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TomasClark In reply to angemuet [2011-04-07 04:33:29 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I lucked out with that texture. It was the first one I tried and like magic, it fit.

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angemuet In reply to TomasClark [2011-04-08 13:10:34 +0000 UTC]

i agree! it's almost as if it was totally made just for this picture! it's an amazing capture, manip, and, reading your comment, i can totally believe it was an incredible experience .. you have such awesome luck with such things mistah tom!

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TomasClark In reply to angemuet [2011-04-08 15:16:40 +0000 UTC]

There's a little bit of boldness in what I do sometimes. But I'm not reckless. As a guy who's been practicing Reiki for a long time I'm open to and aware of energy in the world around me. Approaching the buffalo wasn't something I took lightly. I opened everything in me to him so that I could sense whether he was comfortable with me approaching or not. I also spoke to him and said that I came in peace and intended no harm.

I'm reading one of the most powerful and influential books of my life right now. It's called Becoming Animal by David Abrams. In it I'm being reminded that we absolutely can communicate with animals - and that using the words of our individual languages, the sounds of air across the vocal chords, isn't the be all and end all of communication. So I spoke to the buffalo out there on the island with words or feelings that originated inside of me and that were likely the reason I was able to approach as closely as I did. They're used to humans being around, yes, but they're not pets. They're still very much wild animals and they are capable of moving very very quickly and doing a lot of harm if they choose to. I was feeling every second of our interaction and being respectful by stopping when I felt it was time to stop.

The buffalo were an anomoly in some ways for me since I photograph people. The skills were in place however and I'm glad for that because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on the buffalo because I'd have been fooling around with the camera and exposures.

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TomasClark In reply to FrodoPrime [2011-03-14 03:58:12 +0000 UTC]

About 30 or 40 feet??? Certainly no further away than that. He was very close but not aggressive at all.

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TomasClark In reply to Sirius-sdz [2011-03-10 17:27:08 +0000 UTC]

Thanks. I can't imagine any texture being more perfect for this shot than yours. It laid down ontop of this so perfectly that I barely had to do anything to it except erase it over the top of the buffalo. I will be paying a lot more attention to your work from here on out!

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Sirius-sdz In reply to TomasClark [2011-03-10 18:19:59 +0000 UTC]

using textures is fun ^^ i started 2007 with free textures from other great artists and i was blown away
There are so much more ways to enhance a photo or drawing with these...still exploring.
There should be some more Textures on this account soon, got some good shots from spain, waiting to be used in photoshop

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TomasClark In reply to DVanDyk [2011-03-10 17:10:27 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. Taryn wasn't afraid at all. She and I are very connected and she often takes her cues from me. She was very quiet and respectful in her approach - there really is something beautiful and sacred about buffalo and she and I both felt it being in that close of proximity.

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TomasClark In reply to rae222 [2011-03-09 16:09:08 +0000 UTC]

You know, I honestly didn't think about it. I have an unusual sense of energy and temperment in both humans and animals; likely a result of doing Reiki for so many years. I wandered closer out to the buffalo, feeling safe, when I realized that Taryn had started to follow me. She's very much attuned to me and likes to be near me and/or in the thick of whatever's going on with me. It occured to me that yelling at her to stay back might frighten or irritate the buffalo so I chose instead to stand still and be very quiet and let her make her way to me in quietness. She came up behind me and touched the back of my coat and stood there without making a sound.

As you can see he was very focused on me - it wasn't like we'd disappeared into the surroundings - and he was as close to me as it appears. I was as tuned into him as I was to Taryn and for whatever reasons I felt that all of us were in a good place with each other. There's something that happens when the camera is in my hands that focuses the world down to a very narrow place. I've been aware of it for awhile now and trust the experience. Doesn't mean that in that moment nothing could happen. But I think it does help me stay in as safe a place as possible.

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TomasClark In reply to hikenude [2011-03-08 21:14:47 +0000 UTC]

They are. The herd on Antelope Island here are used to people so for the most part they're not at all aggressive and you can get quite close to them. This herd is pure bison - no bovine DNA in them at all. It was amazing being so close to them - they truly are beautiful animals.

