Some years are publishing years, some are traveling, 2015 was for reshaping the business—a necessity in the ever-changing photography industry. I closed my downtown Seattle gallery and launched this website, focusing my core business online and allowing me the ability to concentrate on other projects, of which there are many.
All the filming that I did in 2014 with Abraham Joffe and the Untitled Film Works crew—in East Africa, Papua New Guinea, Alaska, and here in Seattle—finally came to fruition. Tales by Light is a joint Canon Australia and National Geographic Channel production & I hope it comes to the US soon!
Travel & Photography: The year was bookended by East Africa
While travel slowed somewhat in 2015, I still managed trips to Tanzania (twice), Kenya, Yellowstone National Park (twice), Antarctica, India, Bali, Japan, Iceland, Washington State, Alaska, Svalbard, California, and Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. The final expedition of the year was to the Danakil Basin of Ethiopia.
Presentations, Gallery Shows, and Articles
I lectured at, among other places, Florida’s Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Fine Art, Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Portland’s OMSI, and at #OPTIC2015 in New York. Human Canvas took over the Rotella Gallery in Soho for the month of November. DPreview.com published several well-received articles on my experiences photographing emperor penguins, humpback whales, and Iceland.
Books: A year of foreign editions
The Art of the Photograph in Spanish
Earth Is My Witness in French and German by National Geographic
Vanishing Act in USA, German & French
Awards & Honoraria
Earth Is My Witness garnered several publishing awards, including an IBPA Benjamin Franklin and an Independent Publisher. As for moi, I was named honorary chair of Washington Wild.
This all new seminar has been created for photographers who are inspired to go beyond capturing a natural history moment and would rather pursue their creativity and make compelling artistic statements.
In this three part series Art will establish unequivocally that the photograph stands toe to toe with painting, sculpture, and the other prominent forms of art.
This is an intentional journey to discover a new way of seeing and making art through the photographic medium. This full day seminar has been carefully crafted using hundreds of photographs that support the concepts Art is presenting.
On this first day of Autumn I thought I’d share a few photos of the season as inspiration for you to go out and shoot your own photos of fall color in all its various forms!
When lining up a background for a subject, make sure to give it a clean background to create a more graphic image. In this example I am trying to shoot a Chinstrap penguin in Antarctica where the snowy backdrop isn’t working to make the white belly of my subject pop.
Join Art for a critique class at the gorgeous Rotella Gallery in SOHO. Whether you’re an emerging photographer, an aspiring pro about to knock on the editor’s door, a mid-career shooter in search of tactical insight for advancing in business, or simply a keen amateur wanting to become as good as you can, this very special photography course opportunity is one you won’t want to miss. Space is limited.
The Art of the Photograph
Essential Habits for Stronger Compositions
By Art Wolfe and Rob Sheppard
Foreword by Dewitt Jones
Based on legendary image-maker Art Wolfe’s popular lecture series, THE ART OF THE PHOTOGRAPH (Amphoto Books, on sale December 3, 2013, $29.99) is guaranteed to shift the fundamental way amateur photographers see and capture the world around them. Drawing from a career spanning 40 years of award-winning photography, Art Wolfe gives a rich array of insights, advice, and techniques aimed at dramatically offering the most comprehensive, imaginative master class available in a photography book.
This is Art Wolfe’s instructional magnum opus and a highly personal work. He shares the story of his own artistic discovery and describes the rigors of his experience as a professional photographer, shooting in the field. Utilizing his formal training as an art instructor, Wolfe teaches readers how to explore the elements of design to make compelling and emotionally engaging photographs. Together, Art Wolfe and Rob Sheppard look at the most common traps amateurs fall into and offer the kind of simple yet eye-opening advice that can instantly change anyone’s photos. How do you find inspiration? How do you find unique subjects? How do you know which lens to use? Wolfe also includes the invaluable chapter on the “10 Deadly Sins of Composition” so photographers will know beyond a shadow of a doubt how to take the most satisfying images possible.
THE ART OF THE PHOTOGRAPH runs the full gamut of Art Wolfe’s artistic expertise and lays the true foundation of image-making. Extraordinary photos of the world’s cultures, wildlife and varied landscapes round out this essential curriculum to provide the most thorough and imaginative volume on composition.
About the Authors
ART WOLFE’s stunning images are recognized throughout the world for their mastery of color, composition, and perspective. Wolfe’s television series, Art Wolfe’s Travels to the Edge, airs on PBS stations throughout the country. He is also a popular speaker for such companies as Microsoft, IBM, and Sheraton Hotels. He can be found at artwolfe.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
ROB SHEPPARD is the author/photographer of more than 30 books and hundreds of articles and is a well-known speaker and workshop leader. He was formerly the longtime editor of Outdoor Photographer magazine, where he is now editor-at-large.