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.
Single episodes of the award-winning public television show Art Wolfe’s Travels to the Edge are now available for download on The Luminous Landscape. Unlike the DVDs, these downloadable episodes are in HD so you can pick and choose your favorite shows and locations. Head over to Luminous Landscape to purchase and download the first two seasons.
I rarely do assignments, but recently I traveled to California to do a shoot for the award-winning winery Sequoia Grove. It is a wonderful winery in Napa which has a partnership with the Sequoia Parks Foundation to protect habitat for the magnificent trees.
Following the commercial shoot in Napa, Jay Goodrich & I headed to the ghost town of Bodie, a State Historic Park north of Yosemite National Park. An old gold-mining town that was abandoned by its last residents over 50 years ago, it offers terrific photographic opportunities of “arrested decay.”
The open road of the Eastern Sierra beckoned after a quick stop in Yosemite, and we caught Owens Lake at sunset. Most of the water from the Owens River has long since been diverted to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, but some flow has now been restored to the lake. At dusk when the shallow, alkaline waters are still, the reflections of landforms and the endless high plains sky are superlative.
Back in the Bay Area we rented a small plane and flew over the San Francisco Bay. Over 90% of the Bay’s marshlands have been lost, but now some areas are slowly being restored for wildlife habitat. From the sky, the marshes offer amazing array of abstract geometric patterns and colors.
Our January class filled up so quickly, we are now adding a second Seattle workshop in March! This would make an ideal holiday gift for the photographer in your life!
Art was just in Patzcuaro, Mexico, photographing the Day of the Dead festival. During this holiday families gather for prayer and remembrance of departed family members. They clean and decorate cemeteries and churches, and celebrate life. Here is what Art had to say about the experience-
“Most Americans don’t deal with death in a straight forward manner. As a culture we tend to make it a subject of much avoidance. When I was asked to shoot the Dia de los Muertos in southwestern Mexico earlier this month, I approached it with great interest and naivete. As I photographed in the days leading up to the holiday, I began to understand just how important it is, even more so than Christmas. I was deeply moved by the way the community prepared for the Day of the Dead, vigorously cleaning churchyards and decorating cemeteries in colorful blankets of flowers, glowing candles, and overflowing baskets of food. The holiday is not sad, but rather a celebration of life and love and family. What I initially thought would be somber was, in fact, hugely uplifting and illuminating, both spiritually and photographically.”
I have been working with Outdoor Photographer since its inception in 1985 and to this day it remains the finest publication of its kind, inspiring enthusiasts and pros alike to make better images.
