The Wild Photographer: 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Hooded Merganser - Boise, Idaho

I found this Hooded Merganser in a pond here in Boise where I am staying. The males are in full courting colors and are courting the females.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Bighorn Ram in Willows - Wilcox Pass, Jasper NP, Canada

I took this photo a few years ago while hiking up Wilcox Pass in Jasper National Park. The Ram had found a small draw in the high country with willows along the small stream. He seemed to relish eating the willow leaves. Bighorns are the easiest of all wildlife to approach and photograph.They are not afraid of humans unless hunted.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Black Wolf Expressing Opinion On Idaho Governor Butch Otter's War on Wolves

Friday, March 30, 2012

Idaho Pigmy Rabbit - Mackay, Idaho

I spent a few days in the Lost River Mountains above Mackay, Idaho and was able to get several photos of these cute little rabbits. They are dependent upon Big Sage Brush for their survival and have diminished in number as the sage has been plowed, sprayed and overgrazed.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Snowy Owl - Polson, Montana

This Snowy Owl is trying to land in the top of a Juniper tree. The branches are not heavy enough to support its' weight and it is flapping to maintain balance. I saw seven of these beautiful birds yesterday before leaving for Yellowstone.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Bohemian Waxwing - Polson, Montana

This Bohemian Waxwing is just taking off. These birds feed on juniper berries here in Montana during the winter. They have a very rapid digestive system..The berries may take less than one half hour to complete their travel through the system.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Snowy Owl - Polson, Montana

I found eight Snowy Owls in Polson today. This is one that I took yesterday. The owls have migrated here from the far north and are in town sitting on rooftops during the day. They must be finding voles or field mice to eat, because they all look healthy.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Snowy Owl - Polson Montana

I took this photo yesterday. It is not as sharp as I would prefer, but it was the only action shot I got.
Snowy Owls have migrated South throughout North America this winter and no one knows quite why. The owls I have seen the past two days (5) have all looked healthy and were active and alert.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Gray Wolf - Canyon Pack - Yellowstone National Park

I was looking through some of my files and found this photo I took a few years ago near Canyon Village in Yellowstone. This wolf is no longer with the Canyon Pack and hasn't been observed for two years. I took this photo from my truck window as the pack went by me.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Desert Bighorn - Zion National Park

This Desert Bighorn Ram has just descended a cliff and is walking up the bottom of a very rocky canyon. I usually do not like photos of Bighorns from above, but this photo turned out well. This is the largest ram that I photographed in Zion last December.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Bradford Exchange Collector Plates - Featuring Larry Thorngren's Yellowstone Wolves

Click to Enlarge ^

The Bradford Exchange has produced a five plate collection of my Yellowstone Wolf Photos for sale. This is the first time they have featured a wildlife photographer on any of their collector plates. I feel honored to have them use my photos in this series.

Larry's Wolf Photos are available as a series of collector plates from The Bradford Exchange

"Some 13 distinctive wolf packs now call Yellowstone National
Park home, and it's safe to say that esteemed wildlife photographer and dedicated conservationist Larry Thorngren has had the honor of meeting them all. Now, in an exclusive premiere with The Bradford Exchange, five of his most hailed photographs are recreated in one captivating wolf art wall decor collection. Glimpse the pinnacle of Yellowstone art on 5 distinctive porcelain plaques, beginning with Issue One, Mollies on the Move, followed by Issue Two, Hayden Harmony. Soon, your collection continues with Issue Three, Hayden Hierarchy, Issue Four, Canyon Close-Up and your collection will be complete with Issue Five, Lone Traveler. Each issue arrives separately.‡ Plus, as part of your collection, you'll also receive a FREE* dual-level wooden display frame shipped after Issue One - an $80 value!Each of the full-color porcelain plaques in this collection features one of Larry Thorngren's prized wolf photographs in vivid detail, and comprises one significant piece in a complete panoramic quintet of wildlife harmony. Wolves from 3 different packs are captured in spontaneous moments within this dramatic Yellowstone art collection - each one conveying the importance of continued awareness and commitment to the sustained survival of wolves in the wild. Don't miss your opportunity to own this limited-edition wolf art wall decor collection - a striking debut that is only available from The Bradford Exchange. Strong demand is expected, so don't wait - order now!" The Bradford Exchange

Larry's Equipment

I use Canon autofocus cameras and lenses. Other makes of cameras are just as good, but once you start buying large lenses, changing brands is not an option.

I use a Canon EOS 60D DSLR , a Canon 5D, and occasionally my older 20D and 40Ds..

I use a Canon 70-300 Zoom and a 100-400 Zoom. I prefer fixed lenses and have a 300mm f4 fixed and the 500 f4 fixed lenses. I often attach a 1.4x Extender for increased magnification. I have a few older lenses like the 100mm macro and wide angles that I use, but they are only available in newer versions. I use a manfrotto tripod and an old manfrotto ballhead.

Artist Statement

I have always been interested in wild plants and animals. When I was 4, I took my 2 year old brother with me on a field trip along a canal a few blocks from home to look for tadpoles. (The big kids across the street had a tub full of them they had collected there) We forgot to tell our aunt, who was babysitting us, about our plans and when she finally found us along the canal with our collection bottles looking for tadpoles and frog eggs, she wasn’t happy. I got an awful spanking for leading the field trip and taking my 2 year old brother near the canal.

When I was 5 my parents bought a farm east of Rigby, Idaho. It wasn’t much of a farm for making a living, but it had about 25 acres of cottonwood trees and an old abandoned homestead with an orchard where I spent a lot of time looking in bird nests and catching garter snakes and frogs.

When I was about 8, Carnation Cornflakes started putting an Audubon bird Identification card in every cereal box. I became a collector of bird cards and consumed many bowls of cornflakes in order to get new ones. Before long I had dozens of bird ID cards and by the time I was 10 or 11 knew the names of most of the birds that lived on our farm and along a branch of the Snake River that flowed a short distance from the back of our farm. I looked in every bird nest I could find, and examined hundreds of eggs and baby birds to see what they looked like.

When I got old enough to own a .22, I became a hunter of wild things; first rabbits and pheasants, ducks, and then deer and elk when I was older yet. When I went to college, I minored in Biology and eventually taught high school Biology in Idaho Schools and led students on field trips for many years.

I started taking photographs of wild flowers and animals to use in sllde-shows for my Biology classes.

In 1980 I won National Wildlife Magazines’ photo contest and began to sell my photos at arts and craft show in Idaho and surrounding states.

Since then, I have sold many thousands of matted and framed photographs that hang on walls all over the U.S and several foreign countries. Today, I still sell at some shows each summer and have managed to get published in several magazines and calendars.

I enjoy observing and photographing wild animals. I would have a hard time living in a world without them.

When I travel on my quest for better wildlife photos, I am appalled at the number of abused and radio-collared birds and mammals that I see in our National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.

It seems that every wildlife researcher wants to sit in his/her office and watch the satellite signals come in from these ugly, intrusive devices used to track these unfortunate animals. I would like to see these collars banned from our National Parks.

Let the researchers use remote cameras if they need to study there.

Larry Thorngren