Hello Folks,

Birthday Wishes

First, thank you for the birthday wishes. My birthday is on Saturday (March 5th) and I'll be a quarter century old. Time definitely flies.

I'm not asking for any gifts this year and not making too many birthday wishes either, but I do have a few in mind for my friends here on DA.

Wish #1: If you have the time, I would greatly appreciate you considering buying a print or one of my other products that I am offering. Times are tough, I'm still looking for a job, and money is running out so I could really use any kind of support.  I believe I have a lot of great stuff to offer so it would be a win-win for both of us. It would mean a lot and I reckon I could probably throw in some goodies for people who place an order. Super-duper thank you to those who have purchased from me in the past...I never forget it.

For pricing, I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about new prices for my work so as far as I'm concerned the "holiday sale" prices are still on [which you can find below]...at least until I come up with something new. You can still order calendars as I can start the beginning of the calendar at any month you choose; I can also do 2012 calendars. As always, feel free to send me a note if you are interested.

Wish #2 Alternatively, if you don't really have the resources to buy anything feel free to give my work a plug in your journal or to some friends that might be interested. Who knows...there may be someone out there who would buy something for you!

Wish #3Lastly, I'd definitely appreciate a Daily Deviation recommendation for my birthday! It would definitely help me get the word out to more people about conservation, which is the main reason I am here.

Where's the Art?

I haven't uploaded anything in a while, I know. Not only have I not been able to go out as much to take photos, but I have also been in a creative/motivational funk. Moreover, the past few journals I've had have not really had a bunch of comments which I've been pretty bummed out about. Throw in other obligations taking up my time and you get my current situation. I do have new photos in the queue though so hopefully, I can get those out sooner rather than later.

25 Random Facts!

Since it will be my 25th birthday this weekend, I've decided to repost an updated "25 Facts" about me. Get inside the mind of the mysterious Kuba.

1. I want nothing more than to see the tiger escape extinction and I'm willing to do whatever I can to make sure that it happens.

2. I was born in the year of the fire tiger and the lunar cycle of the tiger and I recently graduated in the last year of the tiger (2010).

3. My role model is Steve Irwin - the man was a great conservationist, almost never let all those criticisms against him get to him, had a winning personality, was athletic, humble, an incredible father and husband and an inspiration. I only wish I could be half as awesome and as influential as he was.

4. I used to play video games with moderate frequency and believe some helped contribute to me to deciding to help save the tiger.

5. I had a brief stint on Trent University's Environmental Advisory Board where a group of professors and myself tried to get more environmentally friendly building design on campus. Apparently, it worked...the new Athletic Complex is certified "Silver" under LEED (Leading in Energy and Environmental Design) by the Canadian Green Building Council.

6. I've contributed photography to WWF, the Snow Leopard Trust and WildAid. Aside from having my work displayed on WildAid's main webpage, a photo I took of a tiger named Kumara was visible in an ad with Harrison Ford!

7. I'm in love with a tiger named Kumara. After meeting her in 2004, I decided to volunteer where she lives (Jungle Cat World in Orono, Ontario) to help her and the other residents have a better life. The past two summers I made her a special tiger cake for her birthday. Why this one particular tiger? Well...anyone who has worked or volunteered at a zoo will know that there is always that one animal that you feel especially enamoured with or connected to. Kumara just happens to be one of the most beautiful and friendly tigers ever and she has become the avatar for the species I am trying to save.

8. Previous to deciding to save the tiger, I previously wanted to be (respectively) a tornado chaser, artist and wildlife photographer for National Geographic. I still do photography as a hobby though, which is why I'm here. My biggest goal is to get a DD so I can reach more people with conservation messages.

9. After visiting tiger reserves in India, I fell in love with being in the forests and felt extraordinarily at home. One thing that stands out was the smell of the forest, especially early in the morning. I found it to be a peculiarly sweet, damp fragrance so intoxicating that I often got lost just closed my eyes and drinking it in.

10. My favourite genres of music are rock and classical. Moreover, I find that some of my favourite songs are those that combine the two, hence why my favourite song is Nobuo Uematsu's Advent: One Winged Angel..

11. Besides tigers, my favourite animals include the snow leopard, lion, wolf, cougar, Amur leopard, blue-tongued skink, and binturong. However, I love all life on earth and I want more than anything to stop all the terrible things these species have to endure.

