My upcoming book Night On Earth now has an official cover! This book is full of photos captured between the margins of the night, from twilight to the first inklings of morning light and the dark skies in between. It encompasses wildlife, natural landscapes, cities and much more selected from thousands of nighttime shots I’ve accumulated over my career.
Night On Earth is scheduled to be published this fall. Pre-order your signed copy today, and check out the special print and book bundles on my online store.
I’m excited to share the results of the global vote to create a New Big 5 of Wildlife Photography. Thousands of wildlife lovers around the world have voted for their favorite animals to photograph and see in photos.
The 5 animals in the New Big 5 are: Elephant, Polar Bear, Gorilla, Tiger & Lion.
“These 5 animals – elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and lions – are such beautiful and remarkable species, and are wonderful ambassadors for the world’s wildlife, from iconic species to little-known frogs, lizards, fish and birds. So many face threats to their survival from issues such as poaching, habitat loss and climate change. A million species are at risk of extinction. If we work together, we can stop this happening. There is always hope. Change is possible if we each play our part.”
– Dr Jane Goodall
The ‘Big 5’ is an old term used by trophy hunters in Africa for the most prized, dangerous animals to shoot and kill: elephant, rhino, leopard, Cape buffalo and lion. The New Big 5 project had a better idea: to create a New Big 5 of Wildlife Photography, rather than hunting. Shooting with a camera, not a gun.
More than 250 of the world’s photographers, conservationists and wildlife charities have come together to support this international initiative, which is raising awareness about the crisis facing wildlife, including habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade and climate change.
Each of the 5 species in the New Big 5 face serious threats to their existence and are listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. They’re the tip of the iceberg. The world’s wildlife is in crisis. More than a million species are currently at risk of extinction, from elephants, cheetahs, orangutans, lions and polar bears to ‘unsung heroes’ and little-known cats, frogs, birds, lizards and other species, each too valuable to lose. The next 10 years are critical.
We hope the New Big 5 can stand for all the world’s wildlife and highlight the urgent need to act globally to save these animals, our planet and ourselves. These 5 animals are a powerful reminder of what we stand to lose.
The project’s message is that all wildlife deserves to exist and every single species needs to be protected. From bees to blue whales, all wildlife is essential to the balance of nature, healthy ecosystems and the future of our planet.
Change is possible.
Find out more about the 5 animals in the New Big 5 of Wildlife Photography!
We had excellent news this week out of the CDC that will bring us closer to normalcy in the form of reaching enough vaccinations to begin removing our masks and relaxing social distancing. Thank you so much to everyone who has been proactive about getting their vaccination and wearing your mask for this past year and then some.
I’ve been back to leading workshops at a pre-COVID rate for a couple of months now with anxious participants ready to get back to doing what they love, many of which had received their vaccinations ASAP to accommodate.
It’s time to move forward! I for one am interested to see how this past year of minimal travel for most people has impacted the places around the world I visit on a semi-regular basis. THANK YOU for everyone who’s tuned in to Tequila Time over the past year so we could stay connected. I for one am happy to be back teaching, especially after spending months working on the Pathways to Creativity series and truly fine-tuning the the things that I believe make an Art Wolfe Workshop stand out from the pack – utilizing my fine art and teaching background to ensure our participants come away with something unique and incomparable to anyone else’s travel photos.
The upcoming Bandon, Oregon workshop is sold out. On it’s heels are our Majestic Redwoods and Carmel-By-The-Sea photo retreats, with a limited number of spaces available in each. If you’re anxious to get out, sign up today so you don’t miss out! To see all of my upcoming workshops including international trips to multiple locations in Africa as well as Madagascar and Mongolia and more, check out my events page.
I can’t wait to enjoy some meals, share knowledge, and re-discover the planet together!
The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always.
— John Steinbeck
Space is still available to join me on our Majestic Redwoods Photography Retreat, taking place at the end of this month! Come along and make some new friends who share your love of photography in one of the most iconic forests in all the world, where these trees – some a millennia old – tower over the beautiful California coast.
Of course this is an ART WOLFE workshop, so while we will line up and grab the token travel shots that exclaim, “I was here!” along with all the other tourists – we will go much much deeper in exploring this land – the same land that has drawn explorers and naturalists throughout history to it’s unique and massive canopy over the centuries. From the forest to the coast, we will mine this location for opportunities to set our photography apart from the pack, enhancing your creative eye with lessons that will serve you no matter the subject.
Space is limited and these workshops tend to fill up quickly the closer we get – don’t wait too long to sign up and miss out! Of course, all of my workshops are Covid compliant, and your health, safety, and enjoyment of our time together is top of mind.
In case you missed last night’s episode of Tequila Time (which is possible considering some technical difficulties and a late start!), my usual co-host Parimal Deshpande wowed us with more photos from his homeland of India, currently facing a pandemic crisis. His message that the beauty, humanity, and symbiotic nature of India and it’s people will lead them past this tragedy is timely for us all as we look to move forward. If you missed it, check out his presentation!
