Among the many topics I cover in my Pathways to Creativity web series, one that I’ve been most passionate about in recent years is the idea of discovering the abstract images in places that otherwise might go unnoticed. These images may not get the ‘likes’ on a travel blog or Instagram account that the the typical vistas might, yet they are infinitely more valuable in training your eye to recognize when the elements of design are coming together to create something metaphoric and unique. They also make interesting conversation pieces when taken entirely out of the context from which they were captured.
At the end of April I’ll be leading a workshop on the Olympic peninsula in the Lake Quinault area with the primary focus of finding Abstract inspirations in nature. If you’ve already signed up or are thinking about signing up for that trip, check out the free full Pathways episode on embracing the abstract and you’ll be ahead of the game when we get out into the field!
One of the final trips for my upcoming book on international spirituality and religion Acts of Faith was to India to photograph this year’s massively attended Kumbh Mela. This year’s Kumbh was a massive festival, with an estimated 650 million people visiting Prayagraj. The Kumbh coincides with the revolution of the planet Jupiter, and certain conjunctions between the planet, our moon and the sun. A ritual dip in the Ganges river marks the individual’s culmination of the festival.
While in India, we also visited Bandhavgarh National Park to capture the diverse wildlife. Tigers, Gaur (large bovines), langurs, numerous birds and more were on display – enjoy the photos!
I have one last upcoming trip on the calendar to shoot for Acts of Faith, and there are two spots left to join me as I travel to Bhutan to photograph the various festivals here. This trip kicks off in just a few weeks, so if you’d like to go on an adventure with me to a country that values “Gross National Happiness” over economic boons there is no time like the present!
New Zealand and I go way back: in 1980 I hiked the Routeburn Track in Fiordland National Park and I shot on Kodachrome with an old Canon AE-1. Nearly thirty years later I filmed an episode of Travels to the Edge on the South Island, and last month I taught back to back workshops with a significant upgrade in gear. If you follow me on Insta or Facebook you’ve probably seen Reels of me describing how and what we were photographing, but not showing the payoff pics. Some of you were clearly not pleased about that (I do have to teach a workshop after all). Well, here’s your chance to see them now!
The unseasonably wet weather was challenging and we very nearly got snowed in on the last day, but we were able to photograph the country’s spectacular landscapes and birdlife between the squalls.
If you want to see all my faves head on over to https://www.artwolfestock.com/.
I just returned from another spectacular journey in Southern Africa. While the dunes of Sossusvlei are always stunning, what really made the trip this time was photographing desert elephants. While they are not a distinct species from savanna elephants, they are uniquely adapted to the harsh desert environment. They are constantly spraying sand over themselves to keep cool which creates plumes of light-filtering dust, perfect for those atmospheric images.
The wildlife on this trip was also a great opportunity to put my favorite new feature on the Canon EOS R5 Mark II to good use. This was my first trip using the camera, and the ability to recover frames from a half-second before you’d traditionally expect to has already paid dividends. When the situation is changing rapidly, the best shots often fall into this window where you’re reacting. I highlighted a few more of the new features as well as an important note about the updated batteries in this recent post while I was on-location for this trip.
This was a fantastic adventure all around. Southern Africa continues to provide an amazing array of wildlife, culture and landscapes. The company was especially enjoyable, even if they took a little too much pleasure in my squeals of fear while traversing the dunes in buggies. Our help on the ground was also able to provide some great video content on-location; be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to check those out!
Greetings from Namibia! This has been an incredible trip so far, made all the better thanks to a generous early birthday gift from a good friend in the form of a new Canon R5 II. Still a 45 megapixel camera, performance is the name of the game here. I’m loving the pre-shoot burst mode and this feature could be critical when trying to capture wildlife in the moment. Considering the lengths I go to on many trips hoping for that one perfect shot, this feature is invaluable. Coupled with shutter speeds as fast as 1/32,000th freezing action has never been better.
Though I don’t use the video features as much as some, the options and upgrades here are plentiful, including the option to shoot in 8k up to 60 FPS. Unlike the standard 5R there is also no limit on how long you can record. Gone is the 30 minute restriction. Instead, record as long as you have the memory to do so. Across the board, performance is up with this camera and it is noticeable.
