Recently vaccinated and ready to get out? We are coming up on the final stretch of West Coast workshops, with limited space left to join me at several haunts up and down the shores of the Pacific. Today begins our Carmel-By-The-Sea workshop – probably too late for this one!
One spot HAS in fact opened up for the ever-popular Abstract Astoria workshop happening next week. It WILL be claimed so act fast if you want it.
On June 17th we head to the Columbia River Gorge that serves as a natural border between Washington and Oregon, home to breathtaking landscapes, several waterfalls and a wide variety of opportunities to photograph both nature and abstract images.
Finally, a little further out at the end of July we will be returning to Port Townsend for another Abstract workshop – this new location serves as an excellent companion to Abstract Astoria, and it’s fast becoming a favorite of our clients. Limited to just five participants, this is an excellent opportunity to get some one on one instruction.
I’m thrilled to be back in the field but I also can’t wait until I’m back home and can reconnect with everyone on another live stream – stay tuned for info on when that will be happening again. Visit the events page for information on all upcoming international & US workshops, and have a fantastic weekend!
In the good old days of film ISO 100 was considered fast and on the margins of the day with every increasing exposure times you had no choice but to pan with your subjects as they moved. Today we’re getting spoiled with digital cameras that yield acceptable images at exceptionally high ISOs.
So this is a reminder to dial back to good old ISO 100, even put on a polarizer to lose another stop or more and put some emotion and action back in your shots. It takes practice – try this technique with the wind blowing a field of flowers, a crowded market, street scenes… it’s not just for animals.
When using a tripod the contrast of tack sharp architecture and blurred people can be very effective. Share your results if you have some as well!
Limited to just six participants, this retreat is designed to combine the best aspects of a relaxing vacation, inspiring seminar, and hands-on workshop all into one inspiring trip.
California’s Central Coast is a location brimming with variety: stunning ocean vistas, abstract photo opportunities, and wildlife, not to mention the fine dining in the company of other enthusiasts. Do you like sea otters? Imagine kayaking amongst them! We are going to a fantastic location where you can comfortably photograph sea otters from kayaks.
With Art Wolfe as guide and guru, you will learn how to clear your mind and photograph in the moment, free of preconceived notions; you will explore how to spot the non-obvious and uncover new ways to expand your visual imagination in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Just two spaces remain before this highly exclusive workshop fills up! If you plan on joining, sign up today – it will sell out!
As you likely know by now I love to create abstract, painterly images. I often find some of my favorite captures in locations that most people might not even notice. This video was filmed on location in Eastern Idaho, however if you’ve attended any of my abstract workshops – you know what I’m looking for! A background in Fine Art and Art History serves me well in these instances, where I can draw on abstract expressionists to see the shapes and colors and contours as something more than a rusty old truck – metaphors and imaginary landscapes abound.
While some abstract captures such as this have gone on to be prints, parts of calendars and more – it’s really the activity of training your eye to see and capture them that is the real value here. Training one’s eye to see the metaphors, colors, and potential of a given shot will only expand your visual vocabulary, and serve as valuable tools in any photo work you do.
The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always.
— John Steinbeck
Space is still available to join me on our Majestic Redwoods Photography Retreat, taking place at the end of this month! Come along and make some new friends who share your love of photography in one of the most iconic forests in all the world, where these trees – some a millennia old – tower over the beautiful California coast.
Of course this is an ART WOLFE workshop, so while we will line up and grab the token travel shots that exclaim, “I was here!” along with all the other tourists – we will go much much deeper in exploring this land – the same land that has drawn explorers and naturalists throughout history to it’s unique and massive canopy over the centuries. From the forest to the coast, we will mine this location for opportunities to set our photography apart from the pack, enhancing your creative eye with lessons that will serve you no matter the subject.
Space is limited and these workshops tend to fill up quickly the closer we get – don’t wait too long to sign up and miss out! Of course, all of my workshops are Covid compliant, and your health, safety, and enjoyment of our time together is top of mind.
In case you missed last night’s episode of Tequila Time (which is possible considering some technical difficulties and a late start!), my usual co-host Parimal Deshpande wowed us with more photos from his homeland of India, currently facing a pandemic crisis. His message that the beauty, humanity, and symbiotic nature of India and it’s people will lead them past this tragedy is timely for us all as we look to move forward. If you missed it, check out his presentation!
Prior to Tequila Time, Tom Mangelsen joined us on Earth Is Our Witness to discuss his Legacy Reserve Collection and the stories behind some of his most impactful wildlife shots – if you missed it, check it out on the EIOW Facebook & YouTube pages – and don’t forget to give EIOW a follow on Instagram to see galleries of all of the EIOW Alum’s work.
Last but not least, we made an important announcement last night regarding the future of Tequila Time and my live broadcasts. Tequila Time was an excellent way for us to stay in touch, and I hope that it helped if even in some small way for folks to find an easier time navigating a strange year or more.
