Arctic Summer Tales...Michael Poliza

Diese arktischen Eisbär-im-Feuerkrautblumenmeer-Fotos sind bekannt und sie sind alle von dem deutschen Fotografen Michael Poliza, aufgenommen im August 2008 (auch der Regenbogen). Am bekanntesten ist natürlich der etwas ernst dreinblickende Eisbär (2.v.o.), oftmals wurde dieses Foto als schockierender Beweis für die Klimaerwärmung gesehen, Eisbären ohne Schnee ist nach wie vor ein schwer zu integrierendes Bild in unserer Vorstellungswelt.-

These polar bear-in-the-fireweed photos are well known and they were all taken (incl.the rainbow) by the German wildlife photographer Michael Poliza in August 2008. For sure, most known of all is the very serious looking polar bear in the second pic, often taken as shocking proof for the state of global warming...Polar bears without snow, that didn't exist in our imagination.

Doch in der Tat gibt es während der arktischen Sommermonate eine ganz andere Polarwelt zu entdecken, zumindest in der weiter südlich vom Pol gelegenen Gegend wie der westlichen Hudson Bay. Neben Flechten und Moosen, blühen Pflanzen wie das oben abgebildete Feuerkraut oder verschiedene Beerenarten von denen sich Eisbären in der jagdfreien Zeit durchaus ernähren, während sie auf das Zufrieren der Hudson Bay warten.*


But in fact, during summer season there is a different life to discover in the Arctic, at least in the more southern areas, explicitly in the Western-Hudson Bay area. Beside lichens and mosses, there are also plants flowering colourful and in abundance like the beautiful fireweed on top or the different species of berries on which polar bears feed while waiting for the ice to reform.*

Seine diesjährige Reise zur Arktis vor ein paar Wochen mit der "Bremen", die übrigens auch schon mal Halt im Hafen von Knuts Aussenposten Port Mathurin gemacht hat, führte Michael Poliza über Grönland wieder zur Hudson Bay, wo nicht nur die arktischen Sommerpflanzen aufgenommen wurden...-

This year's voyage to the Arctic, just a few weeks ago on the "Bremen", which by the way once even moored for a couple of hours in the harbour of Knut's Outpost in Port Mathurin, lead Michael Poliza again via Greenland to the Hudson Bay where he did not only took arctic summer plants...

Aber erstmal noch ein spektakuläres Loch im Eis eines Gletschers, bevor es zu dem nicht weniger spektakulären Regenbogen 2010 geht...-

But first a spectacular hole in the ice of an iceberg, before getting to the not less spectacular rainbow 2010...

Insgesamt 12 Eisbären zählte Michael Poliza auf seiner Reise. Das Wetter war äußerst wechselhaft und stürmisch. Um die 10000 Fotos hat er gemacht..., einige mehr können schon jetzt entdeckt werden (s.u.). Es lohnt sich! -

In total Michael Poliza counted 12 polar bears on his trip, the weather was at times rather agitated and rough. About 10000 photos he has taken..., a small selection can be seen via the links mentioned at the bottom...Enjoy!

Michael Poliza

Mehr zur Reise auf der "Bremen" und anderen Projekten findet sich sowohl auf Michael Poliza's website, auf Facebook , auf flickr sowie in folgenden Artikeln:

- Vor dem Abflug mit 120 Kg Gepäck/ 29.07.2010 mit Link zu älteren Fotos von Michael Poliza
- Warum kuscheln Walrösser?/16 Fotos - 09.08.2010
- Im Eisberg-Labyrinth der Diskobucht/12 Fotos -13.08.2010
- Kalbende Gletscher und "KiMuFri"gucken/20.08.2010

Alle 72 Fotos der von Bild eingestellten Fotos der Expedition 2010 hier More about his trip 2008 here...

