#286 • Johnny Johnson "In the Land of Giants", "Breach of Worlds" & "Sea Wolf" Photographs

Part of The Johnny Johnson Estate Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

Starting at $5.00

Status: Available

Bidding closes Nov 3, 2026 7:34 PM AKST

Category: Art

Three signed photographs by Alaska wildlife photographer Johnny Johnson (1947–2025). The first work is entitled "In the Land of Giants," c.2007, numbered 67/950. Johnson describes the scene: “Few sights are more memorable than a face-to-face encounter with a monster grizzly. Standing over eight feet tall, my 600mm lens only magnified the bear's power and my own sense of vulnerability and awe. Weighing in excess of a thousand pounds, these huge males keep to themselves and are rarely seen. Since I was downwind, the bear couldn't catch my scent and stood, nostrils flaring. I spoke to him in a calm tone. "Hey, big bear. Hey, big bear...... Hey, big bear". I kept talking as he dropped to all fours and slowly ambled away.” The second photograph is entitled "Breach of Worlds," c.1994, numbered 35/950. Johnson describes the scene: “A humpback whale performs a full body breach near Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska. When 40 tons of whale bursts from the water your heart stops and for a few quick seconds this behemoth of the deep appears. Then in a great crash of water it is gone.” The third photograph is "Sea Wolf", c.2002, numbered 51/950. Johnson describes the scene: “Orcas or killer whales have a social structure much like a pack of wolves. The large male in this photo, taken near the southern tip of Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska, was the leader of a group of about ten whales. My wife and I were able to observe the pack hunting for salmon and actually saw them take a seal and later a sea otter. It was fascinating to watch them hunting within ten feet of land and cooperatively encircle their prey before making a kill. In this image the Orca whale is traveling very close to shore and the spruce tree covered mountains are reflected in the ocean which explains the marvelous patterns of green in the blue water. The spray is created when the whale exhales upon surfacing in preparation to take another deep breath of air before diving.” All are signed, dated, and numbered in gold leaf ink and printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Supergloss paper. The photographs are shrink-wrapped on board; the largest measures approximately 24.5" x 20.5".