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!
I’ll be leading a tour in Brazil’s Pantanal this November, and spaces remain to join us on this epic tour of wildlife and culture! We’ve got great people on the ground ready to help us achieve some unique one-in-a-lifetime opportunities – this will be a Pantanal trip like no other!
Here are a few highlights and reasons to join me in the wilds of South America this fall –
Escape late fall and winter to the comfort of the southern hemisphere – November is when this region begins to warm up.
Escape the election nonsense – I’m sure by the time mid November rolls around, we will all want to unplug a bit!
Immerse yourself in one of the world’s most diverse wildlife regions: 463 species of birds and 236 species of mammals, not to mention reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
Stay in a floating lodge with spacious rooms to view ocelots, tapirs, giant otters, and jaguars, sightings of which are guaranteed by our expert guides.
Photograph from Jaguar boats that are specially designed for photographers with rotating seats and camera mounts.
Photograph and take an optional horseback ride with the iconic pantaneiros—the cowboys of the Pantanal—as they go about their daily activities.
Photograph flocks of macaws flying at eye level and below you as you stand at the edge of a 450 foot deep limestone sinkhole.
Snorkel with piraputangas, colorful South American trout, in crystal clear springs.
Closely observe giant anteaters, some of the strangest and most beautiful animals on the planet.
Art Wolfe has photographed in Brazil’s Pantanal numerous times and worked with the same local guides for his PBS series Travels to the Edge.
Q2 2024 photos are here! Spring kicked of with a trip to Kyoto, Japan where I aimed to capture more images of life amidst a Buddhist temple for my upcoming book on world religion and spirituality. Nestled harmoniously within the surrounding flora, this was also an opportunity to photograph landscapes and abstracts.
It was quite a shock to the system, then, to go from the serenity of temples and silent forests to the bustle and buzz of Delhi, India where millions gathered in celebration of Eid al-Fitr. I managed to find myself a perch up above the worshipping crowds and came away with the photographs I was here for.
From there I came home for a bit before visiting California for our Carmel Coast workshop, and then it was off to Iceland. If Delhi was the polar opposite of Japan in terms of activity, it was the weather in Iceland that proved to be the difference here where heavy, cool rains exposed flaws in my usually meticulous packing prep. Still, the landscape was as beautiful as ever. The iconic puffins were sparse in the areas we explored – however many other birds were present, and I’ll take variety every time.
Enjoy the photos, and while you’re here check out my upcoming tours and events. I’m always excited to get to know new travelers!
HOPE by Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier is an uplifting book project that I urge everyone to support. Mitty is a great communicator and unparalleled photographer. She has done so much for the photographic & conservation community with the founding of SeaLegacy and the International League of Conservation Photographers ILCP. Please join me in supporting Mitty’s crowdfunding campaign for ‘HOPE’ – a book showcasing her most iconic images and inspiring stories from her 30-year journey as a photographer and activist. Part of the proceeds of this book will directly benefit the people, communities and projects featured in these pages!
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.
This coming Tuesday is International Polar Bear Day! Raising awareness for these great, white bears is important, as their population is vulnerable due to continued climate change that affects their habitat like no other on the planet. In my time visiting the Arctic over decades, I’ve witnessed first-hand the shrinking swaths of ice that these bears use as home and hunting ground.
One of my favorite places to photograph these bears is Churchill, Manitoba in Canada. This location on the western shore of Hudson Bay is known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World, and trips here never disappoint!
Yesterday was World Hippo day! Did you know that the hippopotamus and cetaceans (whales, dolphins, orcas etc.) share many unique characteristics that suggest they shared a common ancestor? Totally different dentists, however!
Hippos are the second-largest land animals on the planet – though they spend the majority of their time submerged in rivers and lakes, so you might not know it with all that hippo concealed under waters that are often murky from all the churn. They also produce their own sunblock in the form of an oily red substance that secrets from their skin.
They spend most of their time in herds of a dozen or more animals – safety in numbers, and in the huge jaws and the massive strength of the dominant maless that protect their groups.
I had the pleasure of photographing a few of these big boys and girls this past January in Kenya. Photograph your own hippos, Lions, Zebras and much more in Kenya, with me in 2025!
