If you’re looking to cross someone special off your holiday list, consider gifting them my wildlife magnum opus – Wild Lives! This “Big, Beautiful Book” is just that—full of the most iconic images I’ve captured over the years, from dozens of countries and insightful text by my good friend Greg Green.
Order before the end of November and get a free calendar – choose from Big Cats and Baby Animals. Choose the standard edition of Wild Lives or the Collector’s edition that comes in a gorgeous clamshell case with a signed print and more.
One of the most powerful tools a photographer has isn’t just the camera—it’s the choice of lens. Focal length not only determines how much of the scene you capture, but it also shapes how subjects relate to each other in scale and space. By deliberately choosing different lenses, you can either magnify a subject or minimize it, creating vastly different stories within the same world.
In Ladakh, India, while tracking the elusive snow leopard, I turned my attention to other subjects while waiting out the evasive cats. Using a 1200mm lens with a 1.4x extender, the moon filled my frame—crisp, detailed, and dominant.
Compare this to my image of the moon over Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy, shot with a 17-40mm wide-angle lens. Here, the moon shrinks to a tiny accent while the towering spires command attention. Same moon, two worlds apart—thanks to lens choice.
The same principle applies when photographing the sun. At the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan, I used a 500mm lens to place the sun in near-equal prominence to the silhouetted subject, creating a striking balance.
In Goa, India, I photographed two girls’ ponytails with the sun in the background, using a 70-200mm lens at 165mm. The sun becomes a smaller, softer presence—still important, but secondary.
At the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh, a 70mm lens rendered the sun as a tiny orb in a vast, dusty expanse, emphasizing the human pilgrimage over the celestial backdrop.
Longer lenses not only magnify distant objects—they compress space, making background elements appear closer to the foreground. Wide angles, on the other hand, exaggerate depth, pushing background elements farther away. Mastering this interplay between focal length, subject size, and background compression will give you the ability to control the viewer’s perception and craft stronger, more intentional images.
We are celebrating the season with a holiday sale! Now through Christmas, get 15% off my entire library of books and prints. Order in the next couple of weeks to guarantee your order is signed and shipped in time for the holidays. Just use code WOLFEGIFT24 in my online store.
Choose from books like my latest, Wild Lives – or grab instructional volumes like The Art of the Photograph and The New Art of Photographing Nature. Bundle books and save even more! This weekend brings Small Business Saturday. Grab a unique gift at a discounted price, have it signed, and support a small business – win win win!
I’m looking forward to the new year – stay tuned to the blog for my annual year in review!
The first weekend of November, I’ll be in Manassass, Virgina for the Mid-Atlantic Photo Visions Expo! This will be a two-day event with incredible speakers, workshops, one-on-one experiences and much more. Make a weekend of it and catch the whole show, or just come and check out my WILD LIVES presentation on the 2nd, from 1 to 3pm. I’ll be signing books after the talk, with copies available for purchase – or lug your own books to the event; I’d be happy to meet you and sign them!
I’ll be sharing photos from my latest book project along with the stories behind them. WILD LIVES represents my most comprehensive collection of wildlife to date, with photos ranging from early in my career to shots I was able to capture and sneak in right before it went to print. I’m proud of this project, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Book Lover’s Day falls this week; what better way to celebrate than with a flash sale? Use code BOOKLOVE24 at checkout and save 20% on any books in my online store – including my latest wildlife project WILD LIVES. Request a signature and/or custom message at checkout and I’d be happy to sign them when I’m home from my travels. As an added bonus, you’ll know you’re supporting a small business – something myself and my staff appreciate!
I’ve got books for every kind of photographer and photography fan. The Art of Photographing Nature and The Art of the Photograph are excellently written how-to books offering a variety of evergreen knowledge. Two of my most recent books, Trees: Between Earth & Heaven and Night On Earth are celebrations of beautiful flora and landscapes, and the trade edition of Human Canvas blends my experience as a fine artist and painter with photography as well as techniques and visuals in spired by cultures world-wide.
The flash sale will continue through the weekend and ends on August 11th.
We are just over a week away from my WILD LIVES presentation in Raleigh, North Carolina! Books will be available for purchase, and I’ll be signing copies. More importantly, I’ll be taking a deep-dive into the stories and strategies behind a lifetime of wild life photography and international travel.
