Jim Brandenburg

Jim Brandenburg (1945- ) is an environmentalist and internationally renowned nature photographer based near Ely, Minnesota. His extensive career includes over 10 years as a newspaper photojournalist, over 25 years as a contract photographer for the National Geographic Society, and commissions from such groups as the United States Postal Service and the BBC.

Early Life & Career

Jim Brandenburg was born and raised in Luverne, MN in the farms and prairies of Southwestern Minnesota. As a young boy, his first eight photographs were of a fish near his home. After researching at Worthington Community College, he went on to attend the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he majored in art studies and worked for the local public television station. Upon graduating, he returned to Worthington, MN and began working as a photojournalist for the Worthington Daily Globe. Within months, he began submitting work for the National Geographic Society as a freelance photographer, and in 1978 he became a contracted photographer for National Geographic. A short list of his accomplishments with this magazine includes “The Tallgrass Prairie", “The Canadian Rockies", “South Dakota Badlands", “At Home with the Arctic Wolf", and “Ellesmere Island Life in the High Arctic".

His work has been included in many other magazines, such as Life, Newsweek, The Smithsonian, and Geo Magazine. Additionally, his photography has been published in a number of books including "Discovering Britain and Ireland", in which his photos of the Highlands in Scotland were featured.

Brandenburg was hired by the United States Postal Service to create a set of wildlife-themed stamps. They were released on May 14th 1981.

In 1980, Brandenburg learned of a population of wolves on Ellesmere Island who had not yet had the fear of man instilled into them. Brandenburg therefore traveled to Ellesmere and worked to create his now bestselling book, “White Wolf”. He later went on to produce and direct a documentary of the same name and subject matter, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by National Geographic and the BBC. It has since aired in over 120 countries across the globe.

tyle & Influences

Jim Brandenburg has established a certain style among nature photographers, notably in technique. In his over 25-year tenure with National Geographic, Brandenburg traveled the world taking pictures for the magazine. On the projects, Brandenburg found himself taking up to 300 rolls of film only to have a few dozen selected for the published articles. In 1994, feeling "increasingly dissatisfied" with his art, he undertook a personal project wherein he limited himself to take only one photograph per day between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice. The resulting shots made up his book "Chased by the Light", NorthWord Press 1998.

Listed among his influences are environmentalists such as Aldo Leopold and Sigurd F. Olson. Some personal influences include Glen Maxim - a photojournalist at the public television station where Brandenburg worked in college, and Art Hiding, who introduced him to the people and nature of Ellesmere Island.

Recognition

Over the course of his long career, Jim Brandenburg has been honored by numerous organizations for his works. In 1981 and 1983 he was named the Magazine Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographer's Association for his work in National Geographic. He was named Wildlife Photographer of the year by the British Museum of Natural History in 1988 at the annual sponsored by Kodak (formerly) and the BBC Wildlife Magazine.

In 1991, for his work with the Wolf Ridge environmental learning center, his creation of the Concerts for the Environment non-profit organization, his work with the Nature Conservancy, and other numerous achievements, Jim Brandenburg was awarded the Global 500 Environmental World Achievement Award. This United Nations sponsored recognition was presented to him by the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf.

His documentary "Chased by the Light: A Photographic Journey with Jim Brandenburg" was nominated for an Emmy in the 2002-2003 awards.

Photographic Books

External links

* [http://www.jimbrandenburg.com/ Jim Brandenburg's site]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1032330 National Public Radio Interview: Jim Brandenburg on "Chased By the Light"]
* [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/midmorning/2003/10/midmorning_20031009b/ Minnesota Public Radio Discussion: Jim Brandenburg on Wilderness Preservation]