Papua New Guinea: Behind the Scenes & Sepik Totems

I was able to upload the rest of the images from the Sepik before hopping on the airplane to head home.

Traveling up the Sepik River has definitely been a greater challenge than the earlier part of the trip. However, struggle is not without its rewards. References to freshwater crocodiles are in evidence everywhere you look in Sepik tribal culture. The Sepik tribes revere the freshwater crocs since they are the only big, bad thing in their environment (other than the clouds of bloodsucking mosquitoes). They mimic the scales in their corporeal scarification and their houses are made of layered leaves to look like croc scales. Sacred totems and elaborate carvings also colorfully incorporate the crocodile.

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Papua New Guinea: The Sepik

Earlier in the week the leading newspaper in PNG, the Post-Courier ran a short front page story on our film project. It is gratifying to know that this project is interesting and important to so many people.

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Traveling up the Sepik River has definitely been a greater challenge than the earlier part of the trip. However, struggle is not without its rewards. References to freshwater crocodiles are in evidence everywhere you look in Sepik tribal culture. The Sepik tribes revere the freshwater crocs since they are the only big, bad thing in their environment (other than the clouds of bloodsucking mosquitoes). They mimic the scales in their corporeal scarification and their houses are made of layered leaves to look like croc scales. Sacred totems and elaborate carvings also colorfully incorporate the crocodile.

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Papua New Guinea: Eastern Highlands

Papua New Guinea is the first location for a Canon Australia film project I am working on with Abraham Joffe (www.untitledfilms.com.au). It has been a couple decades since I have been to the Highlands and I was extremely excited to be photographing the Asaro Mudmen again as well as the Huli and Chimbu. The filmmakers are channeling Baraka (one of my favorite movies), using drones and movement in virtually every shot. Up next: the Sepik River.

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Quest for the Snow Leopard Part 3


I can say without reservation that this trip to Ladakh’s Hemis National Park was a great return to the Himalayas. I found the snow leopards extraordinarily difficult to photograph at close range. And yet with time and serendipity it is quite possible a snow leopard could walk directly through camp. Unfortunately, we experienced neither. We literally worked our butts off. I lost about 7 pounds in a week, hiking the trails every day at elevations between 12 and 14,000 feet. The dance ceremony was at the Likir Monastery, near Leh. Held annually, it commemorates the “letting go” of the previous year’s hardships. While at times disappointing, on a whole, the trip was fascinating and ultimately rewarding.

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Quest for the Snow Leopard Part 2


So begins our trek to Husing, which, purportedly, is one of the better areas to spot the elusive snow leopard as they move to lower altitudes to follow their prey, such as the bharal (blue sheep).

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Quest for the Snow Leopard Part 1


Nestled in the Indian Himalayas Ladakh is one of the best areas to see the elusive snow leopard. I am also getting to know more about the people who live here, and taking in the spectacular scenery and other wildlife.
The first couple days we spent in Leh getting acclimatized to the high altitude before heading out on our snow leopard expedition. The city and the surrounding valley and mountains are home to many imposing palaces and monasteries.

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Switching Gears: Yellowstone National Park

I was back from India for two days before heading to Yellowstone…

Click play to see all the Yellowstone images, or click HERE

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India: Cochin & Kerala

While in Kerala, I was interviewed by the Times of India. Catch the article HERE.

Check out some of my favorite pictures from Cochin and Kerala by clicking play on the slideshow, or click HERE.

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On Location: Kerala, India

India 2 – January 2014 – Images by Art Wolfe

Click play to see all of Art’s favorites from Kerala, or click HERE

India is just such a colorful and amazingly diverse country. We’ve been traveling in Kerala, home to vast tea plantations, and then in the arid border regions of Kutch. One tribe has beautifully painted homes—these people are artisans who stay in one place. The others live in huts made from sticks, hides and plastic and are truly nomadic, looking for forage for their herds of cattle and camels.

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On Location: India – Kanha and Mumbai

For the last couple weeks I have been traveling in India with some very good friends.  As a last minute change in our itinerary, we decided to head off to Kanha, where we enjoyed seeing the abundant wildlife and the adjacent villages.  Then we headed off to Mumbai and the Dhobi Ghat (the world’s largest laundry), which couldn’t be any more different than the bucolic countryside.

Click the play button to see all the photos, or click HERE

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