Mathew Farris Senior Portfolio: Artist: Paul Nicklen

Paul Nicklen grew up on Baffin Island in Nunavat, Canada in a small settlement consisting of mostly Inuit families. It was the Inuit that taught him the patience and survival skills he has to succeed as a wildlife photographer. With a keen interest in animals he studied biology but ended up becoming a photographer full time for many magazines such as National Geographic. Nicklen specializes in wildlife photography in areas of extreme cold, shooting both on land and underwater. I first came across his work last year in an article he published for National Geographic about the life of narwhals and their importance in native hunting

practices. Recently though, his pictures appeared in an article about the arctic world of Svalbard, Norway, the biology of which is threatened by a changing climate. The unbelievable photos of polar bears, walruses, and other wildlife in their arctic environment immediately caught my attention. I cant imagine the sheer amount of patience and will required to travel and wait for hours on end in treacherous conditions to get those kinds of pictures. The danger of such expeditions is highlighted by the fact that his guide and friend tragically fell through a patch of sea ice and died during that very trip.