12. I've volunteered formally and informally with or contributed in some way to Big Cat Rescue, WWF-Canada, the International Tiger Coalition, WWF-Indonesia, WildAid, Wildlife Alliance, Jungle Cat World, Trent's Environmental Advisory Board, and the Snow Leopard Trust. I started volunteering in 2005 (at Jungle Cat World) and have contributed at least 1500 hours combined among those organizations I've volunteered with.

13. Tigers make a variety of sounds (not just growls and roars). When a tiger is feeling friendly, it will make a fluttering poof sound by forcing air out of it's nostrils; this is called prusten or chuffing. It was a sound that allowed me to get on speaking terms with tigers and, in turn, helped me develop a personal attachment to the species. In my journeys to various zoos, I've managed to get chuffs from Bengal, Siberian/Amur, Sumatran and Indochinese tigers. Perhaps, I can have a conversation with some Malaysian and South China tigers someday.

14. I'm at my happiest when I've helped tigers in some way or spending time with tigers. I don't do either nearly enough.

15. The day that changed my life: July 24th, 2004. It was the day I feel I decided to help tigers. You can read all about the experience here.

16. My ideal retirement would be living in tiger country and taking care of wild tigers or living at a zoo and taking care of captive tigers.

17. My greatest current fears: not getting a job, Kumara dying and the extinction of the tiger.

18. I will go to great lengths to teach people about tigers and to help spur people into actually doing something to help with a cause they care about, especially young people. I find it extraordinarily frustrating that so many people care about the world's wildlife and say that something should be done, but so few actually act on what they believe in. I've heard every excuse out there. I try to show people that I am nothing special, but was able to link caring about tigers to actually deciding to help and how that has taken me places in a short amount of time. I want people to make the same choice I made with a cause they are attached to. It's surprisingly easy. Imagine how much time we spend in front of the TV or on the Internet...what if we spent that time raising-awareness, fundraising or volunteering? There are small changes anyone can make that can result in a huge impact.

19. One of my biggest pet peeves is being ignored or interrupted while talking to someone. I think it is incredibly rude and it drives me crazy.

20. I maintained a 4.0 GPA at university and, in my final year, almost got a 4.33. I graduated with a BA in Environmental and Resource Studies with particular focus on my studies on carnivores (like tigers) and the social, political and economic issues pertaining to their conservation. In my third year I wrote a paper detailing the current state of human-tiger conflict in Sumatra and used interviews with people affected by conflict (including two who were attacked). My thesis examined the feasibility of utilizing landscape genomics for censusing and protecting Bengal tigers in Nepal.

21. I don't smoke, do drugs, party, dance, play an instrument, sing, go to bars, concerts, or social gatherings. In other words, I'm not that much fun...maybe I need a personality transplant.  

22. One of the most traumatic experiences of my life was in a dream.

23. I'm hopelessly emotional and sensitive.

24. I've lived or visited for an extended period in, Canada , Texas, Thailand, Indonesia, and India

25. I once had the honour of naming two beautiful daughters of Kumara: Nadya (Hope) and Vanya (Gracious gift of God).

Hello Folks,

I have an important announcement to make regarding my prints so for all of you that have had any interest in buying a print, have a read!

After getting some feedback from people here on DeviantArt, I've become aware of a number of people that have been interested in prints, but haven't really had the money to buy any. Well, to give more of you a chance to purchase prints, I've decided to lower prices on all my prints effective immediately as part of a special 2010 Holiday Sale running until the new year!



It's a great opportunity to buy prints, calendars or polaroids before the holiday season. They make great gifts and decor for any fan of animals. Take a look below for the new prices!

-Kuba

Notes
This is for a limited time only. The sale ends January 1st 2011.
If you are holiday shopping, act quickly to account for shipping!

Prices are in US dollars. Shipping will be calculated based on buyer's place of residence to ensure the lowest possible cost. I will ship anywhere in the world. Prices will change subject to any changes in production costs, including those which drive costs down.

Payment

Paypal is preferred. Please contact me by note or email (hewhowalkswithtigers [at] gmail.com) to discuss alternative methods. My Paypal account is the same as my email so on the off chance you feel like throwing money at me, that's the place to send it.

Why buy from you? What do you have to offer that others don't?

I would like to think that my work speaks for itself. However, there are more reasons. When you buy prints from me, you know that you are supporting someone you know rather than some large multi-national corporation. Also, as I'm currently in the hunt for a job, the income I get from my prints is very much appreciated. When I do find work, the income I'll receive from my prints will help me work towards buying a more advanced camera, which will ultimately assist me in providing more photos of greater technical quality. Furthermore, this will help in my goal on DeviantArt of raising more awareness for conservation and the animals I photograph.