Nikki Frakes

Frakes pens tribute to 'quiet grace and presence' Brandenburg carried into the wild
By Nikki Frakes
May 14, 2025
A Minnesota native deeply moved by nature, I must have been in high school when I had the unforgettable opportunity to work with renowned National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg. On a frigid winter night, we ventured into the untouched wilderness near Ely, Minnesota. The cold was biting and the silence — vast and consuming. An audio technician placed microphones on the frozen lake, and…