Iceland is a wonderland of volcanic landscapes and this was a great place to try out the new Canon EOS 5DS R, which is even superior to the 5DS I shot with earlier in May. This camera is not about pushing the ISO boundaries into the stratosphere, rather it’s about amazing details in the enlargement. The 5DS R offers much more clarity in the shadow and highlight details, a greater dynamic range, in addition to its obvious pixel packing punch in huge installations. I also like the familiar feel and weight of the camera vs. moving away from the 35mm look and feel to a medium or large format type body. This will be a game changer for packing in a camera with this resolution capability to remote locations where gear weight is an issue.
“Each day, Art would present an abstract element (such as “lines”) and clearly articulate how it could be effectively incorporated into the elements of a picture. Then we would travel to a spot chosen not for its beauty but instead for its ease of incorporating the “abstraction of the day” into our own photographs. Art and his assistants were there to answer questions, but the photographs we took were our own creations. Each morning we presented our own work to the group and for Art’s critique. His gentle humor kept the anxiety levels down and made for a great learning experience.”—Mike Colpitts
“Attending Art Wolfe’s Olympic Peninsula workshop was the most inspiring 2 1/2 days I have experienced as a photographer. The lectures, field time and critique provided a comprehensive learning environment. Art freely shares techniques and tips from his vast experience and shares them in a fun and memorable manner. And, his assistants are terrific photographers who provided excellent ideas in the field. All up, it was a phenomenal workshop — I learned a lot, had a lot of fun and am anxious to sign up for another.”—Ondra Hidley
“This was an amazing workshop that I enjoyed a lot. It was a great honor to meet and work with Art and his team.”—Mathieu Jonkers
“Art and his team taught us how to create photos, not just take photos. He brought out the artist in each of us, teaching us to compose images with our digital cameras as an artist would compose a painting with humor and energy created a wonderful environment of fun and laughter!”—Paige Roberts
“Studying with Art and his team was a fantastic experience. The workshop was full of precise and valuable information delivered with excellent humor. I’m thankful to have been able to study with such a world-class group of educators, and my photography is much better for having done so.”—Liana Lewis
“I appreciated the personal attention everyone received. In the field Art made sure that I got the most out of each shooting location. In the classes, as well as in the field, Art focused on us seeing things differently. During critiques, he edited our work, transforming the photographs as we watched, which was very insightful. His feedback was enormously helpful and I came away with a better understanding of how to take a more compelling photograph.”—Liz Fanning
“The Art Wolfe Olympic Peninsula Workshop was a tremendous opportunity to learn a great deal about photography in a few short days. We were at the mercy of the weather, and although we had too much sun at times that hampered some of the scenes, and too many clouds that disrupted a potentially awesome sunset, the assistant instructors, who were very knowledgeable and passionate about photography provided valuable insight into the creative process of capturing the most striking features of a scene. Art Wolfe provided a wealth of information on composition, equipment and techniques – and also helped me set-up a shoot in the middle of a rock-strewn stream. The workshop was very worthwhile – and highly recommended. “—Ric Raunio
This group of photos represents a lot of 4:40am wake-ups in Japan in order to get the best atmospheric conditions as well as to avoid the tourists. Lots of foul weather as of late, which played nicely into our shoots. I especially like the Lotus stems!
Holi has brought me back to India. We experienced the Festival of Colors in the ancient Vrindavan temple near the city of Mathura. I am happy to say the cameras survived, covered in rain guards.
Celebrated all over India since ancient times, Holi is an annual festival which takes place on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna. Originally Holi was an agricultural festival celebrating the arrival of spring. In keeping with this tradition people now choose to celebrate the occasion by throwing brightly colored spices or herbal powders into the air. Symbolically they are ridding the gloom of winter and rejoicing in the colors and liveliness of spring.
Yes, we finally did get out of Punta Arenas! Antarctica was waiting for us with beautiful skies, ice, microflora and of course, penguins. I even started to see them in the patterns of my abstracts. Can you?
Flying into Antarctica can be a dicey proposition. We were stranded in Punta Arenas, Chile for a few days before the weather cleared enough on the icy continent, then hours later we couldn’t land and had to return for another try a day later. We did get a great view of Fitz Roy and the Patagonian Icecap, though.
On the last leg of our east African sojourn earlier this year, we stayed at the idyllic Mnemba Island Lodge on tiny Mnemba Island adjacent to Zanzibar. Within twenty minutes of arriving we witnessed the last batch of green sea turtles leave their nest and enter the Indian Ocean. One in a thousand will return twenty five years later.
