This past week I made my way to Africa and my first stop was Mount Nyirangongo, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The flight up the side of the volcano was hair-raising, with high winds jostling our rise to the mountain top as well as clouds that significantly hampered visibility. Our pilot had never made this trip before. Thankfully, he was an obvious professional, as we made it safely through the precarious trip.
The top of the mountain was chillier than anticipated at an elevation of 11,380 feet regardless of the roiling lava-filled caldera below us. I got the shots I wanted, with fortuitous timing as a vent began spewing lava just before dark and ran its course about the time we settled in to sleep.
I now head back to Tanzania for the second time in recent months, this time to visit Katavi National Park. Stay tuned for more photos from the next leg of my trip! I love the adventure of these exotic locales, but I’m also looking forward to being state-side and seeing those of you who’ve signed up for my Photography As Art seminars in L.A., Denver, New York, and Indianapolis in the coming month or so! Each trip I take brings a new wrinkle of discussions to add to my presentations, and there is still time to sign up for the remaining 2016 dates.
There are also still spots available in my Mystical Myanmar workshop in December for those of you anxious to avoid yet another cold winter in the states. Trade in some of those dark wintry days for the exotic allure and warm weather of eastern Asia!
Our helicopter pilot perches precariously on the edge of Nyirangongo crater, balancing the craft with the skids only half on solid ground.
In September, my latest book, “Photographs from the Edge” will be available. Preorder customers receive a signed copy as well as a digital download of the updated eBook version of “On Puget Sound”!
Encompassing a variety of subject matter from endangered animals, landscapes, and cultural events, Photographs from the Edge is a collection of images from my travels around the world accompanied with the technical information involved as well as my approach to the creative concept behind each shot.
Preorder now to lock up your unique signed copy of this book!
The National Park Service turns 100 today, and everyone can take part in the celebration! The centennial will kick off a second century of stewardship of America’s national parks and engaging communities through recreation, conservation, and historic preservation programs.
The National Park Service will be offering free admission to all 412 National Parks for their birthday weekend,Thursday August 25th through Sunday the 28th!
Find your park and discover the parks and programs in your own backyard!
Welcome to the Art Wolfe #PhotographyAsArt Instagram contest #3! This is the third in a series contests that will highlight the many elements of design integral to crafting compelling images.
Congratulations to our previous winner, Brian. His image was shared on our social media sites as well as our blog!
On September 18th I will be presenting my Photography As Art seminar in Los Angeles, with dates in Denver, New York, and Indianapolis to follow in early October. Among the topics we will discuss is intrusion; an element of an image that draws the eye and stokes the fires of curiosity by being out of place in some way to it’s surroundings. This may be our most challenging contest yet, as by it’s very nature, “intrusion” implies capturing the uncommon – but I have faith we will get some amazing entries!
The winner will have their selected image resposted to my Facebook and Twitter page, and recognized on my blog at www.ArtWolfe.com!
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting the winners of the 2016 Art Wolfe Next-Generation Photographers Grant and sharing my Katmai workshop with them. They have been gracious enough to send us some of their favorite images from the trip. Enjoy, and definitely give their personal websites a look!
The past week in the back country of Alaska has surpassed all of my craziest dreams and expectations. A week long fellowship with Art Wolfe, Gavriel Jecan and 7 other amazing young conservation photographers has resulted in new friends, endless inspiration, a lot of learning, and a permanent smile on my face. Simply being in the presence of some of the most incredible animals I have ever had the privilege of shooting was amazing, and to have the opportunity to learn from Art and Gavriel made it even more spectacular. Sitting by the river and watching Alaskan brown bears fish for salmon or standing in a wide open field as 3 cubs playfully tormented their tolerant and loving mother are certainly experiences I will never forget. A huge thank you to Art himself as well as everyone else at Art Wolfe Inc. and the Luminous Endowment who made this possible. We are greatly indebted to you and will certainly apply these experiences and what we learned throughout the rest of our careers.
This experience to Alaska, photographing brown bears in the incredible wilderness, far exceeded any and all expectations. Being able to learn from and shoot alongside Art Wolfe, Gavriel Jecan, and the seven other extremely talented recipients of the 2016 Next Generation Young Photographers grant is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. Not only did I return home with a portfolio of images I am very proud of, I’ve returned home with unbelievable memories. Being able to have so many wonderful experiences with brown bears, watching mothers playing with their cubs, adults catching the plentiful sockeye passing through the rivers, salmon migrating to their lake or river of birth, I will remember these fondly for the rest of my life. To everyone who made this possible, Art, Gav, the Luminous Endowment, Art Wolfe Inc., Jerry Jacques and the rest of the crew at the Bristol Bay Sportfishing and Adventure Lodge, I can’t possibly thank you any more for providing this once in a lifetime experience!
We are also about a month away from my visit to Los Angeles to present this seminar, so if you’ve been waiting on reserving your spot, now is the time! I will also be visiting Denver, New York, and Indianapolis to close out the year.
Photography As Art is a culmination of my life’s work in the field as well as my studies of the art world, and is about creating beautiful images regardless of the subject matter itself or the accessibility you may have to exotic locations. I have been blessed to have had access to vistas and wildlife the world over; however there is an endless amount of both accidental and intentional beauty all around us, wherever we may be. My goal is to share with you the vision to create and capture interesting and visually immersive images, and to couple the limitless expanse of the human imagination with artistic fundamentals. I aim to unlock the potential for we, as photographers, to capture a compelling image at any time, in any place – and to truly change the way you see.
I’m genuinely excited to bring something very dear to me to your cities. Stay tuned for additional locations for the second half of 2017!
A few spots still remain for our Palouse workshop coming up August 25th through the 28th! Capture the rolling landscapes and the old-world feel of this beautiful location. Wheat-topped hills and sporadic old barns compose a landscape seemingly frozen in time. The purity of the landscape, untouched by the modern irrigation systems that generally detract from otherwise beautiful farmland vistas, will allow you to capture truly unique images you won’t find anywhere else.
Visit the events page for more information, and to sign up for this visit to the Palouse!
Last week I took a trip down the coast to Oregon for my Abstract Astoria workshop. I got some great new shots and also revisited a few from the past to get some updates. I’m anxious to add some of these shots to my ever-evolving Photography as Art presentation (shameless plug – the next one is happening in about a month in L.A. with a few spots still available!). I hope you enjoy the gallery!
The deadline for the USA Landscape Photographer of the Year award is coming up on September 15th, but there is still plenty of time to submit your work for consideration, and why wouldn’t you? Submit your shots of American landscapes for your chance to win!
Today we celebrate one of the more iconic and often symbolic creatures of the animal kingdom; the elephant.
Long revered for their size (African elephants weigh as much as 22,000 pounds) and intelligence, elephants are one of the few species to use tools and employ cohesive teamwork. They are also one of the more expressive and emotional members of the animal kingdom, emoting feelings of empathy and grief for fallen companions.
On this day where we honor these amazing creatures and reaffirm our efforts to conserve and expand their numbers, it couldn’t be a better time to discuss a book project and launch event that I am honored and elated to be a part of. Remembering Elephants is a collaborative effort encompassing the work of 65 of the world’s top wildlife photographers documenting the life of an elephant. 100% of the proceeds from each book sold will benefit conservation efforts.
The book will be published in September. Field Biologist Ian Redmond and myself will be speaking at the launch event in London on September 22nd. If you’re able to make it, I would love to see you there to share our respects for these wonderful animals!
An exhibit representing the book will show from the launch to October 1st at La Galleria, Pall Mall in London.
In September, my latest book, 
