One of the things I enjoy most, besides taking photographs, is taking people along with me to some of my favorite locations. Sharing the experiences I love with others is very fulfilling. I’ve been taking small groups of people to some of the locations where favorite episodes of Travels to the Edge took place. As seen in one of those episodes, Japan in winter is simply magical. Much of the wildlife has been habituated to people, and therefore translates into amazing photographic experiences.
First we’ll visit the snow macaques that live in the mountains about two hours west of Tokyo. Here in an isolated steep cut valley with an amazing mountain lodge are three extended families of macaques, numbering around 50. Because they are the most northern primate on earth, they have the longest, luxuriant fur of any primates, particularly in the winter months. They come down from the pine and oak forests and for a couple of hours a day they hang around a natural hot spring. They have been habituated to people visiting them there, so you can photograph from within inches without interrupting their behavior, which is very animated and fun. It is a photographic bonanza.
After visiting the macaques, we will travel to the northern island of Hokkaido. Hokkaido reminds me a bit of Alaska, full of forests of birch, pine and fir with a back drop of beautiful volcanic mountains. There are also large lakes and wild running rivers, and hosts three species of bird wildlife that are extraordinary to photograph. The Japanese Crane has been symbolized in Japanese culture for thousands of years due to its grace and beauty. Giant whooper swans come in the winter months from nesting in Siberia. They have been fed by locals for years, helping them sustain thru the winter, as well as creating an easy and wonderful photographic opportunity for us! And often Steller’s sea eagles will swoop around the same area. They are massive black and white raptors that winter over on the icy shores of Hokkaido.
The days are short in February on Hokkaido, but the beautiful hues of sunrise and sunset are protracted allowing us hours to capture quite stunning images. After sunset we will have time for a hot bath at the lodge before eating a traditional Japanese meal. After dinner we will have time for lectures and critiques before calling it a day. With the abridged daylight, it really allows for a nice schedule to fit everything in and still have enough hours for a good night’s sleep! Since we travel in and out of Tokyo, you will get to experience the surreal and wonderful contrast that Japan has to offer, not only the very modern and bustling city, but the natural and beautiful countryside.
I invite you to explore this unique and rich habitat with us.
I have been using a Phase One camera system for my Human Canvas images over the past couple of years. At 60 megapixels the detail and resolution is so sharp I can enlarge the final images to life size and beyond, critical for this body of work. I have always shot with it in a studio, where the camera was mounted 16 feet above the floor in a warehouse ceiling and tethered to a laptop where it was triggered with a key-stroke. That was a collaborative experience, so I wouldn’t say I really got to experience the Phase One one-to-one.
So, that begs the question…what about using it outside of the studio setting?
I recently set out into the Cascade Mountains to find out. Even though it is a medium format camera system, the Phase One still fits into my same old camera bag. I just needed to move one little Velcro divider around to accommodate it.
It was far from an ideal day for photography – there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the sun was at its peak overhead, it was hot, mosquitos were out and nothing was really calling out to me. With lunch in mind I saw a large patch of snow in the distance with a stream running out from under it. Since I’d hiked above the tree line, this was the only potential shade within reach. In anticipation of dipping a handkerchief in the cold water and eating some lunch, I set out for the snow bank. And that’s where I saw it…
The stream and winds had carved out a large tunnel under the snow, and even from the entrance I could begin to see shades of blue, deep in the cave. I’ve been a mountaineer almost my entire life, climbing the volcanoes in the Northwest, crevassed glaciers, even climbing to the lower level camps with an expedition on Mt. Everest, so I knew this situation had “extreme caution” written all over it. Looking over the snow, wall thickness, and arch of the top, I decided to proceed as one would on a snow bridge over a crevasse – very cautiously.
I stuck very close to the side walls; if the roof was to collapse this would have been the safest place to be. Moving into the cave was like entering a cathedral. A reverence for the beauty of the unexpected display was overwhelming.
Immediately I saw the potential in abstracting the icy blue glow of the ceiling fueled by the direct sun overhead. I used a 55mm lens (34mm equivalent), my attention fully focused on the otherworldly qualities of the ceiling. Looking through the viewfinder of the Phase One, the patterns and lines abstracted into soft human forms, suggestive of the Rubenesque feminine ideal form.
At other times I was drawn to the lines within the form, like the layers of geological time recorded in a rounded stone found alongside a river. The colors varying between blues and yellows only added to the final composition.
