In the book The Living Wild, Art wrote, “After all, an animal without habitat is simply a curiosity biding time to its extinction. But an animal with its habitat is a vibrant representation of natural selection.” It is within this book that Art highlights the environment and the wildlife in a symbiotic relationship and travels beyond the more common seen portrait of wildlife. There are many places throughout the world that highlight this type of diversity, but Americans need to travel no farther than the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. With the reintroduction of wolves in the 90s’, this 11 million acre reserve of land has become one of the most intact temperate ecosystems on the planet. If you count the bird, mammal, fish, insect, amphibian, plant and reptile species, you walk away with thousands of potential photography subjects. Due to the stunningly beautiful land surrounding the creatures, this place offers the opportunity to capture imagery very similar to the visions Art has created in The Living Wild. Moose, bear, antelope, elk and countless others can be composed with the backdrop of the Tetons at sunrise and sunset. If you are wondering how, now is your chance to learn.
Visit Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming the first weekend in October with Art Wolfe and Gavriel Jecan for a four-day workshop being held in the heart of one of America’s most scenic locations.
Exciting news for Earth Is My Witness in Europe. Not only are French and German editions coming out, but I will be coming to Germany for a National Geographic Tour, and to support some upcoming Earth Is My Witness exhibits! The exhibition of my work is an exclusive production by the Städtische Galerie Iserlohn and the Stadtmuseum Schleswig.
I have collaborated with filmmaker Abraham Joffe, producer of Tales by Light, on an inspirational new short video about what drives my passion for photography.
When you get to a location, you should scout out all the possibilities. Catalog the opportunities and return when the lighting will be optimal. Shot on location in Antarctica.
Art’s Abstract Photography workshop in Astoria was fantastic! What could be better than practicing my dream art in a beautiful environment with loads of inspiration, support, humor and companionship.
Claire Gardiner:
This workshop promised to change the way I see….and it lived up to its promise! It heightened my awareness of shapes, colors and textures. Now I can’t walk down the street without looking for metaphors! Making art out of a shipwreck or an abandoned WWII bunker was a right brain stretch for me, but I loved EVERY minute of it! Thank you Art Wolfe for heightening my awareness and opening my eyes!
Lisa Goldman
Lynne Gregg
Lynne Kester-Meyer:
I really enjoyed the workshop. Beforehand I was concerned that a workshop with someone of Art’s stature would be beyond my skills. My mistake! He found out the experience and competence of each of the participants and worked with that. He was available to all of us all the time and I really appreciated that. I was very inspired by Art and his approach and I suspect that my photography is changed forever. I’m certainly seeing shots where I never saw them before!
Matt Kiener:
Somewhere along my three year journey with photography I lost the excitement I got from going out and taking pictures; photography became more about technical details and getting the shot than being in the moment and experiencing the beauty that surrounds me. After just one weekend with Art, I have regained my excitement and passion for photography. Take care, and I hope to see you all on another workshop in the future.
I can agree with my fellow traveler Mark McInnis about our trip to the Katmai National Park area in Alaska “…this trip has been amazing. Just amazing.”
He continues on: “Jerry, Art, Becky and I were shooting aerials yesterday when I spotted a White Wolf. We landed on the beach and Art thought that he [the wolf] had probably left because of the noise. But we snuck around the corner and he was still there just napping on the beach! We started clicking photos, but he heard our cameras and promptly got up to leave. Haha, This next part still just cracks me up. Art started howling. Like a wolf. And the wolf stopped, turned sideways, and looked DIRECTLY at us. And of course his shot is twice what mine is, but it doesn’t matter. That memory will stick with me forever. My jaw might have hit the floor. It was amazing and one of the most memorable and comedic moments of my life. Art is such a legend. I love him to death and have only known him for 4 days. Talk about a gifted, talented and honest human. Really love the guy.”
Recently I spent the most remarkable two weeks with several fellow photographers in Alaska’s Katmai National Park. Ranging everywhere on land and in river were the huge coastal brown bears and all the waterways were chock full of spawning sockeye salmon. As a result of last year’s mild winter, there were many sows and cubs feasting on the protein-rich and oily fish.
I am scheduling another trip July 24-29, 2016. Get on the notification list now!
Now in its second year, this INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION puts the spotlight on talented photographers from all over the world, celebrating the rural and urban landscape of the U.S.A. and is the brainchild of renowned landscape photographer, Charlie Waite.
Prize fund of US$12,000 of cash and other prizes, including US$5,000 to the overall winner, US$500 to the Youth (under 21) winner and awards in cash and kind to category and special prize winners.
Entries are open to photographers from anywhere in the world with images made in the USA within the last 5 years. Competition closes midnight on the 15th of August, 2015.
Sponsored by USA Today, Popular Photography, Lee Filters, Hasselblad, Panasonic, lightandland.com, and Digital Camera World.
These photos were taken over the last decade in the month of August. I tend to stay near home in the Pacific Northwest, when the weather is at its best, teaching workshops and taking a rare breather.
Some of you who get my newsletter may have noticed that I am doing a photo tour to Cuba in March 2016. It filled quickly and I am starting a waiting list for Gavriel Jecan’s tour that is happening right after mine.
Gavriel Jecan is one of my recommended guides. He leads many photography tours and will be visiting all of the same locations and will be utilizing the same Cuban photography guides.
