I have just returned from a short, but very productive, trip to Tanzania. First up: photos from Ngorongoro Crater, which is the world’s largest inactive caldera covering an area of 100 square miles. The crater is a highly productive grassland, home to thousands of large animals, including wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, rhinos, lions, servals, and hyenas.
My two workshops on the Olympic Peninsula went off without a hitch. We got some good results in the Quinault rain forest working with the team from Leica. On the second workshop we got absolutely poured on in the Hoh, but that’s why it looks the way it does! Everyone was in great spirits and learned to photograph while holding umbrellas. Then in cleared and the weather gods treated us to a gorgeous afternoon on the Olympic National Park beaches.
After another successful Photography as Art seminar in Houston, I spent a few relaxing days photographing with my longtime friend Sean Fitzgerald. I was able to add a few new species to my bird list, including green jays and painted buntings.
Any colorful birds in Boston? That’s my next stop in July for Photography as Art!
There is one spot left on my Lake Quinault Photography Retreat June 8-12 and four spots left on my Olympic Peninsula Workshop coming up June 16-19.
1) Check the Olympic National Park off your bucket list. Do you have a National Parks passport? Maybe it’s time to get one and start visiting the sites of “America’s Best Idea.” The park system is marking its 100th anniversary this year.
2) Check a workshop with Art Wolfe off your bucket list. A UNESCO world heritage site combined with a world renowned photographer, who also happens to be a great teacher and inspiration? Check!
3) The trees. The temperate rainforest has a living standing biomass which may be the highest anywhere in the world. And it is stunningly gorgeous.
4) The coast. The rocky headlands, beaches, tidepools nurturing a living rainbow of colors and textures, offshore sea stacks of the park’s 73-mile wilderness coastline is a rare treasure.
5) Assistants. I am accompanied by terrific assistants to assure that your photographic experience is as rich as your surroundings. The Quinault retreat is manned by my workshop coordinator Libby as well as two experts in Leica cameras, who will have equipment on hand for you to use; Libby, Bill, Yuri, and Anthony will be working the Olympic Peninsula workshop.
6) Friendship. I don’t know how many friendships have formed as a result of these workshops in particular.
7) Vampires. They’re sexy.
8) Water. Water defines Olympic National Park. There’s a reason why the trees are massive and the moss lush; why the rivers are highways of life; why the glaciers are there to sculpt the massive peaks.
9) Wildlife. We may get lucky and see the huge Roosevelt elk that make the Olympics home.
10) Adventuresome learning. I work hard to make sure everyone comes away from these multiday workshops feeling better about and more enriched by their photography skills.
The last leg of our trip to the Galapagos included Isabela & Espanola islands. Here we were able to capture a variety of the inhabitants of the the islands, from the usual suspects such as groups of boobies and marine iguanas to spotted eagle-rays and the colorful hawksbill turtle, which I photographed above water using my polarizer in the shallow mangrove estuaries. Pairs of albatross and a dynamic Galapagos hawk rounded out this part of our journey.
At San Cristobal & Floreana Islands I was able to capture some wonderful shots of the local bird life, and the Galapagos sea lions were all too willing to show off for the camera. I purchased a generic light weight camera housing along the way to ensure I could get these under water shots, although I was admittedly a little weary of putting my new Canon 1DX into the water in a setup that I hadn’t tested before and trust it would not leak, but no guts no glory! The payoff made the risky endeavor worth while as the sea lions gave us quite a show. I also managed to capture schools of fish as well as some boobies looking for a meal.
I couldn’t be happier with what we were able to find on this trip. The local wildlife has been an incredible host for our group.
I had a great week second week of shooting in the Galápagos. We were able to visit some new locations, and highlights included land iguanas, nesting blue-footed boobies, and colonies of frigate birds. As many people know, I’m particularly drawn towards owls, and on this trip we were able to photograph portraits of the rare Galapagos Short-eared owl. Here on the islands, like all of the other species, the Short-eared owls have evolved into bird eaters primarily feeding on the tiny Storm petrels. Galápagos Sea lions stole the show both above and below the water.
Thus far on our trip the marine iguanas have managed to steal the show, but never so much as our trip to Fernandina Island, where their masses carpeted the coastline. Some of my favorite shots so far come from these groupings, photographed from a low angle with the landscape in the background. I also managed to juxtapose some of the smaller iconic species of the Galápagos, namely lava lizards and Sally Lightfoot crabs, crawling over the lethargic marine iguanas.
There were Amazing bird sightings during our time at Santiago and Rabida Islands, including a Vermillion flycatcher and Galapagos hawk. We were also visited by curious Galapagos Penguins and Sea lions. While on board the ship eating lunch, storm petrels danced and fed along the ocean surface with moth like movements.
I’ve returned to shoot the Galapagos this week and I’m excited to bring you some new photos from the field. Today is a selection from Black Turtle Cove, in the northern part of the island of Santa Cruz. This location is only accessible by water and contains an incredible amount of wildlife both on land and in the sea. So far this trip has provided better opportunities than expected, and the weather has been fantastic! I will be adding new images from around this amazing place in the days to come.
