When photographing polar bears in Canada, Durango photographer Claude Steelman says it must be done from the back of a large truck.
“Actually, the polar bears will have you for lunch if you’re out there walking around with them,’ he said. “You have to be in these big Tundra Buggies where they can’t get to you.”
Polar bears are just some of the animals featured in Steelman’s latest book, “Wild Journey: The photography of Claude Steelman,” which was released last month.
Self-published by Steelman, “Wild Journey,” his sixth book of photography, includes a wide variety of animal photos as well as landscapes, both local and beyond: There are the polar bears, orca whales in British Columbia, Canada; moose, elk, owls, grizzlies, photos of sweeping carpets of wildflowers in California and even up-close shots of snowflakes. The majority of the photos have been taken within the last 10 years.
Buy the book!
Claude Steelman’s new book, “Wild Journey: The photography of Claude Steelman,” is available at Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave., and Azul Gallery, 781 Main Ave., as well as through Steelman’s studio at 755 East Second Ave. Hours are by appointment only, call 259-6265 or visit wildshots.com.
The idea for “Wild Journey” was born from events in 2020.
“It was the height of COVID, and I had been diagnosed with cancer,” Steelman writes in the book’s introduction. “Recovering from chemo and surgery brought me as close to death as I had ever been. I started thinking about all the photos I had taken and still wanted to take and decided that if I made it through, I would do another photo book. I did survive with the loving care of my wife Katie, and I’m happy to say that four years later I am cancer free.”
Steelman began his photography career more than 40 years ago, and his work has taken him to places primarily in North and Central America, he said. Along with photography, he has worked with filmmakers and made his own documentaries. According to his website, wildshots.com, his cinematography has been featured on The Discovery Channel, PBS and The National Geographic Channel.
As a wildlife photographer, Steelman said he has had close calls – and even injuries – out in the field.
“I’ve had some close calls with grizzly bears. I had one friend killed by a grizzly and an acquaintance mauled by one,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for them. I have a really large lens that I use to photograph bears.
“The only time I’ve ever been injured is when I fell out of a tree, so I’m more dangerous to myself,” he said, laughing. “I was photographing bears and I was in a tree stand and the tree stand collapsed with me. I landed on my head. I got skinned up, but I survived.”
And just because you’re head out into the wild with your equipment and the best intention, that doesn’t mean animals will cooperate. And while wildlife photography is overall a fun and challenging art form, it’s not always glamorous, he said.
“You learn from your mistakes. When I first started out, I just took my camera and went around in the woods hoping I’d run into something to photograph; that was not very good,” Steelman said. “I do a lot of research. When I first started, there was no internet, YouTube or anything. Now, it makes it a lot easier to find out where to go and when to go, where the animals are. A lot of it is fun, some of it is long, boring and you are uncomfortable, you’re cold, the bugs are eating you.”
Steelman now works in his studio on East Second Avenue, which you can check out by appointment. He said he gets out into the field mainly in the fall, winter and spring.
With his work out in the field and in the studio, and a possible chance to shoot in Africa on the horizon, he said he isn’t planning to retire anytime soon.
“If I retired, I’d just go take pictures, so why bother?” he said, laughing.
katie@durangoherald.com
