This extroverted journey takes you along an extraordinary route that combines the best of India, full of lore and splendor, punctuated by diverse photographic attractions.
The Kumbh Mela is a rare mass pilgrimage when Hindus from all over the world journey to bathe in the sacred river Ganges. It is considered to be the largest peaceful gathering in the world. I have been to several Kumbhs and can help effectively navigate you through this large and colorful congregation of pilgrims, yogis, and sages. Following the Kumbh we will travel to Ranthambore National Park where a highlight will be the chance to photograph elusive tigers and leopards and other rare wildlife. Click below to see the full itinerary.
While it takes a bit of doing to get to Svalbard, the photographic payoff is always terrific. It is a land of rugged Arctic landscapes, teeming bird cliffs, hungry carnivores like polar bears and Arctic foxes, and ghostly ruins of a bygone era in European history. We experienced gorgeous golden sunsets over mountains and melting glaciers, a rather spectacular rainbow as a summer rain passed through, and engaging wildlife, in particular Atlantic walrus.
This is my third trip there in recent years, and this was the best yet. It was a terrific group of fellow photographers and we all had fun learning from one another. The staff on the small boat was tremendous in making us feel at home.
You may recognize this photo as the cover of the bestseller by Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods, now a movie with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. For the first time I am offering this as a print.
Save 20% on any Curious Bear print purchased this month! They are printed on EPSON Premium Photo Luster paper using archival EPSON Ultrachrome inks, and I hand sign them with a silver acid-free pen.
In the book The Living Wild, Art wrote, “After all, an animal without habitat is simply a curiosity biding time to its extinction. But an animal with its habitat is a vibrant representation of natural selection.” It is within this book that Art highlights the environment and the wildlife in a symbiotic relationship and travels beyond the more common seen portrait of wildlife. There are many places throughout the world that highlight this type of diversity, but Americans need to travel no farther than the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. With the reintroduction of wolves in the 90s’, this 11 million acre reserve of land has become one of the most intact temperate ecosystems on the planet. If you count the bird, mammal, fish, insect, amphibian, plant and reptile species, you walk away with thousands of potential photography subjects. Due to the stunningly beautiful land surrounding the creatures, this place offers the opportunity to capture imagery very similar to the visions Art has created in The Living Wild. Moose, bear, antelope, elk and countless others can be composed with the backdrop of the Tetons at sunrise and sunset. If you are wondering how, now is your chance to learn.
Visit Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming the first weekend in October with Art Wolfe and Gavriel Jecan for a four-day workshop being held in the heart of one of America’s most scenic locations.
Exciting news for Earth Is My Witness in Europe. Not only are French and German editions coming out, but I will be coming to Germany for a National Geographic Tour, and to support some upcoming Earth Is My Witness exhibits! The exhibition of my work is an exclusive production by the Städtische Galerie Iserlohn and the Stadtmuseum Schleswig.
I have collaborated with filmmaker Abraham Joffe, producer of Tales by Light, on an inspirational new short video about what drives my passion for photography.
When you get to a location, you should scout out all the possibilities. Catalog the opportunities and return when the lighting will be optimal. Shot on location in Antarctica.
Art’s Abstract Photography workshop in Astoria was fantastic! What could be better than practicing my dream art in a beautiful environment with loads of inspiration, support, humor and companionship.
Claire Gardiner:
This workshop promised to change the way I see….and it lived up to its promise! It heightened my awareness of shapes, colors and textures. Now I can’t walk down the street without looking for metaphors! Making art out of a shipwreck or an abandoned WWII bunker was a right brain stretch for me, but I loved EVERY minute of it! Thank you Art Wolfe for heightening my awareness and opening my eyes!
Lisa Goldman
Lynne Gregg
Lynne Kester-Meyer:
I really enjoyed the workshop. Beforehand I was concerned that a workshop with someone of Art’s stature would be beyond my skills. My mistake! He found out the experience and competence of each of the participants and worked with that. He was available to all of us all the time and I really appreciated that. I was very inspired by Art and his approach and I suspect that my photography is changed forever. I’m certainly seeing shots where I never saw them before!
Matt Kiener:
Somewhere along my three year journey with photography I lost the excitement I got from going out and taking pictures; photography became more about technical details and getting the shot than being in the moment and experiencing the beauty that surrounds me. After just one weekend with Art, I have regained my excitement and passion for photography. Take care, and I hope to see you all on another workshop in the future.
I can agree with my fellow traveler Mark McInnis about our trip to the Katmai National Park area in Alaska “…this trip has been amazing. Just amazing.”
He continues on: “Jerry, Art, Becky and I were shooting aerials yesterday when I spotted a White Wolf. We landed on the beach and Art thought that he [the wolf] had probably left because of the noise. But we snuck around the corner and he was still there just napping on the beach! We started clicking photos, but he heard our cameras and promptly got up to leave. Haha, This next part still just cracks me up. Art started howling. Like a wolf. And the wolf stopped, turned sideways, and looked DIRECTLY at us. And of course his shot is twice what mine is, but it doesn’t matter. That memory will stick with me forever. My jaw might have hit the floor. It was amazing and one of the most memorable and comedic moments of my life. Art is such a legend. I love him to death and have only known him for 4 days. Talk about a gifted, talented and honest human. Really love the guy.”
