I absolutely love this time of year, the days are getting longer and spring is right around the corner! After many cold weather trips this winter I am ready for the new palate of color that spring bestows upon us.
Of special note I have several opportunities coming up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest this year: the Olympic Peninsula in April when the mosses are rich and green and the rivers are clear; Mount Rainier in August when the wildflowers are at their peak; Lake Quinault in September for a restorative retreat in the ancient temperate rainforest; and a renewed Photography as Art seminar in November.
These workshops only have a few spaces left so sign up today before they are all sold out!
Is it a little late to say Happy New Year? Perhaps ‘Be my Valentine’ would be more appropriate. Time flies when you’re out and about photographing like I have been here in the Pacific Northwest (owls), California (bobcats), and Yellowstone (wolves). A few of these predator photos are bound to make it into a top secret book project I am working on. Shhh – don’t tell anyone!
When looking forward at your 2019 schedule, consider joining me for a workshop! I’m excited about what we have in store for the coming year, with diverse locations both new and familiar. Whether you’re looking to join me somewhere exotic and share an adventure or attend one of our recurring fan-favorites, I’ve got a lot on the calendar.
Every day was a learning experience and loads of fun as well! Thank you for being so open to sharing your skills and knowledge. I’m continuing to put this into practice.”
-Elane Z.
New on the workshop front is a retreat in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea in May. We had so much fun last year we’re going back! We’ll be concentrating on abstract photography along this glorious coastline, kayaking with sea otters, and critiquing our results every day. I am offering an earlybird special through February 15th. Please note that this workshop is limited to a small group of 6, and all participants will receive a limited edition Human Canvas book along with a print (a $1400+ value!)
“I enjoyed…the challenges of working in different environments…and I met people from all over the world…Thanks for doing what you do and sharing your love of nature…You make us all better stewards and people…”
-Cheri A.
When considering any workshop take a look at ratio of instructors/guides to participants. My assistants and I strive to deliver whether you are a seasoned photographer or just starting out, whether this is your first workshop with me or your fourth.
“A workshop with Art Wolfe is so much more that a photo shoot at a beautiful location. It is an opportunity to grow and try new things with a master artist and superb teacher.”
– Bill O.
I look forward to meeting new friends and seeing old friends on my travels this year! My goal is nothing less than to change the way you see.
Wishing You the Best of Light! Click an image or description below to find out more about all of my upcoming workshops!
I’ll be heading to Japan in February with Gavriel Jecan and no more than 8 other travelers for a special photographic journey. Very limited spaces have recently become available – here are 10 reasons to claim them!
1. Japan in winter is one of the most majestic locations you could ever imagine.
2. Take a tub with the charming Snow Monkeys
No, you don’t have to strip down and commune with the macaques. But this is an amazing photographic opportunity: these furry primates come down from the pine and oak forests and for a couple of hours a day they hang around a natural hot spring where you can photograph from within inches without interrupting their behavior.
3. Explore the wilderness that is Hokkaido.
Hokkaido reminds me a bit of Alaska, full of forests of birch, pine and fir with a back drop of beautiful volcanic mountains.
4. Dance with the endangered Red-crowned Cranes
Leave the dancing to the cranes. These elegant birds have been symbolized in Japanese culture for thousands of years due to their grace and beauty.
5. Fight over fish with the massive Steller’s Sea Eagles
Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of our own sushi to eat! These majestic eagles don’t want to share anyway.
6. Whoop it up with the cacophonous Whooper Swans
Overwintering from Siberia, these swans congregate in the thermally heated waters of Hokkaido’s lakes, making for ethereal, misty photographs.
7. Take a break from nature and explore buzzing Tokyo
8. Experiential learning at its best. It’s my hope that the lessons you learn on this photographic journey will be referenced on your travel photography adventures in the future!
9. You will be traveling in a small group of 8 participants. Other tour operators are a minimum of 12 or more, so you will get far more one-on-one time.
10. Photograph under the tutelage of one of the world’s premier nature photographers and take full advantage of your time spent in Japan!
If you follow the blog and my Events page, you know being idle is not my strong suit. In looking at the upcoming schedule, it become apparent I had some time to work with – and to that end I’m offering two of my most popular workshops to late April and early May that many of you have been waiting for an opportunity to join. These are always sell-outs, so if you’re interested be sure to sign up ASAP to guarantee your spot!