Shooting and shifting my point of view I worked the ceiling as a subject finding more and different compositions with each new angle. I could have stayed with this subject for hours. It was so unexpected – a real treat for what had promised to be a rather bland day.
The Phase One system is very intuitive with a huge LCD and touchscreen menus. I was able to easily navigate the functions to set up the camera for the way I like to work, even in the cave. When you are talking about a medium format system, it’s all about image quality – and this one delivers. The system combination of superb Schneider Kreuznach leaf shutter lenses, 645 DF Camera body and IQ 160 digital back produce the sharpest and most detailed images I have ever shot.
So what’s next? I’m currently on tour through Europe visiting familiar landscapes as well as some new ones. I have the Phase One with me and I can hardly wait to see the results when I get home and begin enlarging these images to prints. This camera system is able to capture the grand scenic landscapes in unprecedented detail and clarity. If only I could have had my hands on one since 1978.
When it comes to the big picture, Phase One wins out. ~Art Wolfe
Join me on the Phase One Digital Artist Series (PODAS) Workshop in Kimberley, Australia in June, 2013. >>MORE INFO
Pictures Magazine (Germany) has put together a very nice article on Art Wolfe and his upcoming seminar. His highly touted Art of Composition workshop is being held alongside Photokina this year. If you are going to make it for the Exhibit, don’t miss this rich class. Participants are getting so many take-aways from this class. The class will be held September 22 in Köln (Cologne), Germany.
I came to London to give my seminar on The Art of Composition to a sold out crowd at the RGS (Royal Geographical Society) on September 8.
Yesterday, I strolled around London and took a few shots with my iPhone. This city is still very much alive even after the Olympics were just here.
I took about 15 iPhone photos walking through London, among the images you will see are the Old Globe theatre, interior of the Modern Tate Museum, Kings Cross train station, Soho and a few additional photos around the city.
Photos from the talented photographers who joined us on the Olympic Workshop in January. The weather presented some challenges, but the group was adaptable and made the most out of the situation. Even a foggy wet beach was transformed into a beautiful serene environment. We were impressed by the variety of images this group was able to capture!
Jane Herzog “What a transformative 3 days in my world of nature and photography. The instructors are outstanding, each with his/her unique perspective and skills, and it is really a privilege to learn from Art. His vast experience, humor and sensitivity are inspiring…I look forward to participating in more of Art’s adventures in the future!”
Steve Kidd “The Art Wolfe Olympic Peninsula workshop was fantastic. Art and all of the instructors were extremely approachable and always offered great advice. I came away with much better photographs than if I had just gone to the locations myself. A very worthwhile trip!”
Roland Kilcher
Yolanda Moreno
Sheri Pascual “Art Wolfe is so unbelievably talented and creative and very willing to share his expertise with his students. The Olympic Peninsula’s forests and beaches gave us very diverse photo opportunities. We started our day before the sun came up and ended when the sun went down. I learned more in two days about composition and technique than I have learned in the last three years. Art also has an amazing group of accomplished photographers to help and advise as well. I was always able to get help when I needed it. Thank you Bill, Jay, and Libby! I can’t wait to go on my next workshop!”
I just announced a new workshop in South Carolina December 7-9.
This will be based out of Charleston, SC.
Join me for the last workshop I am doing in 2012.
The architecture of Charleston is rich and beautiful and provides great opportunities to explore. This historic city has an abundance of great photographic subjects.
The light at this time of year is long and dramatic. We will also be traveling to take in the beautiful live oaks of this area.
And a Southern plantation, too.
>>CKICK HERE to go to my Workshops website and find out more information and register.
This Workshop has just been announced by PhaseOne for their PODAS (PhaseOne Digital Artists Series) Workshops. This Tour promises to be the The Ultimate Luxury Photography Cruise.
We travel aboard the True North and have unparalleled access to the incredible landscape of this Paradise on Earth.
The ultimate location with the best accommodations utilizing PhaseOne digital medium format photographic equipment. Wow!
Instructors for this tour are Art Wolfe, Michael Reichmann and Christian Fletcher.
Art is taking his Art of Composition Tour to Europe this fall!
September 8th: Royal Geographical Society, London
Check out Art’s bio in the latest Amateur Photographer magazine & get a discount on the London seminar:
On August 8, join Art Wolfe and Green Builder Media President Ron Jones as Ron interviews the fascinating photographer about his observations of changing conditions within natural and built environments around the globe, the adaptations that the inhabitants of these environments have been forced to make, and how Wolfe has been able to win support for conservation issues by focusing his camera on the Earth’s beauty and bounty.
