Last week I posted about additions and changes to my upcoming workshop schedule, and I wanted to take some time to expand on this as they begin to fill up. Despite the lack of bright sunny weather, spring is here. The days are longer, and the overcast lighting is perfect for the purposes of taking photographs in the beautiful landscapes of the Pacific northwest.
In less than a month, I’ll be leading a Columbia River Gorge workshop. From waterfall-laden rainforests to grasslands, this workshop will encompass a variety of subject matter – and good food from local restaurants to boot! My goal is to not only provide tips and techniques for shooting the varied landscape, but I’m also excited to announce that we will be lending 6-stop neutral density filters to participants to use for nighttime captures of waterfalls. I’ll also provide all participants with personalized copies of my how-to book, The Art of the Photograph.
As of this post there are six spots remaining to join me, but with only weeks to go it will fill up quickly!
I’ve scheduled another Lake Quinault retreat for October. Not only will we be photographing one of the more lush and green rainforests you’ll find, we are also providing a full day of instruction on Adobe Lightroom, as well as printing tips on EPSON printers. Come away from this workshop with new skills in the field, a better understanding of powerful and affordable photo editing and organizational software, and beautiful print or two!
We are a couple weeks away from Photography As Art in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts on May 13th. Sign up now to spend the day hanging out with me and learn how a lifetime of photography and a background in art can change the way you see the world around you. Be inspired to capture interesting and unique images!
While browsing my website, you may have also come across a couple new additions. Many people have asked me about the equipment I use in the field, and to that end we’ve created the Art Wolfe Recommended Gear page. All items listed here are items I use in the field or in some cases as I travel or edit my photos. The Featured Partners on this page are also all companies who’s products we use both in the field and in our office.
We’ve also launched the Pro Tours page – workshops led by my associates Gavriel Jecan, Sean Fitzgerald, and Yuri Choufour. I can’t be everywhere at once, and these instructors have traveled a great deal with me over the years.
Lastly, enjoy some of my latest exhibitions and photos! I was recently in Hamburg, Germany and cut the ribbon on my first ever open-air exhibit, Meisterhaft Getart. Over 50 large format prints from my book Vanishing Act are on display for free all day all night on the streets of Hamburg’s Überseequartier through June 30ths. If you find yourself in Germany, check it out!
I’ve also recently returned from central Africa, where little shade and 110 degree temperatures made for a grueling trip – but I couldn’t be happier with the variety of wildlife I was able to capture. On the ground, I was happy to find a variety of wildlife mingling within each shot. From the sky, we were able to capture the magnificent elephant herds who’ve come together in search of dwindling water sources, and in unity against the attacks of poachers in the region.
The ƒ-number you choose for a particular shot is an important element when it comes to framing the story of the particular shot you’re looking to achieve. The ƒ-number can be a bit confusing to novice photographers, as the higher ƒ-number means a smaller aperture and a greater depth of field. In turn, a greater depth of field means more detail in the background of your shot.
In this video, I was on location in Antarctica shooting gentoo penguins. Their environment and community is as important to their story as each individual. Shooting at a high ƒ-number to capture this detail helps inform the audience that the story I chose to tell encompasses that environment as an element as important as each individual penguin.
On a related side note, have you ever wondered how to type the fancy “ƒ” on your keyboard to give your photo comments a little bit of flair? It’s simple really:
PC:
Hold down the “alt” key, and using the 10-key pad on the right of your keyboard, type “0-1-3-1”. Let go, and you’ve got your fancy “ƒ”!
MAC:
A little simpler on a mac – just hold down “Option” and type “f”!
Times they are a’changin’! These days the travel landscape is constantly in flux, and for someone who spends so much time on the go world-wide, it’s important to remain adaptable and open to change. To that end, I’d like to announce new additions to my schedule in the near future, along with some discounts for early sign-ups to join me in these locations.
1) Limited to 8 participants (and only 2 spots left now!), this guarantees more one-on-one time with Art in the field. Due to the intensive nature of this workshop it is critical for participants to have an opportunity to work closely with Art so he can thoroughly explain the magic behind complex compositions.
2) Art will incorporate lectures from his popular seminar Photography As Art (also coming to Portland on May 7th!) as it is the main focus of this workshop. If you have seen this seminar and are looking to take the next step with this type of photography this is the workshop for you. Art will drive home the concepts that he teaches during that seminar in the field and will change the way you look at photography altogether.
3) It is extended by one day. This means one entire extra day in the field, providing us with the opportunity to incorporate some of the new locations that Art just scouted this year. It also gives the participants a bigger variety of photographic opportunities and compositions.
4) The extra day also grants us time to incorporate morning critiques throughout the workshop instead of having it at the end. This is fantastic because you will have time to learn from your mistakes while there is still time to photograph in the field.
