Art Wolfe: Spotlighting is an often unpredictable event that can create and unexpected picture. With this image of a tiger in the dense forest, it was essential that I spot-meter the tiger’s illuminated face to ensure it was exposed correctly, since all of the deep shadows could have easily fooled the camera’s meter.
Martha Hill: I find this image intriguing. Tigers are among the most elusive of the big cats, and this image, by showing it lurking in the shadows, perfectly captures the animal’s mystery. To me it is a more evocative rendering of the subject than the more commonplace, out-in-the-open view we often see.
Art Wolfe: In the hours prior to this shot (of Bridalveil Fall), the valley had been covered in flat light under solid cloud cover. Late in the afternoon, however, the clouds began to break, sending shafts of light onto the faces of El Capitan and Half Dome, and, in this case, the waterfalls that rush over the cliffs in early spring.
Getting the proper exposure in a shot like this can be challenging. using my camera’s spot meter, I took a reading off the brightest area and opened up to keep the whole image from getting too dark.
Martha Hill: This image has drama and mood. Bridalveil Fall is one of Yosemite’s most photographed icons, but the unusual lighting conditions captured here set this image apart. The momentary beam of light illuminates the distant waterfall, directing the eye immediately to it. Under different conditions, such as an even lighting, we might overlook the waterfall altogether in this already dramatic landscape. The success of this image depends on timing – waiting for the exact moment when the light will highlight an interesting visual element.
I’ll be back on the road in March! This is the longest I’ve been home for consecutive days since at least the 80’s, and I’m anxious to get back out there into the world! I kick off the month here at home with Photography As Art in Seattle, and finish March off with at trip to the U.K. to present Earth Is My Witness at the Photography Show in Birmingham before returning to the states for another Photography As Art in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Things pick up even more in April with a couple of workshops. Even more than the travel, I’ve truly missed getting together with a small group of people and sharing my vision and in turn hearing their perspectives and experiences. I’m excited to bring an Abstract workshop to Atlanta, as well as the participate favorite Olympic Peninsula Workshop to finish out the month. Few spaces remain for these events, so if you’re interested now is the time to get signed up before they sell out.
The one thing that has kept me sane these past several weeks has been addressing all the wonderful work that has been submitted for portfolio reviews. I’ve been blown away by the quality level of the photos we’ve received, and at times it’s made it challenging critique work of such a high level. My staff has been preparing reviews and returning them this week, so if you’re waiting on your feedback, keep an eye out! I look forward to the upcoming Skype conversations with those of you whom have purchased the Present package as well.
It’s always my goal to explore, create, and most importantly – inspire, and I was delighted to hear Dallas Photography As Artattendee Sunhee Kim’s take-away from the seminar. Sunhee was kind enough to share some take-away from the event, as well as photos captured that very day. Both myself and my staff appreciated this eagerness to explore and recognize these fantastic images, and it really drives my point home that you truly can capture spectacular artistic photos anywhere if you change the way you see everything around you.
My name is Sunhee, and I attended your workshop in Dallas today. I chatted with you a bit near the end. I am a beginner photographer.
I had to write this email right away to express how much the workshop opened up my eyes and perspectives, even though it is getting so late. I am exhausted from the workshop and a meet up photo shooting afterwards.
I could not wait to see what I discovered during the lunch break and the meet up shooting.
First, I had a 28mm prime lens at the workshop that I did not plan to shoot much. But as I came out of the building for lunch and walked down the streets, I saw quite a bit of pattern and color on walls on the streets. Instead of having lunch, I spent an hour to take photos. Then I went home to switch to my other lens for the meet up shooting after the workshop was done.
I truly loved to see what I discovered! A whole different experience, and I really wanted to share a few of my VERY first abstract and/or impressionist photos with you. I am not sure how many professional photographers would appreciate these kinds of photos, but It amazed me that my photos seemed like a piece of a painting – art, or something unique that is different from anyone else or the many great photos one can see and run into everywhere.
Thank you SO MUCH and hopefully I can make other workshops in the near future.
Sincerely,
Sunhee
Photography As Artis coming to Seattle, Raleigh, Tampa, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and more in 2018!
Never discount the ability to create effective photographs during a rainy overcast day!