As an added bonus, sign up before December 1st and receive an early bird discount of 200$ off each workshop!
Olympic Peninsula Workshop
April 25 – 28, 2019
From the dense evergreen forests to the expansive coastal landscapes bordering the Pacific Ocean, there is a lot to cover on the Olympic Peninsula. Wildlife, Waterfalls, the Ocean, the old growth forest – this location has everything, and we’ll do our best to cover as much ground as possible!
Abstract Astoria Workshop
May 1 – 5, 2019
This workshop has become a signature destination with so much to offer that repeat attendance is common. Not only is Astoria a historic location, holding the title of first permanent settlement on the Pacific coast, it’s also home to plenty of great places for us to dine and chat after our days shooting.
Click the links above for more information about these two JUST added workshops, but don’t hesitate to get signed up before they are full!
This coming February, I’m proud to present the Japan Photo Journey – an intensive photography workshop and journey to one of the great places to visit in the winter time for truly unique photo opportunities. Both myself and Gavriel Jecan will be with you and 9 other participants over the course of an 11-day workshop that begins in Tokyo before heading to the mountains to photograph the snow monkeys enjoying their hot springs.
Once the monkeys have had their fill of our small group, we will head to Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido. In the winter here, the days are short – but the stunning sunrises and sunsets can be lengthy, making this an ideal shooting location with expanded periods of time to shoot in ideal lighting conditions. The rich forests and mountains here provide the perfect backdrop to photograph the many bird species that congregate here, here including the symbolic Japanese Crane, whooper swans, and the very large Steller’s sea eagle.
The days may be a bit shorter, but they will be full of adventures and opportunities. By the time the sun goes down there will be plenty of time for everyone to enjoy a nice warm bath before we have a meal together, after which we will engage in lectures, critiques, and of course cheerful banter. Though our day shooting may be over, teaching is my passion and it’s in these moments where we regroup and discuss the day where perhaps the most knowledge is gained and shared.
Limited space is available, so register today to ensure your spot!
It’s been a busy summer, but there is no slowing down for me! I wanted to take this opportunity to share an updated list of my upcoming workshop opportunities with you. Some return trips to familiar locations are here, and I love to share the knowledge that I’ve accumulated over the years of visiting these great places. We also have exotic and new locales to visit as well. My team is hard at work doing our research, working with the best local support available.
Many of these new destinations come from the feedback we received from surveying those of you who subscribe to my newsletter. If you don’t receive those, get signed up here to be notified and kept up-to-date on what I have planned!
Particular locations and workshops will sell it well in advance. Don’t hesitate to get your name on the list! As always if you have any questions about an upcoming worshop, contact my staff – they would be happy to answer any questions you may have about a particular workshop.
If nature and fall color are subjects that interests you there is no better place than the Pacific northwest to capture the vivid warm hues of turning leaves against the deep greens of the evergreen pines. In October the weather is still generally warm enough to get out into this lush and earthy rainforest comfortably with often overcast skies presenting ideal lighting for capturing all it has to offer. I’m leading two workshops here at this time and whether you are local to the area or have thought about visiting, each will provide their own unique look at the beauty I’ve appreciated over a lifetime of being a resident of the region.
First on the list is the Rainier Fall workshop – this one is sure to be a sell-out with few spots remaining, so if it interests you I implore you to sign up soon! The fall color here is especially satisfying to capture, framing the warm colors of autumn leaves against the cool blues of the distant mountains and skies. The emphasis here will be on creating compelling compositions in nature. Gavriel Jecan will also be on this trip to provide extra instruction and support.
Second is an expansive trip into the Quinault rainforest. At only 8 participants with multiple instructors, this small-group photo journey will focus on nature photography techniques and capturing high quality images – and then, with our time spent at the beautiful Lake Quinault Lodge we will print those images on Epson’s latest state-of-the-art photo printers and have a demo on how to ensure you’re outputting the best possible images captured during your time in the field.
Sing up today, these workshops will fill up quickly as fall approaches!