5) The great thing about this location is that many people do not see the photographic potential that it has to offer, so it is fantastic to open up your perspectives on things. It is amazing to see the transformation of what starts as an old rusty object, and becomes a magnificent piece of artwork.
6) We will take the opportunity to work with 6-stop Neutral Density filters to show people how they can use them in the field to add an ethereal quality to their photographs. The many pilings that the surrounding area has to offer is a perfect subject for this.
7) The accommodations that we have selected are top notch! The Cannery Pier hotel offers nice hors d’oeuvres and wine every evening, granting our participants a chance to relax and socialize after an intensive day in the field.
8) The city of Astoria also has very nice restaurants where the entire group will dine together every evening. It’s nice to have an opportunity to have meals together as you really get to know the entire group better. Many people form long-lasting friendships after attending our workshops together.
9) See Astoria, Oregon which holds the distinction of being the first permanent United States settlement on the Pacific coast and for having the first U.S. post office west of the Rocky Mountains.
10) Don’t forget, you get a Human Canvas Book, with a collectors edition print! Add this wonderful collectors edition signed and numbered book+print to your collection, as an added bonus.
“I took this workshop to begin to develop “seeing” beyond the obvious. This workshop definitely started me along this path. Mr. Wolfe dedicated a morning to instill an appreciation into the abstract world and with his critiques of our images, added to my understanding of abstractions in photography. I plan to bring these elements into my landscape photography to see beyond the obvious.”
-Walter D.
Finally, check out the participant photo gallery for some of the amazing images captured in past Abstract Astoria workshops:
Following my exhibition opening in Hamburg, I flew off to central Africa. For eight days we endured 110 degree heat; there was no way to escape it, and I was drinking nearly two gallons of water per day. Re-entry to chilly Seattle has been a shock to the system.
For months we planned the logistics of this trip – do we take drones or not? Hire planes or not? While in Hamburg we received word from the U.S. Ambassador to this central African nation that it was not advisable to take the drone, so we scrambled & FedExed the equipment home.
This turned out to be good advice since it was almost impossible to find the elephants from the ground, and we would have needed to locate them before we could send the drones into the air. The elephants are very nervous for a reason; herds in this region, as all over the continent, have been under attack by poachers. However, the African Parks personnel believe they may be calming down just a bit after a couple years of fairly successful anti-poaching enforcement.
We ended up hiring the plane that had dropped us off at the beginning of the trip and had the back cargo door taken off. We flew over the herd, which had divided into two. By the time we departed the park the herd had split into several smaller groups. It was good timing since capturing pictures of hundreds of elephants at once are highly unlikely in the future.
If you are interested in traveling to Africa with me, I am leading a photo journey in Namibia in September of 2018. Add your name to the pre-registration list now!
When you visit some of the world’s great landscapes, it can be easy to miss the beautiful details beneath your feet. Using a tripod and a small aperture, capture the details that will make your photographs unique and personal while giving context to the location you’re shooting.
For more tips and techniques, my Photography As Art seminar may be coming to a city near you soon!
Try as I may, unfortunately I can’t be everywhere at once – and with my busy schedule I end up missing out on the opportunity to visit some of my favorite locations to lead workshops.
To that end I’ve created the Art Wolfe Pro Tours set of workshops – trips to these knowledge-rich haunts led by my trusted associates; photographers and friends I’ve worked with for many years whom I trust to adhere to the style and message I aim to convey when teaching in the field, as well as in my talks and critiques. They have accompanied me on countless trips over the years, and their knowledge of these locations and our travels together ensures it will be time well spent, as each Pro Tours instructor brings a unique background and perspective to the table.
Check out the new Pro Tours page and get to know a little bit about each of these trusted instructors and peruse the list of locations they’ll be visiting soon!
This past week took me to Hamburg, Germany for the opening of the Meisterhaft Getarnt – or Vanishing Act – exhibit in the city’s Überseequartier. I was impressed with the cool and unique presentation of my work in this outdoor open-air gallery, and I highly recommend checking it out if you plan on being in the area. Admission is free, and I feel it’s a great way to experience these images. Thank you to the staff of the Überseequartier for putting together such a wonderful Exhibit! Meisterhaft Getarnt runs through June 30th.
Wildflowers flourish in the meadows of Mazama Ridge in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. I visit Mt. Rainier every year, always in hope of capturing some shots of the amazing array of wildflowers that surround the mountain.
Save 25% on any Mazama Ridge print purchased this month. These Open Edition prints are printed on EPSON Premium Photo Luster paper using archival EPSON Ultrachrome inks. Art signs the print with a silver acid-free pen. Get more information about our Fine Art prints here.
