Our Top Ten Hall of Phame

HALL of FAME !!

The top ten images we sell

year after year since 1982 !

Daisy Della Fay Koonuk Age 3 – Dec. 1982

This is my all time favorite image, that I have created, purely by accident. Walking into the scene at the right time.. .. As is the case for most of my ‘striking images’ that are in the top ten list of images we sell year after year. There is quite a story behind this image. A most unusual true story of being offered 100,000 for the complete rights to this image. Most people would find that sort of far fetched but it is true.. I said no to that offer. Under the advice from some friends high in the Art-World in Peabody Mass. Prestige Gallery at the time featured the top ten artists in the world. Samatha Delay was the vice president of United Bank of Alaska. She is the one who made that offer.. She is the one who stole most of my second years whale hunt. photos & neg’s. She later ended up in Jail for fraud from trying to swindle some investors out of a huge amount of money. She got 7 years in jail – It was all over television all over the state-wide news. Here is what the original 6×7 image looked like. Created on the airport runway in Point Hope, she had just got off the plane, I was getting on that same plane to head up to Point Lay.

Our #1 best selling image year in year out !

Year after year.. .. this is #1 choice by our customers.

The whaling Captain in the front of this ‘boat’ is boss over all You can meet her here, Molly Margret Stone. Age 4 whaling captain of this fine crew !! The temp this day was at least 40 below it was Easter Sunday 1989. Approximately 9:00 a.m. – While walking past some houses I could hear yelling and screaming by some children, I understood the words they were yelling out so loudly, As I came into this view, this is what I saw -=[click]=- These are the words I heard and understood – “Killamiik Killamiik (hurry up hurry up) Samma (Look I show you) Agvik Agvik !! ( Whale whale ).!! These children have one thing on their minds and that is to become a successfull whaling captain when they grow up, this is their life, this is their culture, this is their food !! Their whole life, revolves around that whale ! It takes one year.. .. just to get ready !!

Kathy Rock

I was walking from camp site to camp site near the tent areas looking for something to create, I was just at the tent that this young girl was sitting at, in a rocking chair, eating a can of fruit, by the tent 7 miles out on the ocean ice pack. I began to create images of her sister Nancy, who was cutting Maktak with an ulu knife. It was at this time, that Kathy moved from that rocking chair, to the seat on the snowmachine, I knew exactly what I wanted to create, A close up of her lovely face with her nasiq (hood) up. I approached her and asked if I could create a striking image of her, she smiled and said yes. As I brought the camera up to compose the image, she began to smile. I brought the camera down and said No ! kathy, please do not do that. I want you to look right past me. right through me, I am not even here, I am invisibile, again I brought the camera up, and her face changed to that smile again. I had to spend 1/2 hour with this child, I knew what I wanted, before hand, Now how to achieve that look. for that .. .. .. I needed X-tra help. I always ask, and say thanks and wait. It took some time, then I saw that ‘look’.. .. Yes ! yes ! -=[click]=- I only exposed one frame of film. i knew what I saw when I released that shutter ! There was no way to improve that look!

Again .. .. .. I was walking

.. .. ‘walking past some large huge pieces of ice, again, I could hear voices of children, giggling when I came into tthis scene, this is what I saw… Immediately without hesitation to capture the moment quickly with a RB 67 click ! history was recorded of a young girl lauging saying.. ‘wanna see me eat snow ?’ ! Daisy Della Fay looks so adorable in her parky that was made by Hilda Weber a Russian Eskimo woman who made the best parky’s and kupak’s in town. Rachel Koonuk & her cousin Doreen Koonuk & Daisy Della Fay @ play in sub zero temps, 7 miles out on the ocean ice pack in the middle of frozen no where. Having so much fun, .. .. ‘with nothing’ !

A typical whaling camp

A typical whaling camp midnight in mid May 1983

Seven miles out, on the ocean ice pack – this is home for the next two months! This is where the hunters sleep, eat, and spend the greater part of each day, right here. No tents, this is where Point Hope differs from Barrow. In Barrow, the tents are brought down on the ice for the hunters to sleep- not so in Point Hope.

Tuzroyluk’s Crew

Tuzroyluk's crew waiting for a whale to give itself over to the captain of its choice.

Cruising for food; in the Chukchi Sea @ 40 below zero, heading straight into the wind. Our method of ‘food’ shopping” is much different then most of the lower 48 states. Obtaining food out here, in the middle of no-where is very dangerous. Anything can happen at any time with no warning!