Prior to Tequila Time, Tom Mangelsen joined us on Earth Is Our Witness to discuss his Legacy Reserve Collection and the stories behind some of his most impactful wildlife shots – if you missed it, check it out on the EIOW Facebook & YouTube pages – and don’t forget to give EIOW a follow on Instagram to see galleries of all of the EIOW Alum’s work.
Last but not least, we made an important announcement last night regarding the future of Tequila Time and my live broadcasts. Tequila Time was an excellent way for us to stay in touch, and I hope that it helped if even in some small way for folks to find an easier time navigating a strange year or more.
Now that things are returning to a bit of normalcy, we want to make sure that our live broadcasts are relevant and informative and ever-evolving. To that end, we will be evolving Tequila Time into a new live feature we will call simply, “Art Wolfe Live!”. This should not only help save my body some extra wear and tear from the extra tequila – but will also be a more planned and intentional broadcast, featuring my perspective on current important world events, highlighting what we are up to here at the AWI office and out on workshops, and of course a Q&A session to answer all your burning questions!
Stay tuned for Art Wolfe Live this August! Prior to the inaugural episode, we’ll also be reaching out for Q&A questions – keep an eye out to submit yours!
From left to right: Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe, Tom Mangelsen in the Galapagos Islands 2018. Photo by Yuri Choufour.
Tomorrow night, my good friend and renowned wilderness photographer Tom Mangelsen joins Parimal and myself on Earth Is Our Witness. Tom will be sharing photographs from his Legacy Reserve Colelction with us; a very limited collection of his most poignant wildlife images and the stories behind the struggle that iconic species face in their fight for survival in a modern world.
Tom and myself go way back, so the banter should be flowing and I know you’ll be instantly engaged by his images and their stories! Join us tomorrow, May 4th at 6 PM PST on the EIOW Facebook or YouTube pages!
Following EIOW, at 7:30 PM PST – join us once again for Tequila Time Live! Parimal will be sharing more timely photos from his homeland of India, currently experiencing immense strife in the face of the pandemic. As national headlines emerge from that region of the world, it’s the perfect time to glean some insight and perspective from someone whom is familiar.
Following Parimal’s presentation, I’ll have some exciting news about the future of Tequila Time and future live broadcasts.
See you tomorrow for our visit with Tom & Tequila Time!
It’s been invigorating to be out shooting again! A couple Southwest workshops are in the books. It’s been nothing short of bliss to be back in the field with eager participants looking to hone their skills, and I’ve missed the interactions with all our great clients, old and new.
In Sedona, Arizona and Moab, Utah – yeah, we shot the big shots of the beautiful landscapes, but you don’t need me to accompany you to line up with all the other tourists and get the captures that simply say, “I was here!”. I’m more interested in the shots everyone else is NOT getting – the shots that say, “I was here, and I found ways to capture this environment like no one else”.
Enjoy the photos, and if you’re anxious to get out and about why not check out our workshop offerings to see if something catches your eye?
Happy Workshop Wednesday! As you may know from recent episodes of Tequila Time, I’ve been getting back into the swing of leading workshops and next week we will be heading over to the Olympic Peninsula and the gorgeous town of Port Townsend. This location is home to historic 19th-century Victorian homes, renowned boatyards and of course the surrounding natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula and the surrounding waterways.
All that being said, anyone visiting with a camera will get those shots – you don’t need me there to know that a shipyard may offer great photographic opportunities. What separates us from the average tourist is seeing beyond the obvious to capture unique studies and metaphors in the details, reflection and time-worn textures of this location.
As our regular clients can attest, it’s through these studies and exercises that you will truly see what I refer to as your visual vocabulary flourish. The surge of satisfaction I get when I know things have started to click for a participant and they are truly beginning to see makes these trips all the more worth while. From that point on, I know wherever they go they will have tools in their kit to separate them from the pack and I love seeing the work everyone comes away with!
It’s just over a week away – join us for these amazing photographic opportunities as well as fantastic meals together, critiques and more!
What are you reading these days? Or are you like me and more interested in pretty pictures!? All the books on my online store purchased through the weekend come with free shipping in the continental US!
I’ve been away for a few weeks teaching U.S. Workshops and the first order of business upon getting home is to ensure we do a Tequila Time in it’s “standard” time slot – tonight at 5:30 PM PST on Facebook Live & YouTube!
If you haven’t tuned in to TT yet, I think you’re missing out and now is as good a time as any to join the fun as I sip tequila and wax poetic over photos, memories, tips and more.
I started Tequila Time over a year ago now when things began to shut down as a way to make sure all the amazing folks in the Art Wolfe fraternity had a place to connect with me live since so many events would be going by the wayside. Now that we are getting our shots and cautiously returning to a bit of normalcy and I’ve been leading workshops once again, I still look forward to connecting with you all as often as possible.
Since we are getting back to workshops, this provides an awesome opportunity to share the photos we capture on these workshops with you – both my own, and our wonderful participants who have given me permission to do so. I hope they are able to tune in as well!
I’ve been away for a few weeks teaching U.S. Workshops and the first order of business upon getting home is to ensure we do a Tequila Time in it’s “standard” time slot – tonight at 5:30 PM PST on 