Portfolio - Fauna
Animals have been amazing human beings since the beginning of time. From the enormity of elk to the scintillating colors of a peacock's tail feathers, the wild kingdom has always given us reason to believe in the unbelievable.
That's part of why Vic Schendel's wildlife photography is so powerful. Not many outdoor photographers can snap a charging bison picture, steam snarling from its nostrils. Or get so close to a mandrill monkey that looking at a print, you feel you could run your fingers through its fur. And Vic's bird photography makes flight seem nearly three dimensional - his eagle action pictures are one of the most exciting representations of our national bird in wildlife photography today.
Bird Photography
Birds make us believe in flight and all that it reminds us of: freedom, peace, and the effortless soar to higher heights. Yet they stay so far from us in their flying that it is rare that we get to capture them in their most celebrated moment. Vic, however, puts himself where he needs to be to grab those moments on film. In a famous eagle action picture of his, our national bird is caught with its wings outstretched in mid-flight, every single feather distinguishable as its white head faces boldly toward its goal.
Vic also finds the magic in even the most ordinary bird activity. Hundreds of geese calmly clean themselves, not knowing that their vast numbers and the mist rising around them makes them look like some kind of mirage. Splashing water seems to come close to getting you wet in a photo of a paddling duck. Photography like Vic's brings out the Technicolor of nature's winged creatures.
American Animal Photography
Nature's miraculous animals don't just live in Africa and Central America. Right in our backyard are creatures that can dazzle, bewilder, and terrify us. Vic's charging bison picture captures the electric energy of that intense aggression. A shot of a grizzly's face, close-up, brings out that creature's soft, sweet personality. Bighorn rams, Montana elk - pictures which will inspire you to celebrate the wonders of our nation.
View Vic's other galleries: Visions of America, Flora, Black & White, World's Wonders, and Stock Photography.