File:Brothers Wet Plate Collodion with Allan Demaray by Shane Balkowitsch.jpg

English: "Mideegaadi" with Allan Demaray captured in the historical wet plate collodion process of silver on glass. The word for bison in Hidatsa is Mideegaadi. Different tribes on the plains have their own words to describe the sacred animals. I have also been informed that the word “Buffalo” is being used improperly to describe these animals in North America. Bison is the proper terminology and that is how I will refer to from them from this day forward.

Last year I chased the wild herd on the open plains for 8 hours at Standing Rock. The shot eluded me and I always knew I needed revisit the thoughts in my head. As I tell the college students when the visit my studio every year, "Do whatever it takes to get the shot, the final image in whatever form is all that matters". I applied that ideology yesterday.

Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f11, 3 seconds of exposure outside my studio in natural light, 8x10" black glass ambrotypes.

My bond with my Hidatsa brother Allan Demaray is becoming stronger every time we create together. My good friend Tom Wirtz was on hand to assist on the set and he also took some behind the scene images of our adventure together.

“Brothers” with my friend and Allan Demaray from MHA Nation. This image has been shared as a meme and liked hundreds of thousands of times.

THE STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE:

This image was almost never made. MHA Nation took this majestic buffalo mount off the wall and borrowed it to me for the day. We took a shot at the concept numerous times. I knew in my head what I needed. Allan then loaded the bust up and I put my wet plate chemistry away. We were standing in the darkroom together and I said, “let’s go back at it again”, I had a feeling we could improve the shot. Allan said, “whatever you need brother” and did not hesitate. He immediately went and got the huge bust out of the truck and reloaded it onto the ladder. It was hot out and it took us an hour to reset. We made one more exposure and the rest is history. Little did I know I was chasing one of my most popular and iconic plates ever. I am forever in his debt for believing in me.