Books:
- AntArctic - Life in the Polar Region/ Michael Poliza Teneues Verlag 2009
More: Lebensraum AntArktis/Stern August 2009 (download here), About the Making of AntArktic & Video
Calendar: - Arctic Animals 2011/Michael Poliza

* Research Note :

"Food habits of polar bears on land during the ice-free period in western Hudson Bay were examined between 1986 and 1992. In contrast to previous studies, feeding on vegetation during the ice-free period was common. Between August and October, evidence of feeding was found in 34% of the females and 26 % of the males captured over 10 km inland from the coast. The primary forage was Vaccinium uliginosum and Empetrum nigrum berries. Feeding was most common in subadults and females. The incidence of feeding on berries varied annually from 2 to 41 %. We were not able to determine the energetic importance of terrestrial foraging, but the intake may reduce the rate of weight loss of bears on land, particularly in years when berries are abundant. ..."
Source: - Terrestrial foraging by polar bears during the ice-free period in Western-Hudson Bay /Derocher, Andriashek, Sterling, submitted 1992 pdf (engl.)

Crossroads ...Meet my new friend Koda...

This is my new friend Koda, a black labrador from Utah....She is the owner of David C.Schultz whose photos you have already been enjoying during the past 2 weeks...Koda has not only the most interesting ears...Somehow she is a dog with an attitude...Two options given, she will without any doubt......go for......the 3rd one...And now see here what happens when Koda gets a wake up call...

Photo & video credits:
David C.Schultz (unfortunately the video can't be embedded)

MediCare or Cash...???

Open wide and say ahhhhh! :-)

Photo credits:
David C. Schultz (And yes, I am a fan!!!)

Having fun ...or what?

Male polar bears playing near the Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada.

Photo credits: David C Schultz

"Tomorrow it will get cold in Knut's Outpost..."

Photo credits:
David C.Schultz, please discover more of his outstanding photos on his site!

"In search of a picture that tells a story"....Meet Norbert Rosing...

Wer die K-Files kennt, hat diese Fotos schon gesehen, wir waren nämlich ganz hin-und-weg als die Links dazu im rbb Knutblog zum ersten Mal die Runde machten...
Who knows the K-Files, will certainly know these photos, we have referred to them several times as we have been really fascinated when the links were posted for the first time in the rbb blog of Knut 2 years ago...
Und das ist der Mann hinter den Fotos, Norbert Rosing aus Deutschland, Natur- und Tierfotos sind seine Domäne, seine Eisbärfotos haben ihn weltweit bekannt gemacht...-

And this is the man behind these photos, Norbert Rosing, a very famous German photographer of wild life and landscapes, his polar bear photos have made him famous...
Und dies hier dürfte wohl sein am häufigsten publizierte Foto sein, ich habe keine Ahnung, wie oft ich diesem Bären bereits im Internet begegenet bin. Und die Tatsache, dass Herr Rosing sich offenbar mit Eisbären gut auskennt, ist für uns Grund genug, ihm auch mal einen ganzen Eintrag in Knuts Aussenposten zu widmen. Um ehrlich zu sein, habe ich heute ein aktuelles Interview mit ihm gefunden, bei Wild Wonders of Wonders of Europe, eine großartige Initiative, bei der rund 50 Fotografen mitmachen, alle spezialisiert auf Naturfotos, es lohnt sich, dort hereinzuschauen. Aber nun ab zum Interview (ich lasse es auf Englisch)mit Herrn Rosing, ein paar Fotos habe ich hinzugefügt.

And this is probably one of his most published polar bear photos..., I can't recall how often I have met this bear on the net...So Mr.Rosing is into polar bears and this is reason enough to dedicate him one entry in Knut's Outpost.To be honest, I stumbled accidentally over an interview, as he has been featured this week by Wild Wonders Of Europe, a great site which regroups lots of wild life photographers and which is more than worthwhile to visit...So meet here Norbert Rosing and enjoy the interview (which I keep in English) and some of his photos.

"Who is a successful wildlife and nature photographer right from the start? I do not know anybody. But I did know what I wanted! To be what I am today.

I started as a nurse in a hospital and worked there for more than 15 years. Also, very important is a partner in life who supports you "no matter what". I found one. We have been together for 30 years. I’m proud of her.
The second thing is training the eye to learn to see. When I started out I had a camera, lens and film. The image needed to be completed when you saw it in the viewfinder. That’s why I like brilliant viewfinders and brilliant lenses.
Third: communication in the photography world.