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hikenude In reply to TomasClark [2011-03-14 17:45:53 +0000 UTC]

The herd in KY is also pure bison, so far as I know. I've never known them to be aggressive, but the managers usually warn people to stay in their cars.

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TomasClark In reply to hikenude [2011-03-14 18:31:05 +0000 UTC]

I think the buffalo on Antelope Island are so used to strangers that warning signs aren't even necessary. They're not pets for sure - they roam free - but they're certainly innured to the presence of people. I was cautious of course - not into getting gored unless it's by my boyfriend.

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hikenude In reply to TomasClark [2011-03-16 14:50:40 +0000 UTC]

LOL!

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TomasClark In reply to jaidadraco [2011-03-08 17:46:19 +0000 UTC]

[link]

"The American buffalo, also known as the American bison, crossed a land bridge that used to connect Siberia and Alaska. This allowed the American buffalo to come all the way from Asia where it originated. When it first arrived it was a huge beast that could reach up to 5,000 pounds. As it settled into this new land it slimmed down some but it can still reach up to 2,000 pounds."

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TomasClark In reply to jaidadraco [2011-03-08 17:42:03 +0000 UTC]

[link]

"The NATURE program American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation tells the sad story of how the buffalo nation was destroyed nearly a century ago by greed and uncontrolled hunting — and how a few visionaries are working today to rebuild the once-great bison herds. It offers a remarkable portrait of America’s last significant wild bison herd, made up of a few thousand animals living within Montana’s Yellowstone National Park. And it highlights the efforts of Native American leaders dedicated to bringing back the animal that once gave life to their tribes. “Buffalo have to be there for our culture to exist,” says Fred DuBray, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe who appears in American Buffalo. “As we bring our herds back to health, we will also bring our people back to health.”

Like people, the buffalo — known to scientists as Bison bison — came to North America long ago from Asia, crossing a land bridge that once connected Siberia to Alaska. The early bison were enormous lumbering animals, weighing up to 5,000 pounds and sporting horns that spanned more than six feet across."

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TomasClark In reply to jaidadraco [2011-03-08 16:30:48 +0000 UTC]

From Wikipedia:

The American bison (Bison bison), also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds. Their range once roughly comprised a triangle between the Great Bear Lake in Canada's far northwest, south to the Mexican states of Durango and Nuevo León, and east along the western boundary of the Appalachian Mountains.[2] Due to commercial hunting and slaughter in the 19th century, the bison nearly went extinct and is today restricted to a few national parks and other reserves.

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jaidadraco In reply to TomasClark [2011-03-09 21:52:35 +0000 UTC]

You are correct in pointing out that it is commonly known under the misnomer of Buffalo. It is a very widespread misnomer that I have seen printed in many books as well as spread on many nature documentaries. I will admit that I do not know if it originated from the same ancestral species as the African Buffalo, but the official and correct name is Bison. As a person studying to be a professional in this field I would appreciate it if you took my word over that of wikipedia.

I only wanted to point this common error because many such widespread errors are accepted as truth when they are in fact fallacies (for example Lemmings are commonly thought of as animals that commit group suicide by launching themselves over cliffs when in fact it was a staged event for a nature documentary and completely false). As someone who believes in education and learning as a powerful tool for success I believe that it is everyone's obligation to clear up these misunderstandings when the opportunity arises. I hope you are not offended by my attempt to help stop the spread of misinformation.

Again I truly enjoyed your photograph and think that it is beautiful and well-composed.

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tomasshawkke In reply to jaidadraco [2011-03-10 23:57:27 +0000 UTC]

It is the artist's prerogative to title his/her work as inspired. For instance, Tom might have titled this piece "Ass", as in "pain in the", had he felt so inclined. It is arrogant to prejudge the misconceptions of others, not to mention assert their obligations, and it is rude to use an artist's work as a means to publicize a superiority complex.

