.  Greg's image immediately catapults us to African plains," Brandenburg said. "This image stood out for both its technical excellence and the unique moment it captures. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime shot."

Jim having fun during the judging.

Pelican photograph 'Feeding of the five thousand' by Yossi Eshbol (Israel),  photo of Jim by 
Ruth Eichhorn, Director of Photography of German GEO magazine. 

Sophie Stafford (former Editor of BBC Wildlife magazine), Jim, and Kathy Moran (Senior Editor, Natural History at National Geographic magazine).  Photo by Neil Lucas.

In 1988, Jim won the grand title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year with his first and only competition entry.   Jim received the bronze Ibis award from Sir Peter Scott for his photograph 
'Oryx – Namib Desert' seen below.

Oryx - Namib Desert - Wildlife Photographer of the Year 1988 winner

If you would like to see all 100 prize-winning photographs from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 competition, please visit Natural History Museum website.  Plans are in the works for some exciting events at next year's 50th anniversary of the competition.

*Wildlife Photographer of the Year harnesses the power of photography to promote the discovery, understanding, and responsible enjoyment of the natural world. Now in its 49th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition provides a global showcase of the very best nature photography. The competition is co-owned by two UK institutions that pride themselves on revealing and championing the diversity of life on Earth - the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide.
Being shortlisted in this competition is something to which photographers across the world aspire. Every year emerging talents compete with established names for a chance to be hailed Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Each of the thousands of annual entries is evaluated individually by an international jury of photography experts, before being awarded a place in the top 
100 images of the year.

Prairie images for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Lillehaug

Jim Brandenburg recently presented Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Lillehaug with photographs for his new office and reception area.

David Lillehaug joined the Minnesota Supreme Court in June, 2013.  Justice Lillehaug was raised in Sioux Falls, SD and has a strong affinity for southwest Minnesota.   For his new office, he chose to represent the area photographically with Jim's images of Touch the Sky Prairie, Blue Mounds State Park and Pipestone National Monument.

The newly released bison herd photograph (above) was made on assignment for the publication Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. The feature "Bona Fide Bison" will be in the November-December issue which will be available November 1st. All the bison images were photographed at Blue Mound State Park.

To subscribe to the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine call toll-free 888-646-6367
or  visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/magazine.

An Evening with Jim Brandenburg, September 20, 2013

Please join us for An Evening with Jim Brandenburg, September 20, 2013.  

Jim is honored to kick-off the 2013 Shaw Photography Series: Finding Your Focus 

with an evening presentation at the Missouri Botanical Garden in 

St. Louis, Missouri on Friday, September 20, from 7:00 - 9:00pm.  

 Please register for tickets online, registration ends September 19 at 5:00pm.

Happy Mother's Day

This is one of the last times Jim could take his mother, Olga, with him while he was working - he was photographing a prairie in Iowa for a National Geographic magazine assignment. 

Jim's prairie roots run deep in his veins. When he was born, his parents lived on a farm in southwestern Minnesota just one mile east of Touch the Sky Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.  His early formative years were spent in that vast prairie landscape. His mother also grew up on a farm located just below the Blue Mounds State Park cliff.

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. - Abraham Lincoln

Happy Mother's Day

The Nature Conservancy Green Tie Affair

 Jim was honored to be the speaker at the Green Tie Affair for The Nature Conservancy in Minneapolis, Mn.  More than 500 guests feasted on fare from local waters, forests and prairies, followed by a stunning visual presentation by Jim. The evening ended with a live auction which exceeded The Nature Conservancy's fundraising goal.

The Nature Conservancy has played a prominent role in Jim's photographic career.  In the mid 1970's, Jim received a grant to photograph The Nature Conservancy prairies.  Jim later brought these images to National Geographic magazine; thus began his tenure with Geographic.  

Jim photographing avocets on Samuel H. Ordway, Jr. Memorial Preserve, South Dakota

Avocets - One of the images taken during the assignment.

Jim Brandenburg on assignment in Namibia for National Geographic magazine, wearing The Nature Conservancy hat

The Green Tie Affair was a benefit to preserve nature and the valuable resources it provides to all of us.  The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition Now Open

Enter Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 now and take part in one of the world's most prestigious photography events. The competition is open to professional photographers, amateurs, young and old, worldwide until February 25, 2013.

We are delighted to announce that for the second year running, esteemed photographer, filmmaker and environmentalist Jim Brandenburg will be chairing the competition.

Joining Jim are the following judges:

Ingo Arndt, wildlife photographer (Germany)
Sophie Boulet-Gercourt, executive, Biosphoto (France)
Luciano Candisani, wildlife photojournalist (Brazil)
Tui De Roy, naturalist, wildlife photographer (New Zealand)
Richard Eccleston, Art Editor, BBC Wildlife magazine (UK)
Ruth Eichhorn, Director of Photography, GEO magazine (Germany)
Lisa Lytton, Director, Paraculture Books, Director of Digital Editions, National Geographic Magazine (US)
Koji Nakamura, underwater photographer, President, Japan Underwater Films (Japan)
Elio Lello Piazza, natural history picture editor (Italy)
Anna Sever, director, picture editor, ASA Agency (Spain)
Igor Shpilenok, wildlife photographer (Russia)
Hans Strand, landscape photographer (Sweden)
Jan Vermeer, wildlife photographer (The Netherlands)
Steve Winter, wildlife photojournalist and Director of Media, Panthera (US)

"This year will be my second time at the helm of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
As Chair of the 2012 competition, I found it fascinating to watch how the jury carried out their important task of evaluating and selecting submissions.

