Wildlife: Black wolf

DRYING OFF: BLACK WOLF, SPRAY VALLEY PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA

Let me start off by saying the series of photographs I made of this gorgeous creature is one of the absolute highlights of my 30+ years of photography. I was driving along Highway 40 in this provincial park (a hidden gem in the Canadian Rockies, little known outside the province of Alberta) on a wet morning when I spotted her (apparently wildlife official have named her “Lillian”) walking along the opposite shoulder.
Scarcely believing my luck, I pulled off the road, scrambled like a madman to (a) pull the camera bag from the back seat without clipping myself in the head and (b) put my 70-300 mm. zoom lens on the Nikon D90. Incredibly, the wolf didn’t run away, so I made a series of close-up compositions against a ho-hum earth-and-rock embankment.
A conservation officer came along and asked me to move the car (it was right on a corner beside a rock wall), so I did and, incredibly again, the wolf was still there when I parked, got out and walked back to where I was. Now, it was on top of the embankment, giving me the much better background you see here.
I made tons of pictures while it almost seemed to pose for me, not just to get various looks but also to ensure at least some were in focus (the camera was set at F 5.6, which allows for very little depth of field). On this picture, I darkened the trees and grass so your eye wouldn’t be distracted from the wolf.
Before these pictures, made just a few days ago, I’d never even seen a wolf in the wild — and I’ve visited the Canadian Rocky Mountains at least 100 times — much less photographed one. (you can see another photo of Lillian here: http://bit.ly/Z5jbeg)

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).

Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX

Tags: Alberta, Alberta wildlife photos, Alberta wolf, Alberta wolf pictures, animal photos, animal pictures, Canada, Canada wildlife, Canada wildlife photos, Fine art photography, Frank King, nature, Rocky Mountains, wet morning, Wildlife, wildlife pictures, Wolf, wolf photo, wolf picture

18 thoughts on “Wildlife: Black wolf”

Paul Zizka on June 12, 2012 at 9:31 pm said:

Terrific Frank!

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- Frank King Photos on June 13, 2012 at 11:26 am said:
  
  Thanks, pal! 🙂
  
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Mondrak on June 12, 2012 at 11:15 pm said:

That’s brilliant. Looks so much like the wolf from the Never Ending Story.

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- Frank King Photos on June 13, 2012 at 11:29 am said:
  
  Thanks for your kind comment. 🙂
  
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starscraper99 on June 12, 2012 at 11:41 pm said:

Reblogged this on Land Of Reblogs and commented:
I’ve never seen a black wolf before! It’s very pretty 🙂

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wannabearchitect on June 13, 2012 at 1:45 am said:

he/she’s gorgeous!

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- Frank King Photos on June 13, 2012 at 11:27 am said:
  
  I agree. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
  
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rondje on June 13, 2012 at 2:42 am said:

What a moment and what a once-in-a-liferime shot!

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- Frank King Photos on June 13, 2012 at 11:27 am said:
  
  Indeed it was! Thanks for your kind comment. 🙂
  
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Matt Korinek on June 14, 2012 at 5:26 pm said:

Nicely done!

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- Frank King Photos on June 14, 2012 at 5:27 pm said:
  
  Thanks! 🙂
  
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rickfurmanek on June 19, 2012 at 9:55 pm said:

Very very cool! What an opportunity!!!!

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carlosarios on June 28, 2012 at 12:19 pm said:

This must be one of the most gorgeous photographs I’ve seen in my life! It almost looks as if the wolf is lost in thought. If that wolf could speak, I would love to have a chat.

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- Frank King Photos on June 28, 2012 at 12:57 pm said:
  
  Thanks for your kind comment. It was amazing how relaxed the wolf (apparently, a female) while I was making pictures.
  
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theblessedewe on November 10, 2012 at 9:21 am said:

What a rare opportunity – amazing, stunning… just beautiful.

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- Frank King Photos on November 16, 2012 at 9:58 pm said:
  
  Thank you! 🙂
  
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ashtonk13 on December 18, 2012 at 8:35 am said:

Amazing…I have always wanted to take photos of a wild wolf, they are my favoret animal! The photo is absolutly stuning and the story that goes with it is amazing.

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Gizella Csepregi on June 13, 2015 at 5:12 pm said:

Ez egy csodálatos fekete farkas nem mindennapi felvétel, ritkán sikerül így ilyen helyzetben lefotozni, remek időzítés

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