Of course, that power and performance comes with a cost. Though the LP-E6P battery that comes with the camera is the same form-factor as previous batteries, and your old batteries will work with the R5 II, video enthusiasts will want to ensure they stock up on the specific battery that comes with the camera and NOT your old LP-E6NH models. While the form factor is the same, the E6P is an upgraded battery to support the increased performance demands. you’ll still be able to shoot and record video with either battery, however some of the higher-end video features will be disabled if you’re using the E6NH model.
All that being said I’m pleased with the camera, and happy with our trip so far. Our support on the ground has been incredible and I hope you’ve been enjoying the content they’ve been posting to my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I’ll be sure to post a full gallery from this trip when I return!
So much of a successful photographic experience is being able to adapt to the conditions the planet hands to you at any given time. That was certainly the case with my first trip back to Iceland since 2021.
Case in point: we saw two puffins. Apparently, they have moved to a more remote location on the north side of Iceland (and puffins were easily photographing in the Faroes). However, we did see some other lovely birds, including barnacle geese and their goslings, territorial red-throated loons, arctic terns, and ringed plovers. I just love the beautiful reflection shots as the terns skimmed over a highland pond.
Redirecting to the Icelandic Highlands definitely paid photographic dividends. The landscapes are ruggedly beautiful with much to take in on both macro and micro scales. We took in the grand landscapes formed by an eruption in the 15th century as well as the smallest details such as the common butterwort–a carnivorous plant that has adapted to growing in nutrient-poor soil by digesting insects that are attracted to its lovely purple blooms.
Check out my upcoming photo tours and treat yourself to a little bit of adventure, fun and good company!
Earlier this month some good friends and myself visited Kyoto, Japan to photograph the culture and spiritual ceremonies for one of my next book projects, “Act of Faith”. Here, we had the opportunity to photograph Shinto priests and priestesses performing rituals at a sacred Shinto Shrine.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve visited Japan to capture photos for Faith. I was here a few years back to capture the Oto Matsuri purification ceremony. This trip was definitely more harmonious, without the fire and drunken shenanigans!
Shinto is Japan’s native faith, and though Buddhism nearly matches it in terms of practitioners, the way these two religions have managed to not only co-exist, but compliment one and other is just one of the many heartening aspects of world faith that will be highlighted in this upcoming project. Prominent Buddhist figures were assigned Shinto identities, while Shinto Kami, or the divine spirits that inhabit the natural world, strove for Buddhist enlightenment.
I’ve made many trips to Japan over the years, primarily to photograph the Snow macaques, cranes, and other wild life. However, the Japanese culture and reverence for nature has always fascinated me as illustrated in the way I’ve styled my West Seattle home environs as a Japanese Garden. I look forward to seeing this all come together in a celebration of world spirituality, and I highly recommend a visit to Kyoto!
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan on the Islamic calendar, and is significant in that it also marks the end of sun-up to sun-down fasting. “Ramadan” translates to “burning heat” due to this being the hottest month of the year in India.
It’s been a privilege to spend this week here in India and witness this significant Muslim holiday. I came away with some shots I’m very happy with, some which will surely end up in my upcoming book project, Act of Faith.
In November the first Wild Lives photo journey took us to Kanha and Kaziranga National Parks in India. Set on The Chhota Nagpur Plateau in Madhya Pradesh, Kanha provides breathtaking vistas of grassy plains and sal forests. It is the ideal habitat for both tigers and their prey, and we were able to see and photograph these magnificent cats, chital (axis deer), and langurs. Located to south of the great Brahmaputra River, Kaziranga National Park is home to the largest number of one-horned rhinoceros in the world. The swamps were purple with water hyacinths which made a painterly backdrop for wildlife photography.
I have several Wild Lives photo journeys on the calendar for 2024 and beyond. These immersive, small group tours focus on providing the best opportunities for capturing awe-inspiring moments of untamed beauty.
It’s the final Wild Wednesday before Wild Lives is officially published next Tuesday! Today I’m taking you to Brazil, where I was fortunate enough to photograph a family of Harpy Eagles in their nest. This has been a trip I had anticipated for some time and it didn’t disappoint thanks to a fantastic guide and a blind platform that got us close to the eagles without disrupting their routine.
If you haven’t preordered your copy of the book yet, now is the time! All preorders will be signed and will come with access to five wildlife-focused episodes of my Pathways to Creativity video lecture series.