The stakes are high with such a prestigious competition, so we all knew it was important to get it right and the panel had to make some very difficult decisions. I am proud of the final selection of winning photographs from 2012’s competition and am quite sure that some are future classics.

But now my focus is on the 2013 competition. I call on you all to enter your finest, most compelling, courageous work. Then once again, my fellow judges and I will be transported to other worlds where we will discuss the techniques, artistry and ethics behind the array of compositions.

Wildlife photography is a universal language and an exciting yet powerful communications tool. Photographers carry a responsibility to their subjects, their audience and themselves. This simple mantra holds true – take only photographs, leave nothing but footprints. Every place, plant and animal, above or below water, is unique. Subtle impacts can accumulate over time to devastating effect. So we must encourage those who enjoy photographing nature to do so in a way that best promotes good stewardship of our natural resources.

Despite shifts in technology that enable us to get even closer to our subjects, we must remain true to our roots, focusing on in-camera excellence, skill, ingenuity, patience, dedication, passion and a simple narrative underpinning each and every image.

Now the time is right to edit your collection and submit the images that you believe will wow our loyal audience across the world, fueling understanding, promoting discussion, provoking reactions that cause change, and ensuring that there is a legacy … a very natural legacy."

Jim Premieres the New Nikon P7700

Jim was honored to participate in another Nikon project, the release of the Nikon Coolpix P7700.  Nikon spent a week in Ely, Minnesota filming Jim as he used the P7700.  They visited several of Jim's favorite areas to photograph, all located around his home, Ravenwood.  To see video of Jim using the P7700 and additional sample images, please visit this link.

The Nikon Coolpix P7700 is the newest flagship model for Nikon’s Coolpix series of cameras. The P7700 is a high-performance compact digital camera loaded with functions that allow users to enjoy full-scale photography similar to that possible with a digital-SLR camera.

 

I often take a small simple camera with me when I go for a casual walk or canoe paddle near my home. I was pleased to work with my Nikon friends from Tokyo in introducing this exciting new P7700 pocket camera. I am surprised at how many "keepers" are made during my casual walks. This camera has enough quality to easily produce images that I will be able to publish in magazines and books. Some of the movie of me shooting with this camera was made in Brittany France while I was on assignment and some was shot while I was at home at Ravenwood.

 The Nikon crew filming Jim in the studio at his home, Ravenwood

Nikon Tech/Development: Masaya Takahashi, Videographer: Laurent Joffrion,Creative Director: Soichi Hayashi, Sound: Anthony Brandenburg, Photo: Alex Messenger

My Italian Greyhound Gracie stands at attention in the Ravenwood guest room.

My son Anthony plays our David Seaton custom made guitar at the waterfall sauna.

I often canoe past this ancient cliff-dwelling white cedar in the Boundary Waters wilderness near my home.

A blue jay feather glistens with water drops.
Weather can add an atmosphere that is often more photographically interesting than a sunny day image.

Rookie Lake has a cliff vista and is a place where people stop to make photographs.
I often do the same but try to see it in a new way.

Ravenwood Falls looks more inviting when shot with a long exposure.

The old white cedar on the wilderness cliff in the moonlight.
A strobe adds a fill light for detail in the low light of dusk.

A loon family swims in the clear water of Ojibway Lake near my home.

Exclusive Interview with Jim about the Nikon D800

Legendary National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg was given unique access to the Nikon D800 ahead of its launch.  In this exclusive interview with What Digital Camera,  he shares his first impressions of the new camera.

Selected extracts from the interview can be seen on YouTube.

Chased by the Light on Twin Cities Public TV

Chased by the Light, A Photographic Journey with Jim Brandenburg will play tonight on Twin Cities Public Television.  This Emmy-nominated documentary tells the inspiring story behind Jim's best-selling book Chased by the Light.  

Tune in tonight to see Jim live on the set with Don Shelby at 8pm CST on tpt 2.

If you aren't able to catch the program tonight, the show will replay on:

March 6, 9:00 PM on tpt 2
March 7, 3:00 PM on tpt Life
March 8, 8:00 PM on tpt Life
March 9, 3:00 AM on tpt 2
March 10, 10:00 PM and 12:00 AM on tpt Life
March 11, 3:00 PM on tpt Life

Nikon Professional Insights with Jim

Today, Nikon posted a wonderful movie about Jim as part of their Professional Insights section. Jim has been back in the US for just a few days and has shared some images from the Nikon D800. Enjoy!

Fuscia Flower

Purple Sand Plant

Tidal Sea Life

Stone Arch, Etratat, Normandy, France

Colorful Butterfly

Caterpillar

Stone Arch, Etratat, Normandy, France

Stone Beach at Etratat, France

Beach Rocks

Riding at Mont St. Michel

Mont St. Michel at Dusk