It was like the shot that took Native photography to places it's never been to before. Or maybe it's been there before, but never there there. Like, there there. The responses to the calendar put out by Wolfn Photographies (left) had the ladies saying quotable quotes like "I'll take one. Oh...you meant the calendar..." and "I need this at work, home, and in my car!" and my personal favorite, "creator was in a good mood when he made you."The man who brought us this joyous image is Levi BlackWolf, the eyes behind Wolfn Photographies.
He is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Levi is straightforward with his vision. He recognizes the importance of the basics - he says that it is his mother who inspires him; and the amazing thing about his tribe, he states, is that they are evidence of great survival. Without Native photographers, he explains, we wouldn't see all of the awesome things about life. That is Wolfn - the man who speaks little with written words, but impacts greatly with images.
"You can tell alot about a person by the way they react to a situation."
When did you first get into photography?
I got into photography about 5 years ago. I got into it because time after time after time, I saw images in my head as I was going through my day, and I kept telling myself, "That would have been a cool shot." And I was saying it more and more, so I got my first DSLR in 2005. I've been doing freelance for 4 years, and last year I officially launched "Wolfn Photographies" as a business.
What is your favorite thing to photograph?
Right now, if you look at my portfolio, you will see a good percentage of Native women and powwow dancers. I also like to shoot wildlife when I get the chance.
How do you define ‘beautiful’?
I define beautiful inside and out. I see a lot of 'beautiful' people but what makes them beautiful is how they are when we are not talking about my work, when they are genuinly nice. Also, beautiful is that feeling when your heart smiles when you see something you love.
Find out more about Wolfn Photographies by clicking here.