The reaction

‘Brother Wolf’ proved to be a turning point in Brandenburg’s career. As a result of this image he devoted the next few years to making a photographic homage to wolves, and spent a total of six months on Ellesmere Island documenting the life of the white wolves of the Arctic. This experience led to an award-winning book, White Wolf, which was followed by another best-seller, Brother Wolf, his ode to the timber wolves of Minnesota.

In attempting to explain his fascination with wolves, Brandenburg prefers to speak as a journalist, something he is well qualified to do as a past winner of World Press Photo: “I think it’s the most misunderstood and most persecuted animal in the world. We hate wolves: Little Red Riding Hood and other stories. I like to tell the wolf’s story as a journalist because it has a very sophisticated social structure. To me it’s a wonderful story.”

Further testimony to Brandenburg’s global standing in wildlife photography came in September, when the Natural History Museum published a new book, 50 Years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, in celebration of its golden anniversary. The cover image is ‘Brother Wolf’.

Keith Wilson