As someone who’s spent their life photographing wildlife around the globe, I feel I’m well-suited to comment on the changes I’ve seen in the flora and fauna of places I’ve revisited several times over the years; a list that continues to grow with each new trip. While I strongly advocate continuing to find ways to lessen mankind’s impact on the natural world, WILD LIVES seeks to present animal success stories.
As we continue our struggle to evaluate mankind’s impact on our environment, populations for many species are on the rise as they reconcile their co-existence with humans. It was my goal with WILD LIVES to celebrate these successes. The news isn’t all bad! Perhaps there are lessons we can take away from these animals that have weathered the storm of sharing our planet with a species that is capable of inhabiting nearly every environment on the planet.
We’ll have a limited supply of books on hand that I’ll be signing. I hope to see you in Raleigh on June 2nd!
I recently had the pleasure of joining Richard Bernabe on his “Beyond the Lens” podcast to talk all things WILD LIVES. We discuss a number of topics, from the how and why of the book creation process to the important factors that my decades in the field have taught me about capturing impactful wildlife images. We covered a little bit of everything with my latest book as the jumping off point, so there’s bound to be something here for everyone.
Enjoy the podcast and be sure to subscribe to hear more of Richard’s interviews with prominent photographers and wildlife enthusiasts, and if you haven’t already order your copy of the standard or Collector’s Edition of WILD LIVES. There are also several WILD-centric tours and events coming up. Check and see if I’ll be near your city, or join me in the field!
HOPE by Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier is an uplifting book project that I urge everyone to support. Mitty is a great communicator and unparalleled photographer. She has done so much for the photographic & conservation community with the founding of SeaLegacy and the International League of Conservation Photographers ILCP. Please join me in supporting Mitty’s crowdfunding campaign for ‘HOPE’ – a book showcasing her most iconic images and inspiring stories from her 30-year journey as a photographer and activist. Part of the proceeds of this book will directly benefit the people, communities and projects featured in these pages!
Hey there, nature and photography enthusiasts! I’m absolutely thrilled to share that I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with Matt Payne on the ‘F-Stop Collaborate and Listen’ podcast. We’ve taken a deep dive into my lifelong journey through the world of photography, discussing everything from the origins of my passion to the recent release of “Wild Lives”—a book that captures the essence of nature’s heartening resilience across the globe.
In our conversation, you’ll hear about the challenges and triumphs of my career, my travels to every corner of the planet, and the meticulous care that goes into each project, including my transformational TV series, ‘Travels to the Edge.’ I share my personal insights into the responsibility of being a source of inspiration while carefully navigating the line between innovation and emulation. Plus, I’m excited to open up about the strategic planning behind my shoots, the evolution of my projects, and the conservation efforts that I’m deeply passionate about.
As we chat about the pressing issues of legacy and environmental consciousness, I hope to ignite a flame in all of you to appreciate the beauty of our world and to remind everyone of the power of photography to tell stories that matter. Be sure to listen to this special episode of the podcast, and let’s continue to strive for a positive impact and a lasting footprint on both the art world and our precious planet. Let’s connect, share, and keep the conversation going on this amazing platform for photographers and listeners alike!
The Wild Lives Collector’s Edition is officially published today! For those who have been awaiting their pre-ordered copy of this edition, they are heading their way as soon as my signatures dry! I have my own library of hundreds of photography books. Among those are many limited editions, and I would rank the quality of this special version up there with the best of them – I’m happy happy!
Reviews of Wild Livesfrom respected colleagues have been immensely positive. The collector’s edition is no exception. Limited to just 200 copies, it’s protected in a beautiful blue and silver fabric clamshell case. Included within are a limited edition print and a signed and numbered certificate, ensuring your place among the 200 collectors. This package makes an impressive centerpiece sure to spark a conversation about our planet and all of it’s inhabitants.
Aside from photos that I am obviously quite partial to, the text included by my wonderful friend Gregory A. Green is the perfect compliment to the photos and reinforces the work. He and I have been giving talks around the Pacific Northwest, and I’ll be taking the show on the road with several appearances across the country, presenting a two-hour deep dive into the photos and stories.
The collector’s edition is available exclusively through my office and our online store. Order your copy today as limited quantities are available! I also have several wildlife-themed workshops coming up this year, including trips to Katmai, Alaska where this iconic cover image was photographed. Join me and make your own memories!
