In the last week I have photographed in two very different agricultural areas of Washington State. Some may remember my earlier post on the Palouse last fall. That was such an interesting location that I decided to go back and shoot more. The old abandoned farmhouse has such a dramatically bleak appearance, especially in the severe gray tones of winter.
I followed up that outing with a drive north to the Skagit Valley, where snow geese and trumpeter swans overwinter in the farmers’ stubbly fields. We’ve experienced a glorious stretch of weather, which has been icy cold and dry with bright blue skies. During this type of weather there is always an inversion and it makes for tremendous sunsets.
2010 started off with successful workshops in Southeast Asia.
I had special photo shoots for Epson and local Seattle television, as well as a pledge for Oregon Public Broadcasting. I emceed a very profitable fundraising event for the Puget Soundkeepers Alliance, an organization that is working hard to keep the Puget Sound a viable and functioning ecosystem.
The International Conservation Photography Awards were kicked off with a special event at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall and then opened to great applause at the Burke Museum, which will host the event again in 2012.
I had gallery openings at the G2 in California and the Saxton Gallery in Ohio. In my own gallery I opened the show “Unbridled”, featuring beautiful oversized prints of horses.
Throughout the year education continued to be a focus, with the Art of Composition tour and a four day workshop in the Grand Tetons. I taught a session at the Welt der Wunder Festival in Germany as well.
Wherever I went, I shot: New York, California, at home in Washington State, including the Pride Parades in Seattle and Vancouver, BC.
Hinduism’s massive festival, the Kumbh Mela, was in Haridwar this year. It was a crush of millions of people, it was oppressively hot, and infinitely fascinating and life-affirming.
In 2010 my public television show Travels to the Edge won five Telly Awards for excellence, and in October the Photographic Society of America honored me with the Progress Medal Award. Outdoor Photographer magazine thrilled me by using my photo of the French Alps as the 25th anniversary cover. Outdoor Photography magazine in the UK lauded me and 39 of the best nature photographers in the world for our conservation work.
I finished the year in Michoacan, Mexico, photographing the Day of the Dead festival for the first time and then headed off to Antarctica for the umpteenth time in December.
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I am very honored to be part of this elite group of photographers selected by Outdoor Photography magazine (UK) as the movers & shakers in the realm of conservation photography.
I just returned from another eventful and gut-wrenching Antarctica sailing. I was one of the few not affected by seasickness in the brutal crossing of the Drake Passage.
This was a very lucky trip. We managed to dodge two major storms, one of which disabled the boat I sailed on last year. When we returned to South America, there were tours and boats backed up waiting for a break in the weather.
While waiting to embark the Ushuaia in Ushuaia, I photographed psychedelic macros of peeling paint on metal buildings and the next day we were at sea heading to Half Moon Island in the South Shetlands, and then on to the Lemaire Channel and other ice-bound islets. On one of our exploratorations off the boat I saw young Gentoo penguins play-acting nesting behavior. They were trying to “hatch” rocks and build nests.
Art Wolfe is leading a workshop to China in spring 2011. Here is a slideshow of images he has shot in the locations the workshop will visit, with Art narrating on why he loves to photograph there.
Art Wolfe is leading a workshop to China in spring 2011. Here is a slideshow of images he has shot in the locations the workshop will visit, with Art narrating on why he loves to photograph there.
India–Each trip to India is unforgettable. It is a location that endlessly provides an exotic and colorful backdrop to improving your eye and photographic skills guided by master photographer Art Wolfe. Art Wolfe shares one of his favorite wildlife experiences, tracking wild Bengal tigers. This tour is limited to eleven participants!
Dates : January 24-February 4, 2011 Price : $8500.00
Japan–The image many of us have of Japan is congested and kinetic. But, Japan has a wild side. Beyond its crowded cities, the country delivers quiet unexpected natural beauty. Join this photographic pilgrimage to the iconic red-crested cranes in the north, the macque snow monkeys in the south, and the sacred temples of Mt. Fuli and Kyosan.
Dates : February 9 – 21, 2011 Price : $9600.00
Bhutan–Led by Gavriel Jecan. Bhutan has survived in isolation for a thousand years. Gavriel Jecan finds a photographer’s nirvana of mountainside monasteries, sacred festivals, chanting monks and local lifestyle in an environmentally and spiritually progressive nation. Travel with Gavriel to some of his favorite spots. This course is limited to ten participants!
Dates : March 14 – 24, 2011 Price : $5120.00
Composing Effective Images 2–Their first workshop slated for January filled so quickly that they have added a second in March. Art Wolfe and Jay Goodrich will be leading a two-day intensive workshop in Seattle, which includes a cocktail reception at Art’s private residence. This workshop will highlight not only the how-to, but will also include a full-day of critiquing participants images in Lightroom 3. Visit the Art Wolfe Workshops website for all of the details.
Dates : March 4-6, 2011 Price : $350.00
China–Travel with world renowned photographer Art Wolfe on this exciting and productive photo expedition into China that will yield a treasure-trove of incredible images. Visit Art’s favorite places in China from Huangshan Mountain to Yuangang villages, cormorant fisherman and the picturesque Yulong River.
Dates : Mar 25-April 7, 2011 Price : $8200.00
The Olympic Peninsula–The Art Wolfe classic we will be taking participants in and around Olympic National Park just outside of Port Angels, Washington. Midday lectures will highlight techniques that will be reinforced during field excursions geared to capture the best light.
Dates : April 21-24, 2011 Price : $1500.00–Details will be up soon on the Art Wolfe Workshops Website call our office to reserve your spot today!
Zion National Park–Join Art, Jay Goodrich, and Gavriel Jecan as they lead a small (14 person) group of photographers into the canyons and striated rock formations of this wonderful desert environment. Midday lectures will highlight techniques that will be reinforced during field excursions geared to capture the best light.