On my last day in Yang Shao, China we were hit with some pretty bad weather. Instead of staying in the hotel, I traveled to a view point along the Li River to shoot some limited edition, fine art black and white images. I knew from experience that images taken on a day like this could yield dreamy photos with just a basic amount of dodging and burning once converted from a color capture.
My workflow for these images was fairly simple. I created a virtual copy in Lightroom, desaturated the image by dragging the Saturation Slider to 0 and then using the Brush Tool to selectively dodge and burn areas of the sky to make the clouds pop. Then, Jay Goodrich, my co-leader on this trip, opened the images in Photoshop and added an Auto Curves adjustment layer that, to my surprise, made the images just jump off of the page. When I have more time than I do on location, I will further refine the black & white image by using NIK Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2 software. This will allow me to really fine-tune the image.
I am always amazed at how many ways there are to process an image to get the results that I am looking for in my pursuit of creativity.
Great news on my evergreen TV show! The first thirteen episodes of Art Wolfe’s Travels to the Edge are now available to stream in the US & UK on Amazon. If you haven’t seen them before, it’s now even easier!
Check them out at an affordable price, or stream them free if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber:
Revel in the beauty of awe-inspiring landscapes and the unique animals and people that inhabit them through an artist’s lens. During these journeys, I share my knowledge, curiosity, and enthusiasm about the world around us. You will also learn professional photographic techniques in such an intimate manner that you feel as if you’re right there with me getting a personal photography lesson.
Art Wolfe’s Travels to the Edge was produced by Edge of the Earth Productions, LLC in association with Blue Moon Productions, Inc., presented by Oregon Public Broadcasting, and distributed by American Public Television (APT). Funding for Art Wolfe’s Travels to the Edge was generously provided by Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the Microsoft Corporation. Additional funding was provided by Conservation International.
The holiday season is upon us, so it’s time for a flash sale! Now through Midnight PST on Monday November 27th, Purchase admission to any currently scheduled Photography As Art seminar and receive a second for half price. Just add two or more seminars to your account and use the code “PAABUDDY2017” at checkout, and save over $100. Join Art Wolfe live with a friend or surprise that special someone with the gift of a broadened photographic vision and creativity!
The next Photography As Art is as soon as next weekend, with two dates in the Lone Star State, so act now and save!
December is fast approaching, and I’ll be spending the first week or so in Texas with a trio of dates! It all kicks off on the evening of Friday, December 1st at 7:30 PM where I’ll be delivering my Eart Is My Witness presentation at Sean Fitzgerald’s studio in the historic Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas. Earth Is My Witness is a presentation focused on the stories behind some of the most iconic images of my 40-plus year career.
The next day, join me back in this same location for the full-day presentation of Photography As Art! I’ve created this seminar to counter the photographic locations, compositions, and themes we see recycled time and time again, and aim to teach each participant to see the world around them in an entirely new way; to use any location to their advantage, and capture the often unseen elements around us to create unique artistic images.
The following day I’ll be taking Photography As Art down the highway to Austin – so if the trek up to Dallas is a bit too lengthy, then join me at UT Austin!
I’m looking forward to visiting Texas, and I hope to see you there. Follow the links below to purchase tickets for these events:
I am pleased to announce that beginning in January of 2018, I’ll be providing Portfolio Reviews to those interested in having me take a look at your photography work and provide constructive feedback! Among the many requests we’ve had, reviews come up most often – and given that the critique process has long been a part of our workshops that I look forward to, it only made sense to offer this service.
As you may know, I approach photography from the perspective of having had classic arts training, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and art education from the University of Washington in 1975. Receiving and participating in the critique process with peers and instructors was an invaluable asset for my development as an artist, and the art of photography is no different.
We hope to accommodate anyone interested in having their work reviewed by offering a trio of packages and perks:
FOCUS:
5 images reviewed
MP3 Recording of my critique of your work
10% off any future Photography As Art seminar
CAPTURE:
12 images reviewed
MP3 Recording of my critique of your work
20% off any future Photography As Art seminar
Free Book – “The Art of the Photograph”
PRESENT:
15 images reviewed
LIVE Skype conversation regarding your photographs
30% off any future Photography As Art seminar
Free Book – “Photographs From the Edge”
Check out the Portfolio Review page for more information. I look forward to seeing everyone’s work in 2018!