Our world is very small and it helped me a lot to attend festivals, meetings and private gatherings. I do know a lot of our close world people and I enjoy it. They help me, I help them.
Keeping close contact with my key publishers, agencies and magazines. I try to be as reliable as possible. If problems arise, I do not send endless e-mails. I call them or drive or fly to visit them in person. We are still all humans."

Interview

Why nature photography?
Finding something new out there every day.

What's best about it?

Having the feeling I can change something to the better. People’s admiration of my work. Applause after a successful slide show. Contacts with very interesting people - from carpenters to millionaires. Nature photography opened up a very colourful world for me.
Sitting in front of a fox den for 6 weeks and watch the little ones grow. Seeing the display of a northern light. Being in areas where not many people are. Finding my own "white spots" on earth.

What's worst about it?

Seeing with my own eyes the devastations mankind is doing to our planet. For example, the oil sands in Alberta, Canada, the mining in the most pristine areas in the high Arctic, and the logging of the west coast rain forest. Airports, security checks, days of frustration in the field, my future in front of computer? No. Seeing the social life in media offices getting colder, only money talks. The loss of quality in TV and printed media.

Favourite species and places in Europe?

Spitsbergen in Norway for the vastness and cleanness. Seeing ivory gulls and polar bears close by. In Germany: the Baltic Sea coast with sandy beaches, swamps and old trees.

What's in the bag?

I love my fixed focus lenses, especially the 15, 28shift, 4.0/280 and I am never without a tripod. I still shoot a lot of film; Fujichrome Velvia 50 for landscape is still unsurpassed. But also, I work my way into the new age. It takes time. (B.R./Note : N.Rosing has been known for being stubbornly opposed to digital photography in the past, so this comes a bit as a surprise...)

Your specialities / skills?

Some call it patience, some call it stubbornness. When I find something I’m sure is the right thing to make a story of, I stick to it. Whether it is polar bears, foxes or landscapes. And I do it my way.

What will you do in your next life?

Maybe working in a warmer climate.

3 tips for beginners

1) Go out and find your passion.

2) Attend meetings and study books from other photographers how they do it.
3) Do not expect sudden success.

Mission

Greenland, Disco Bay. Easy! you might think.

I have never been there and I expect to see the greatest icebergs in the northern hemisphere. Hopefully the main glacier has not become a victim of global warming and does not feed the bay anymore with the monstrous icebergs. I will take an analogue and a digital camera with me. Just in case. Lens range from fisheye to 280mm. The very good "old" Leica R lenses will give me the best results. Of course I’ll take a tripod and a Novoflex "art flash" with me. I can lighten up a close by subject with a 15mm lens. The biggest success in nature photography you get with the simplest possible recipe: be there and give it a try!

Best Picture

Polar Bear “caught” on iceberg.

What's cool about it?
The way the polar bear is "caught" on the iceberg.

The right ship, the right captain, the right season, the right time of day and the right polar bear. All these facts came together for this photograph.

Could it be better?

Yes, a beam of sunlight could have hit the bear and he could have stood up. Other than that... I was very nervous when I took the shot. Amazing situation.

Behind the Scene
This is one of my best shots that summer of 2007 when I travelled on three different ships seven tours to Spitsbergen in search of a picture that tells a story.

Date: September 2007
Location: South of North East Land, Spitsbergen
Gear: Leica R 9 with DMR (Digital Module R) 70-180mm lens.

By the way, in dangerous situations he likes to sing songs from Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton, the interview was done on 26th June 09, the day of Michael Jackson's death whom he considered a great artist. Even as a photographer, he could learn from him...

Find more from and about Norbert Rosing, dt.:
- Wild Wonders of Europe (discover also his latest photos taken in Germany, they are beautiful!) - about Wild Wonders of Europe/engl.

Norbert Rosing at National Geographic, just a few:

- Polarbears - New Life On The Ice/engl. 2000, Bärenstark ins neue Leben/dt.
- Don't miss the photo application which shows a polar bear mom with her triplets, in eleven
years of polar bear photography the first time that he saw all 3 cubs surviving until October
- Muskoxes/engl.2002
- Arctic Foxes/engl. 2004
- Polar Bear & Dog playing