It’s hard to believe we are half way through 2018! Summer is here and the flycatchers, chickadees, and hummingbirds are nesting in the yard. I wanted to take some time to update you on some exciting upcoming book news, as well as several new additions to the workshop calendar:
My latest book project Trees: Between Earth and Heaven has been sent off to the printer. We will have copies here in late October and I have a pre-order special going that includes a signed copy of the book and a small print. This will be another gorgeous, weighty tome—on the scale of Earth Is My Witness with three gatefolds and 296 pages. Once again Wade Davis has penned an introduction, and text is by noted author Greg McNamee. Please note that there will be a tree planted by Roots of Peace for every copy of the book sold.
Interested in being in your own Human Canvas? Recently I had a request from friends to do a custom piece with them as models and it turned out magnificently. I personally will work with you in creating your own unique piece. Please reach out through our contact page.
We’ve just posted seven – count ‘em, seven – new workshops for 2019! Highlights include Holi and tigers in India, Katmai Bears (I have locked down the best time to see them), and an autumn photo journey to Romania. Native son Gavriel Jecan will be co-leading in Romania with me and he will guide us to all his favorite locations in the magnificent Carpathian Mountains. We might see bears there too! I have also posted the 2019 editions of Abstract Astoria and Mount Rainier Wildflowers.
It’s shaping up to be a very full second half of 2018 and I am looking forward to some fantastic photo opportunities in 2019 and beyond. I hope you can join me for some of them! You can also save 20% on my current and very popular print of the month featuring a bear fishing in Katmai, Alaska – one of the locations you’ll find on my list of workshops – and check out my first half images for 2018. Keep in mind just about any image you can find in any of my books, on the website itself, or the stock site is likely available as a print – contact my staff and we will set you up with pricing and details, and I’ll personally sign it before we send it your way!
Last year’s Hawaii Photography Retreat was a huge success, with amazing participants and great photos – so I am doing it again! Join me this fall on the Big Island for a Hawaii experience like no other. As a small group we will explore the island and focus on rare opportunities that will ensure you come away with photos to share that represent a perspective on a Hawaii trip you won’t find anywhere else!
Hawaii is in the news quite a bit lately with eruptions and lava flows leaving their mark on the landscape, and we will have local expert and volcano photographer Bruce Omori on our team to ensure we have the best possible information available to us regarding volcanic activity at the time. Check out Bruce’s website to see his photos and see for yourself why he is an invaluable addition to our group! With a guide on our side who knows the location inside and out, it’ll save us the time an unguided visitor might spend driving from location to location without any knowledge as to what they may find. Our local team will keep an eye on current events, ensuring we maximize our time and travel.
As before, this trip will be loaded with extras. On top of a guide and driver and the convenience of air-conditioned transportation between locations, we will have discounted bay-view rooms exclusively for attendees and all permit fees for Hawaii Volcanoes National Parks included. I will also kick things off with a photographic composition seminar in addition to in-the-field photography instruction.
For more information, check out the events page – sign up sooner than later, as this unique in-depth exploration of the Big Island is bound to be a sell out!
Mid to late June is a beautiful time to visit the Pacific Northwest, and for that reason we have a pair of workshops happening here with only a few spaces remaining!
Columbia River Gorge workshop – June 14 – 17
Join Art Wolfe in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, which is arguably one of the most beautiful attractions in the Pacific Northwest! The wide range of elevation and precipitation makes the Columbia River Gorge an extremely diverse and dynamic place, and therefore the photographic opportunities are endless. Explore the Gorge with Gavriel as it transitions between temperate rainforest to dry grasslands in only 80 miles, hosting a dramatic change in scenery.
The field locations will not be limited to the scenic beauty of the Pacific Northwest, Art will also take the group to some locations that will provide opportunities to photograph abstract images as well.
We will also have 6 stop Neutral Density filters for the entire group to try out while photographing long exposures. For one portion of the worksop the group will be taken to a lesser known waterfall for night photography!
Oregon Coast Workshop – June 21 – 24
Along Oregon’s historic and scenic coast, this will be a weekend of imagination! the Oregon Coast has so much to offer with the beautiful waterfalls and ocean landscapes, as well as opportunities for unique intimate landscapes and abstracts. This workshop is slightly different than my popular “Abstract Astoria” workshop as we will focus more on the ocean and landscape photography with a hint of abstracts.
A single image can have the power to stimulate the imagination and the intellect while also telling a story that awakens the senses. Our challenge is to explore the nature of creativity itself and discover ways to bring its power to your images.