Now that things are returning to a bit of normalcy, we want to make sure that our live broadcasts are relevant and informative and ever-evolving. To that end, we will be evolving Tequila Time into a new live feature we will call simply, “Art Wolfe Live!”. This should not only help save my body some extra wear and tear from the extra tequila – but will also be a more planned and intentional broadcast, featuring my perspective on current important world events, highlighting what we are up to here at the AWI office and out on workshops, and of course a Q&A session to answer all your burning questions!
Stay tuned for Art Wolfe Live this August! Prior to the inaugural episode, we’ll also be reaching out for Q&A questions – keep an eye out to submit yours!
From left to right: Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe, Tom Mangelsen in the Galapagos Islands 2018. Photo by Yuri Choufour.
Tomorrow night, my good friend and renowned wilderness photographer Tom Mangelsen joins Parimal and myself on Earth Is Our Witness. Tom will be sharing photographs from his Legacy Reserve Colelction with us; a very limited collection of his most poignant wildlife images and the stories behind the struggle that iconic species face in their fight for survival in a modern world.
Tom and myself go way back, so the banter should be flowing and I know you’ll be instantly engaged by his images and their stories! Join us tomorrow, May 4th at 6 PM PST on the EIOW Facebook or YouTube pages!
Following EIOW, at 7:30 PM PST – join us once again for Tequila Time Live! Parimal will be sharing more timely photos from his homeland of India, currently experiencing immense strife in the face of the pandemic. As national headlines emerge from that region of the world, it’s the perfect time to glean some insight and perspective from someone whom is familiar.
Following Parimal’s presentation, I’ll have some exciting news about the future of Tequila Time and future live broadcasts.
See you tomorrow for our visit with Tom & Tequila Time!
Happy Workshop Wednesday! As you may know from recent episodes of Tequila Time, I’ve been getting back into the swing of leading workshops and next week we will be heading over to the Olympic Peninsula and the gorgeous town of Port Townsend. This location is home to historic 19th-century Victorian homes, renowned boatyards and of course the surrounding natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula and the surrounding waterways.
All that being said, anyone visiting with a camera will get those shots – you don’t need me there to know that a shipyard may offer great photographic opportunities. What separates us from the average tourist is seeing beyond the obvious to capture unique studies and metaphors in the details, reflection and time-worn textures of this location.
As our regular clients can attest, it’s through these studies and exercises that you will truly see what I refer to as your visual vocabulary flourish. The surge of satisfaction I get when I know things have started to click for a participant and they are truly beginning to see makes these trips all the more worth while. From that point on, I know wherever they go they will have tools in their kit to separate them from the pack and I love seeing the work everyone comes away with!
It’s just over a week away – join us for these amazing photographic opportunities as well as fantastic meals together, critiques and more!
Today is dolphin day, and these frenetic swimmers are on my mind as we kick off spring! They are constantly on the go, quite literally. Did you know only half of a dolphin’s brain sleeps at a time?! If I were to adopt the powers of any creature on the planet, that’s a fairly enticing one. Imagine how many more books I could get done if I could stay awake and just shut down half my brain at a time!
Of course, they have developed this ability for specific reasons. Dolphins breath air and their breathing is consciously controlled. In some ways that seems like a restless life, but they certainly make the most of it with their agile swimming and dexterous leaps.
Enjoy the photos from a past trip to Baja and the Sea of Cortez, and leave a comment below if there is an animal superpower YOU would love to have!
If you caught the recent episode of Tequila Time, I shared images from our recent Olympic Workshop and also discussed just a few of the many lessons we teach in this beautiful location. Sure, there are the typical scenic shots to capture- but anyone can set up a tripod and take the same old shot. This doesn’t help us grow our visual vocabulary, however. Fine if all you want are the token travel photos!
A keen eye that’s trained to find the beauty in the less-obvious is going to come away with the more interesting and unique shots. While each one may not be a masterpiece unto itself, every shot in which you are mindfully seeking compositions that hold the viewers eye in the frame represents a cognitive effort to improve your artistic eye.
Much like a truly invested fine artist will more often than not have dozens of sketch books of incomplete works, never intending to see the light of day, it’s through this practice of finding a shot where others don’t see one that will translate to taking ALL of your photos to the next level.
In the video above are just a few examples of learning to see beauty and something worth capturing in scenes that others might quite literally walk right by. While you may want the big picture of the old-growth forest, it’s really the misshapen lumps of knotted limbs saturated in moss that show the verdant and wild nature of this location. What appear to be simple shots of limbs and trees are intentionally composed to frame the leading lines to keep the viewer’s eye engaged.
Again, not every shot you take needs to be in consideration to sell as a fine art print. On the contrary, most of your shots, much like the sketches of master fine artists are simple tools to train your eye over time.