I am thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaming up with Creative Live once again to present another online seminar! This time around, I’ll be critiquing user-submitted nature photos and making post-processing adjustments to maximize the visual impact of each image. You’ll gain valuable insight into many of the techniques I put into practice utilizing the adjustments that shooting RAW provides.
The free live broadcast will be on Monday, November 27th from 9 AM to 12 PM, PST. If you can’t make that date and time, you can purchase the seminar for a limited time discounted price – so head on over to Creative Live and sign yourself up. You can also submit your own wildlife, landscape, abstract nature, or travel images that could possibly be selected to be part of the broadcast!
This presentation comes on the heels of announcing that beginning in 2018, I’ll be providing my own critiques through my website. We already have several people on the list to be notified when the purchase and submission process is live – get yourself signed up today! Details will be coming in the next couple of weeks.
The Eagle Hunters of western Mongolia are a proud and hearty people that have an immense sense of culture. They also practice a particular form of falconry in which they hunt with eagles. My goals for photographing them within the context of their environment were three-fold: convey the expansive landscape of the region, feature the power of the eagle, and highlight the traditional dress that is ever fading in the historical cultures of the world today.
1.) This first photo establishes where are, and our starting point. A pair of eagle hunters traverse the open landscape bordering western Mongolia and Kazakhstan with their avian assistant with horse in tow. While it does show the landscape, there is little drama and the other goals are not present.
2.) Here you can see I move in close to my subjects; I’m using a 16-35 wide angle lens which allows me to keep the three subjects in prominence while also capturing a dramatic background. The lighting looks a bit flat in this shot, but up close I am able to find better results. We keep the horse out of the shot – we don’t want competition for our focus – the men and their eagle.
3.) In my third image, which is at a right angle to the direction of the sun, I have attached a polarizer to my wide angle. You can see how much more dramatic the light appears. This image also highlights the problems of working with dramatic light – very harsh shadows were cast every time the eagle moved its wings.
4.) The wing of the eagle is now down, but the man that’s controlling the eagle is casting a shadow on his assistant. As my goal is to bring this culture into the light and share it, it’s not an ideal result to have half of my subjects in shadow.
5.) I decided to get lower and shoot upwards to bring in some of the openness of the sky in hopes of creating more of a story than in the previous shots. Always keep experimenting within your photographic goals!
6.) The result is that I don’t have nearly the problems of the previous images with the shadows. This is a very satisfying image to me and meets the goals I set for myself in terms of capturing the men, animal, and landscape. This is where some may stop, thinking they’ve captured the shot they are looking for. In an effort to see what else is achievable, I begin working the scene a bit more.
7.) I’m standing at eye level again with the hunters, but the problem with this shot is that the man closet to me is staring straight at me. I like to maintain anonymity when I am taking pictures, and would prefer that the subject is not staring straight into my camera.
8.) I ask him to look straight ahead, but now with movement of doing so, it’s the eagle mugging for the camera. This isn’t necessarily a bad composition, but I would prefer the eagle in a different position.
9.) I move a little bit further around and discover I love the way the light is falling across the main eagle hunter and his beautiful fox fur hat. However, as you can see, I have moved in too close to get all three subjects in the frame.
10.) I decide to back off a little bit, and now I am getting what I am looking for. I love the fact that the man in the middle is kind of looking my way without staring straight into the camera, the assistant is looking off to his left, and the eagle is conversely looking off in the opposite direction. There is a nice balance to this image, with no shadows on their faces. In addition, the eagle has nice light on his eye. This to me is a winner.
11.) I also like this last photo because it has a nice sense to it; the eagle is looking further opposite now, and is even more absorbed in what is going on in the landscape, rather than in what the photographer is busy trying to achieve. Both of these final two images are very strong photos for me, and I am very happy with the results.
A good balance of compositon, dramatic light, openness of the land, traditional wardrobes – it all comes together in a very nice way in these last two images!
Art Wolfe: In the hours prior to this shot (of Bridalveil Fall), the valley had been covered in flat light under solid cloud cover. Late in the afternoon, however, the clouds began to break, sending shafts of light onto the faces of El Capitan and Half Dome, and, in this case, the waterfalls that rush over the cliffs in early spring.
