The opening of the Earth Is My Witness exhibition at the Stadtische Galerie Iserlohn was more than I could have hoped for. I want to thank my hosts Rainier Danne and Holger Rudel for putting on a terrific event and the hundreds of people that showed up from all over Europe to welcome me, have me sign their Eden books, and see my presentation. The museum and theater were full to bursting!
The exhibit will be in Iserlohn through May 1. Then it will be moving on to Schleswig. If you missed me the first time around there will be another opportunity to see my presentation in early June!
Beloved picture books O IS FOR ORCA and 1, 2, 3 MOOSE by Andrea Helman and photographed by me are now available for the first time as board books! Perfect for the littlest of hands, this new durable format will be sure to garner even more fans to these Pacific Northwest classics.
With over 50,000 copies sold in hardcover and paperback combined, O IS FOR ORCA brings the alphabet to life for toddlers through colorful animals and landscapes. In 1, 2, 3 MOOSE toddlers will enjoy learning with this colorful counting board book, which features engaging photos of Pacific Northwest animals, introducing young children to wildlife while also teaching numbers and how to count.
“Much more than an alphabet book, thanks to Art Wolfe’s stunning full-color photography.”
—School Library Journal on O IS FOR ORCA
“A visual treat, its appeal shouldn’t be limited to a single corner of the country.”
—Publishers Weekly on O IS FOR ORCA
“Wolfe’s accomplished photographs, set off by bright numerals and swaths of color, shimmer with light.”
—Publishers Weekly on 1, 2, 3 MOOSE
“Outstanding.”
—Parent council on 1, 2, 3 MOOSE
Andrea Helman is an award-winning television writer and producer, and has written several other books for children that include Art Wolfe’s photography, such as O is for Orca and Northwest Animal Babies.
Sasquatch Books, together with their children’s imprint, Little Bigfoot, is one of the country’s leading independent presses, located in downtown Seattle, just blocks from Pike Place Market and Elliot Bay.
“Photography as Art” is a groundbreaking new seminar created for individuals who want to spark their imagination and discover how to make artistic statements through photography. The all-day seminar encourages creative professionals to see and make art in exciting new ways. With art history as a reference point, participants explore avenues to maintain inspiration, foster their own personal style, and distinguish their photography from others.
After planning to photograph in Bangladesh after India, I made a management decision and headed off for the lush Luang Prabang Province in Laos–an area and country I had never visited before. At the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, it is an area of great natural and cultural beauty.
After the crush of the Kumbh in Haridwar, the nature and solitude of Ranthambore National Park was a welcome change. With an area of 400 sq. km encompassing rocky hill crests which descend to open valleys between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges, dotted with water pools and fruit trees, this park gets its name from the thousand year old fortress, which looms above the forest. Well known for the diurnal activity of tigers, Ranthambore is a very special and unusual area where a natural present meets a historical past.
My attempt to explain the timing of the Ardh Kumbh Mela:
Haridwar is the place for the well-known Kumbh Mela. Kumbh Mela is a Hindu religious gathering which is celebrated for forty days and is the biggest religious ceremony in the world; “Kumbh Mela” translates to “Festival of Urn”. At any given place, the Kumbh Mela is held once in 12 years. There is a difference of around 3 years between the Kumbh Melas at each of four locations. The exact date is determined according to a combination of zodiac positions of the Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon. The Purna Kumbh Mela, the biggest and the most auspicious fair, occurs every twelve years and is organized in rotation among four places where drops of the sacred nectar spilled over: Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. A mass pilgrimage for the Hindu community of India, the Kumbh Mela is rumored to be one of the largest congregation of sages, yogis, ascetics, mendicants, men, women and children on the planet. But every sixth year after a Purna Kumbh Mela, an Ardh Kumbh Mela takes place. In the Hindi language the word “Ardh” stands for “half” and “Mela” means “fair”. The “Ardh Kumbh Mela” is called so because it is held at the sixth year and marks the halfway stage between the celebration of the Purna Kumbh Melas every 12 years. The Ardh Mela takes place at Haridwar & Allahabad only. And then there is the mother of all Kumbhs, the Maha Kumbh Mela which happens once every 144 years.
OK, I think they are drinking way too much spilled sacred nectar…
In the Chinese Zodiac it’s the year of the monkey. And if you were born in 1956 you are a fire monkey—ambitious and adventurous, but irritable. So all you smart & naughty monkeys out there, take care to make 2016 a lucky year!
The 2016 Art Wolfe Next-Generation Photographers Grant is now taking applicants from professional nature photographers in the early stages of their careers. Recipients will be selected on the basis of skill, artistic excellence and by demonstrating the promise of future achievement.
From July 31 to August 6, 2016, seven successful applicants will attend a six-day workshop at a remote Lodge in Katmai, Alaska, photographing the spectacular wildlife and rugged landscape.
Sponsored by The Luminous Endowment for Photographers and Art Wolfe, Inc., and made possible with the generous support of Rebecca Jones and the Seneca Sawmill Co.
Don’t forget that the Städtische Galerie Iserlohn is presenting the 
