Photo Close-up Friday – Polar Bears!

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!


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Photo Close-up Friday – The Hippopotamus!


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!

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West Coast US Workshops Abound This Spring – Join Art In The Field!

Spring is just around the corner and this is the time of year where I really focus on all the beautiful shooting locations the season provides on the west coast of the United States. This year is no different!

March kicks off in Moab, Utah and Sedona Arizona. These locations represent the red-rocky structures and wild landscapes of the South-western U.S. and the variety of subjects makes them a great trip for anyone who wants the postcard shots of these epic locations along with much more in terms of abstract imagery and thinking outside the box.

To celebrate the release of the Collector’s Edition of Wild Lives, Sedona participants will receive the gift of a free copy of this definitive edition of my latest wild life magnum opus.

Two workshops in my back yard follow the Southwest, with Creative Seassions in Seattle, and the evergreen (pun most definitely intended!) Olympic Peninsula workshop. These are great opportunities to, as I say, “expand your visual vocabulary”.

Finally, we have another workshop taking place on the beautiful Carmel coast, a breathtaking backdrop to all kinds of subjects and wildlife. Things wrap up in Astoria, Oregon for what has become a staple Abstract workshop. It’s my hope to some day be mentioned in the same breath as The Goonies when people talk about the oldest city on the West Coast – lets make it happen!

Moab Photography Retreat – Just Two Spots Left!
March 6 – 10

Spring in Sedona Retreat
March 13 – 17

Creative Sessions: Seattle
Cultivating Vision & Imagination
March 29 – 31

Olympic Peninsula Workshop
April 30 – May 3

Carmel-By-The-Sea Workshop
May 16 – 19

Abstract Astoria Workshop
May 23 – 26

 

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2023 Year In Photos!

Happy New Year! The highlight of this past year for me was of course the release of Wild Lives, a book years in the making and the end result of tens of thousands of miles of travel. It’s also available in the UK, in Italian, and an Australian version is set for release in February. In March, the gorgeous limited edition version will be available in a stylish and protective clamshell case and will include a signed print. It will make a fantastic accompaniment to the fine art editions of Earth Is My Witness and Trees: Between Earth and Heaven.


2023 started out in Thailand photographing the mesmerizing eruption of bats as they streamed out of their cave and into the sunset, and stops in Honshu and Hokkaido allowed for one more crack at Japan’s winter wildlife. I then found myself on the highest plateau of India, the Ladakh region, where I was able to capture the elusive snow leopard – just in time to get it in the book!

Workshops from Moab, Utah to the Appalachian Highlands of North Carolina came prior to the annual Katmai bear trip. We also fit in an incredible adventure in Glacier Bay where we were treated to plenty of breaching whales putting on a show as well as fantastic cuisine aboard the Alaskan Story yacht.

Fall began with my next book Act Of Faith top of mind, and I was fortunate to visit Benin and Chad and capture incredible shots of ceremonies unique to each region. The year came to a close with a few more U.S. workshops and another trip to India, this time with an amazing group of tour participants capturing the wildlife in Kanha and Kaziranga National Parks.

It was a loaded year – and 2024 is shaping up to be busy as well!

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Wildlife Wednesday – New Photos from India!


In November the first Wild Lives photo journey took us to Kanha and Kaziranga National Parks in India. Set on The Chhota Nagpur Plateau in Madhya Pradesh, Kanha provides breathtaking vistas of grassy plains and sal forests. It is the ideal habitat for both tigers and their prey, and we were able to see and photograph these magnificent cats, chital (axis deer), and langurs. Located to south of the great Brahmaputra River, Kaziranga National Park is home to the largest number of one-horned rhinoceros in the world. The swamps were purple with water hyacinths which made a painterly backdrop for wildlife photography.

I have several Wild Lives photo journeys on the calendar for 2024 and beyond. These immersive, small group tours focus on providing the best opportunities for capturing awe-inspiring moments of untamed beauty.

Reserve Your Spot Today!

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Explore Art Wolfe’s 2024 Workshops & WILD LIVES Photo Journeys!


2024 is on the horizon, and it’s time to think about where you might want to travel! New locations as well as return favorites are on the slate, with several trips highlighting locations where I captured just some of the hundreds of photos you’ll see in my latest book, WILD LIVES. From Alaska to the Pantanal, there’s something for everyone – including two much-requested tours in New Zealand.

Don’t miss out – reserve your spot today!

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Wild Wednesday – Glacier Bay!

Wild Wednesday continues with a recent trip to Glacier Bay. We try to run this one every other year or so, and we’ve been fortunate to work with great people on the ground and on the water in Alaska. This time around we were treated to epic breaching whales, sometimes two at a time. Great company, seafood as fresh as it gets, plentiful wildlife, and beautiful Alaskan vistas – it’s the complete package!

We’ll be back here in 2024 – sign up to reserve your spot on this exclusive photo tour before it fills up!

Preorder your signed copy of Wild Lives today!

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WILD Wednesday – Earth Is Our Witness: Africa!

I recently sat down once again with Parimal Deshpande for an episode of Earth Is Our Witness – in which I was the subject rather than the Artist-In-Residence. We’ll be releasing the episode in its entirety this holiday season. Until then, enjoy this segment on photographing wildlife in Africa as I discuss a variety of subjects ranging from conservation to technique – and stay tuned for more as we approach the release of Wild Lives!

Don’t forget to follow Earth Is Our Witness on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook for more amazing photographs and the stories behind them.

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WILD Wednesday – Thailand Bat Caves!

A while back I went to Thailand in hopes of capturing the millions of bats that erupt from caves every evening, forming an hour-long stream of the furry fliers. My goal was to capture sharp images of plentiful bats to form patterns, and with the latest camera technology – mission accomplished. I can’t wait to see these printed in WILD LIVES, which releases in just about a month – preorder your copy today!

Happy Halloween week!

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WILD Wednesday – Wild Lives Coming Soon! Katmai Bears, Alaska

It’s another WILD Wednesday! Wild Lives will be published on November 28th, and there’s still plenty of time to pre-order your signed copy. Until the book’s release, we’ll be celebrating Wild every Wednesday with new behind-the-scenes footage and stories.

This week, I’m highlighting the location where the cover of Wild was captured – Katmai, Alaska. I lead tours in this location annually, and yet I always manage to come away with something different! It’s been an incredible experience to have been coming here for so long and seeing recognizable juvenile bears mature into adults and have cubs of their own. It should be noted that much of this video was shot on an iphone in 4K and is cropped in a bit making the animals appear quite close. Always keep a safe distance between yourself and any large animal! Even in the dramatic cover of Wild Lives, where my demise looks imminent, I’m a comfortable distance away shooting with a telephoto lens, and this bear is focused on charging for fish – not hunting photographers!

Books arrive next month – time to do some arm-stretches before the signing begins!

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