As many of you know, my garden is my anchor and, as much as I can, I work to surround myself with the aesthetic that inspires me and nurtures my soul. When I come home from a trip after being strapped to a plane seat for up to 48 hours, I am bone tired and grumpy. But as soon as I arrive home, I am instantly transported to the nature and art that fills the space where I live. Though the spring weather in Seattle has been rainy and cold, I always find time to work in my yard. I get lost in the process of pruning trees, weeding, and devising new planting schemes. My gardening inspiration comes from my travels, especially in Japan and China.
A small urban yard can be an amazing magnet for wildlife; yards can provide us with connections to the natural world as well as places to play and experiment with photography close to home. Once you have a garden or natural outdoor space at your home, it’s easy to set up a camera and go outside! Gardens can also be useful stress-relievers. Going out and concentrating on the amazing insects that visit the flowers in the garden can put you in a better mood, lifting your outlook on life and nature. Focusing through the camera on a composition of native flowers, or trying to follow a native bee, might just keep you grounded and thankful for the beauty of life all around us.
Show your support for local the wildlife habitat by certifying your garden through the National Wildlife Federation website. They’ll provide you with a list of elements you’ll need to become certified to participate as a certified wildlife habitat.
Welcome to another technique Tuesday! Today we revisit creating compelling compositions focusing on wildlife that also give context to their environment. Often times just centering up your subject isn’t the most interesting way to present it, even if your focus is on an animal or person. Unless your goal is to inform the viewer about the specific detail of the subject itself, there is often more to be learned about it’s nature by including the world it lives in.
I also give some tips on how you can ‘break the ice’ with wildlife and increase their interest and comfort level, ensuring they stick around until you get that well-composed shot you’re looking for!
Tomorrow I’m heading south to the Washington-Oregon border for my Columbia River Gorge workshop – stay tuned to the blog for new photos!
Argentine Gray Fox, Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile
At every Photography As Art seminar I present, I’m consistently reinvigorated in my approach by the heart-felt words I receive from participants. The exchanges before, during, and after my presentation illustrate why I take this message of changing the way you see as a photographer and artist on the road.
I received a testimonial from Jack, an attendee of the Portland event this past Sunday, who’s kind words and the time he took to send them are a true pay-off for the energy I’ve put into creating and continually refining the message of Photography As Art.
I was so appreciative of this gesture that I asked Jack for his permission to share his words. He has summarized so well the perspective I hope everyone is able to take away from these seminars. Enjoy!
I attended the “Photography as Art” seminar in Portland this past Sunday. I continue to mine the experience and discover more and more gold.
It was amazing how different it was to be at the seminar versus watching Art on Creative Live. One could not help but feel a connection to Art, the person. He is one of the most open, vulnerable, accepting and receptive people I have been around. It is easy to see how he makes such a strong connection to people all over the planet. Who he is as a person is integral to his art and his photography. What I came away with is much deeper and broader than the content of what Art taught (valuable as that was).
Art is a work in progress. He is constantly changing and evolving. Rather than whining about the radical changes in photography over the past decade, he uses those changes as an opportunity to grow and move in new and different directions. This is a life lesson. I am 81 years old, but I find this lesson as valuable today as when I was 20 (maybe even more so with the dramatic demands of aging). I started my photographic journey in 1950 with a Brownie Hawkeye and an el cheapo darkroom in my tiny closet. What I know is that I am the best photographer and artist that I have ever been right now.
What Art made crystal clear was that being an artist and a fine photographer is no sense dependent upon traveling the globe the way that he has. Rather it is all about training the eye. His presentations demonstrated that he sees things that few of the rest of us see. But what he helped us to understand is that what is crucial is that “seeing” is a learnable skill. If we are intentional and focused and willing to work at it, all of us can develop our eyes and see things that we have not seen before. If we were bed-ridden, we could still continue to grow as artists and photographers; we would still have the potential to create some of our best work.
I think that most of us came away with a deeper hope for our creative journeys. Seeing how truly “alive” Art is made each of us aware of our potential to be more truly alive. And for my money that is much more important than art or photography per se.
Even in an environment with an abundance of interesting detail to focus on, like the Pancake Rocks of the South Island of New Zealand, sometimes stepping back with a wide angle lens to give context to those details is the best way to capture them. It can be easy to get caught up in the surreal nature of an unfamiliar landscape and focus too much on the alien details of something you won’t find anywhere else in the world, but it’s that contrast with the more familiar surroundings that can make them feel even more unique.
Here I’ve used a 16mm wide angle lens with, at the time, my Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. A shutter speed of 1/60th froze the waves in the background while an aperture at ƒ10 ensured the subject of the pancake rocks were captured in full detail. The bright day allowed for a low ISO of 100, so very little noise infiltrates the image.
I hope May is off to a great start for everyone so far! In Seattle, we finally had some warmer weather show up only to be capped off with beautiful storms that reminded us we’ve not quite turned the corner yet. As this post goes live, I’ll be down town preparing to give my talk at the Blue Earth Alliance Collaborations For Cause event. I’m looking forward to sharing a lifetime of work with everyone in attendance.
In observation of mothers day, for the next week we are offering a buy-one-get-one 50% off deal for all Photography As Art Seminars. Use code “PAAMOM17” at checkout when purchasing two or more seminar tickets.
Here are 10 great things you’ll experience and take away from these seminars, and continue reading below to see how you can share your artistic captures and creations with the Photography As Art community!
10.) Spend the day with me! These seminars are very personal to me, and it’s an honor to get to share them with you. Each one is a new experience with a room full of fellow photographers of all skill levels and backgrounds.
9.) Add new ideas and techniques to your skill set! As an educational seminar, this one is obvious – but with something as subjective as art it’s important to note that you’ll come away with tangible, actionable skills to put to use.
8.) Network with fellow photographers! These seminars are a great way to meet other photography enthusiasts in your local area. Who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to create your own local club focused on utilizing photography to create artistic statements.
7.) Have a good time! Those who know me best know that the human element, humor, and having a warm and genuine good time are of utmost importance to me.
6.) Photography As Art has always been a work in progress. Hear the stories behind many of the abstract photos you may have seen posted on my blog in recent months and years.
5.) Learn from my lifetime of artistic study and work in the field; I’ve been blessed to have lived a life of art and photography, one I’ve never taken for granted. Let me pass the distillation of these experiences on to you.
4.) Along with that lifetime of study comes a background in art history. A large part of interpreting photography as an artistic statement comes from an analysis of some of the greats . . .
3.) . . . and their artistic concepts, explored, can lead to new and inspirational ideas to incorporate into the way you shoot. . .
2.) . . . by expanding your visual imagination and growing your artistic vocabulary.
1.) Ultimately, my goal is to change the way you see. Some have heard me pose this as “ruining your life”, because after this seminar you won’t be able to look anywhere without being distracted by an artistic photographic opportunity!
Be sure to follow me on instagram @artwolfe and share your work! Use the hashtags #ArtWolfe #ExploreCreateInspire and #PhotographyAsArt to share your captures. I might eventually have my staff upload a gallery of some of the best artistic images using these hashtags to share with our Photography As Art community, so be sure to include your information when posting them so we can give proper credit.
It’s also a great place to see daily images like this one. I’ve recently been working with my staff to scan slides from decades past, and this one from the early 80’s in Tibet went up yesterday for #ThrowbackThursday!
Have a great weekend, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone who will be in attendance in Portland on Sunday!
A metallic sheen washes over King Penguins as they look on towards the breaking waves of Gold Harbour, South Georgia Island.
Save 20% on any Silvery Shores of Gold Harbourprint 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.
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.
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!