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jaidadraco In reply to tomasshawkke [2011-03-12 00:34:09 +0000 UTC]

As I have explained to the artist I meant no disrespect to him or his artwork. I thought the picture was lovely, which is why I bothered to make my comment. I thought that such a beautiful picture should have an aptly titled name.
Not everyone is interested in studying the same things so I believe that we should share our what we choose to learn about with others. I am studying Animal Behavior and I found my information in my textbooks. From my point of view knowledge is meant to be shared so I was simply trying to help, not be rude or offensive.

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TomasClark In reply to jaidadraco [2011-03-09 23:23:39 +0000 UTC]

Salix is the botanical name for a variety of trees known commonly as Willow. Salix is correct of course but not too many people on earth know a willow tree by any other name than willow: Weeping Willow, Desert Willow, White Willow, etc. We are not incorrect in calling salix a willow just as we are not incorrect in calling bison a buffalo.

Lynx Rufus is commonly known as Bobcat

What we call Marble geologists refer to as Metamorphosed Limestone

One oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds are technically referred to as H2O - in English we mostly call them water.

Trochilidae are most commonly known to us as Hummingbirds
Formicidae are ants

And check out the poor lobsters what kind of a scientifically correct lineage they have to deal with...
Animalia
Anthropoda
Crustacea
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Astacidea
Nephropidae
And finally...
Lobster

The use of a common or vernacular or even slang word in our speaking does not make it incorrect or a misnomer. Buffalo is universally accepted as an equally correct and/or alternate name for bison. Especially in North America where this particular buffalo was photographed. The American Indians in English refer to buffalo medicine, not bison medicine. And the Lakota word for buffalo is tatonka. Your insistence in this matter points not to your superior understanding of the world around you but to your ego which expressed itself before informing itself.

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jaidadraco In reply to TomasClark [2011-03-10 23:36:30 +0000 UTC]

If that is what you choose to believe I can't help you. I am sorry to have wasted your time thus.

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TomasClark In reply to jaidadraco [2011-03-11 03:25:18 +0000 UTC]

Actually? You wasted your own time. Buffalo is one of the correct names for the animal in my picture. You can call him whatever you want but it's arrogance that leads you to believe that I need to be corrected. Round these parts we call your types asswipes. And that ain't no misnomer for someone so rude as y'all.

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jaidadraco In reply to TomasClark [2011-03-12 00:28:17 +0000 UTC]

I apologize for coming off as rude. I assure you, it was not my intention at all.

However I think you will notice that you are the one name-calling, which is a little immature, especially since I attempted to make it clear that I wasn't trying to be disrespectful to your art.

I would appreciate it if you would remain civil and leave the name calling to the ten year old bullies.

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TomasClark In reply to jaidadraco [2011-03-12 00:52:20 +0000 UTC]

Hey, this is my playground. You're on my turf buddy. You were rude enough to come on here and insist that buffalo is a misnomer when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. And then when corrected you continued to persist in your error with all of the grace of a pig on ice. And now since you lost the contest of intelligence you're resorting to passive aggressive bullshit. Dude, get a grip. You were simply flat out wrong about the word buffalo. Would it have killed you to say, "Sorry. I stand corrected?" Why this insistence on being right when you are so blatantly wrong? I just don't get it. It's like you're on crazy juice or something.

I would appreciate if you would apologize for coming into my gallery and making a big fucking deal about something you know nothing about. You're astonishingly rude and astonishingly wrong. Just admit it, apologize and go away.

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jaidadraco In reply to TomasClark [2011-03-12 02:26:04 +0000 UTC]

Fine. I apologize for coming off as rude, yet again. I will go away, but I still trust my professors and textbooks and you will not change that.
I'm not a troll, nor am I an idiot. This will be my last message to you. I will get out of your hair.
I just think that you shouldn't assume that my previous apologies were passive aggressive anger. I was being completely sincere in my apology. When I first wrote my comment I didn't see it as rude; obviously you see things differently. I truly did not mean to offend you and I am sorry I did so.
Have a nice rest of your day.

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