Dates : April 28-May1, 2011 Price : $1900.00–Details will be up soon on the Art Wolfe Workshops Website call our office to reserve your spot today!
Vietnam–Led by Gavriel Jecan. From the Chinese border to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam possesses an unmatched variety of tropical scenery. Travel with Gavriel Jecan on this exciting and productive photo expedition into the ancient heart of Indochina that will yield a treasure-trove of incredible images.This course is limited to ten participants!
Dates : June 3 – 13, 2011 Price : $3930.00
Monterey, California–Big Sur and the Monterey Coast are one of the most unique photographic environments along the Pacific boundary of the United States.
Dates : June 10-12, 2011 Price : TBA–Details will be up soon on the Art Wolfe Workshops Website call our office to reserve your spot today!
Lake Clark National Park, Alaska–Join Art and Jay Goodrich as they lead a small group of photographers to a private lodge in search of Alaskan Brown bears and sea birds. Participants will be flown in via float plane and enjoy wonderfully crafted cuisine overlooking the coast of the Cook Inlet.
Dates : Late July, 2011 Price : $4500.00–Details will be up soon on the Art Wolfe Workshops Website call our office to reserve your spot today!
Egypt–Led by Emily Wilson and John Greengo. Exploring Egypt is like visiting a living open-air museum. Each day, ancient treasures and new adventures unfold before your eyes! Our itinerary includes pyramids, tombs, and museums. From Cairo to Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel & desert oasis destinations, plus a Nile Cruise. We will show you the depths of historic cultures.
Dates : September – October, 2011 Price : $TBA
Romania–Led by Gavriel Jecan. Romania is considered to be one of the most beautiful countries in all of Europe. From ancient, medieval architecture to stunning landscapes, wildlife and a cultural history that dates back thousands of years. Join Gavriel Jecan as he takes you back to his homeland to visit the forests, towns and villages that only a native Romanian knows.
Dates : October 22 – 31, 2011 Price : $4460.00
Myanmar–Led by Gavriel Jecan. Limited tourism has resulted in Myanmar holding a wealth of less-seen geographical, historical and scenic opportunities for photographers. Experience working with a professional as he negotiates the opportunities this visually-rich location affords. This course is limited to ten participants.
Dates : November 29 – December 10, 2011 Price : $5100.00
And if that is not enough, don’t worry, we have more coming so STAY TUNED!
1. Gitzo GT3542L Carbon Fiber Tripod. This tripod is missing a key element that many photographers never consider with a tripod purchase–a center column. The eliminated center column allows me to get in much lower and closer to almost any subject than if it were included. In addition the XLS has an extra long leg system allowing me to get higher than my standing height to achieve a little different of a perspective. The other important aspect of utilizing a tripod is the stability, I can fine tune my composition to eliminate even the slightest of distracting elements from my frame.
2. A Singh-Ray 2 stop Hard Step Galen Rowell Graduated Neutral Density Filter. With Adobe’s introduction of Lightroom a few years ago they created a graduated neutral density filter tool within the develop module of their software. This tool allows any user to add this effect after capture and even though I use Adobe’s tool on a regular basis, I still find that using a two stop filter in the field, adds to the overall drama of the effect. In addition, I prefer to spend more time in the field photographing so not having to add additional post processing techniques is always a plus.
3. A Canon TC-80N3 Intervelometer. This little piece of equipment is essentially a standard cable release on steroids. An intervelometer possesses the function of a standard shutter release, which allows me to keep my hands off of the camera and vibration to a minimum during an exposure. In addition to this, I now get to control the number of exposures of a given sequence I take, I can control the time of those exposures from seconds to days, take exposures that are a set timeframe apart, and combine these functions simultaneously. I can shoot time lapse sequences, star trails, and exposures longer than 30 seconds, it truly allows the creative process to come alive.
4. B + W Circular Polarizer. The polarizer is an indispensable tool for the nature photographer. It deepens colors, boosts contrast, and removes reflections from leaves and water surfaces. It works best when your subject is 90 degrees from the light source, but I will often use it on cloudy and/or rainy days in a forest to saturate colors and remove reflections from leaves.
5. Apple 15” Laptop, max Ram, the fastest processor available, and two external hard drives. In today’s world of instant connectivity through the internet my laptop and external hard drives are one of the newest and most import tools that travel with me on any given excursion. I have created images in Antarctica and relayed them back to clients in the states almost instantaneously via satellite. I could have never imagined a world so interconnected as we are today and can only imagine the coming future. In addition, my laptop is a powerful editing device so that upon my arrival back in Seattle, my office already has selected images from shoots with initial adjustments in place. Speed is key in today’s competitive marketplace. The two hard drives give me a redundant back up of everything I create in the field if something should go drastically wrong.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most remarkable and remarkably diverse US national wildlife refuges–the Serengeti of North America with its annual caribou migration. Also it a political bone of contention because of the oil wealth under the permafrost and off its shores.
Fifty years ago today, legislation creating the refuge was signed by Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton.
For years I resisted going to India. When I was shooting for my book The Living Wild, I realized that tigers were a critical animal I needed to photograph. In March 1999 I went to Ranthambhore National Park and since then I have been back to India more times than I can count. It has become one of my favorite countries to photograph in—the colors, festivals, wildlife, and ancient traditions are astounding and enchanting.
To track tigers you venture out on elephant-back with a mahout. Photographing from an elephant is difficult at best but a necessary challenge. The forest is alive with birdsong and then suddenly you hear it: the spirited, scolding call of the hanuman langur, meaning a tiger or even a leopard is near. These ever-alert primates are the eyes and ears of guides and researchers alike.
