#294 • Johnny Johnson "Romancing the Dawn", "River Dance" & "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 7:37 PM AKST

Category: Art

Three signed photographs by Alaska wildlife photographer Johnny Johnson (1947–2025). The first work is entitled "Romancing the Dawn," c.2011, numbered 60/950. Johnson describes the scene: “As I pulled up to Denali National Park Headquarters in the pre-dawn chill of mid-September, I saw my friend Gary eagerly awaiting me. "it's a perfect morning," he exclaimed excitedly. Gary was Denali Park's Chief Ranger and an avid amateur photographer. The mating season for moose had just started and the associated interaction often provided excellent opportunities to photograph moose behavior. It wasn't long before we spotted a large bull moose defending a harem of more than a dozen females. Wasting no time, we grabbed our cameras and bushwhacked thru the brush three-quarters of a mile. We set up our tripods just as the morning light turned the bull's enormous antlers into beacons of gold. To our delight, a young female approached the bull and they began to nuzzle. Minutes later, it was over and they were gone. "Did you get that?" Gary asked in a whisper. "Absolutely" I said, "it just doesn't get any better than that!"” The second photograph is entitled "River Dance", c.2015, numbered 62/950. Johnson describes the scene: “As the sun set, I knew it was time to get off the river, but it was just too beautiful—too exciting. I decided to stay a little longer and was rewarded when an adult grizzly emerged from the crimson current with his prize— a large sockeye (red) salmon. It seems the gulls are always present hoping for scraps.” The third photograph is entitled "Sea Wolf", c.2002, numbered 25/950. 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. 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 three pieces are signed and dated in the lower left corner in gold leaf ink and printed on Ilfochrome. A care guide and artist biography are included on the reverse. Each one is shrink-wrapped on board, and "Romancing the Dawn" print measures approximately 17.75" x 24.75".