Another great time going live on Tequila Time with Art is in the books, and this time we took a tour of my Huangshan-inspired Japanese garden. It was by far the most requested feature from these live chats, so I’m thankful both the typically soggy Seattle weather and technology conspired to work together for once! Check out the video above if you missed it, or simply want to re-watch it. For more information on my garden, I’ve also included my story of how the garden came to be below. Enjoy, and have a fantastic weekend!
Nature possesses many powers. It can awe and inspire, provoke fear, and humble. As a nature photographer who frequently travels to some of the most wild and remote regions of
the world, I have truly experienced each of these emotions and more.
In all my journeys, though, one place in particular captured my soul and spirit in ways that continue to inspire me today. The incomparable grandeur of the granite spires, spectacular rocky peaks, contorted pines and swirling mists I encountered at Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in China’s Anhui Province, planted in me a desire to blend my global travels into the shape and feel of my own home environment.
Upon returning to my native Seattle nearly 35 years ago from that fateful voyage to China, I immediately purchased a property brimming with artistic potential, offering sweeping views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Full of enthusiasm, I began to transform my flat half-acre of predictable plantings and 1910 Tudor-style home into a miniature Huangshan.
Soon my simple lawn with its rhododendron border was transformed into a bustling work site. I rented a backhoe to sculpt a koi pond and cascading stream beds. A mobile crane brought in over 100 tons of moss-covered granite boulders, black pines, Western red cedars, hemlocks, Douglas firs, and Japanese maples, some with root-balls weighing as much as 8,000 pounds. My yard quickly became a place to enjoy visually as well as spiritually, and I was not alone. Wildlife promptly discovered the habitat I had created and new photographic opportunities arose.
I post no signs and have no fences, so it is quite common to discover total strangers walking along my pathways, lured by the soothing sounds of cascading waterfalls. The inviting landscape evokes the spirit of Huangshan that enchanted me so many years ago, and so long as visitors remain respectful, they’re not turned away. My decision to avoid contributing to suburban sprawl by remaining in an urban setting has been remarkably satisfying. I have enjoyed creating and maintaining critical habitat for the numerous wild denizens who share my tranquil setting.
There is something incredibly peaceful and grounding about working here, pruning the pines, weeding, planting and observing life thriving all around me. Simply put, my yard has become my therapist, my refuge, and a beautiful, relaxing place where I can explore my lifelong passions for nature and photography.
Continuing my series looking back on the previous decade and half of travel, April has been a varied month for me, with shoots spanning the globe to Europe, the Far East, the southern tip of Africa, South America, and plenty of shoots here in the states as well. This is typically an opportune time of year to visit so many locations that it’s making me antsy to think about it. Fortunately I’m keeping myself very occupied and fully immersed in creating my next series of educational and hopefully inspiring lectures – stay tuned for more information about that project, and enjoy the photos.
Greetings from Seattle! I won’t spend too much time talking about the elephant in the room, but I do want to wish each and every one of you the best through these difficult times and hope that you and yours are healthy and getting the support you need. In my limited excursions to get groceries and other necessities, I’ve witnessed nothing but kindness and support out there in the community, and that’s exactly what we need – we are truly in this together. I’m not one for standing still, and to that end I am working diligently to prepare some exciting new distance-based learning opportunities to unveil soon. Stay tuned!
One of my last trips before buckling down here was to Patagonia, with the primary goal of photographing pumas. These are notably solitary animals, whom rarely congregate or hunt with others until it’s time to breed. When cubs are born, they remain with their mother long enough to grow strong and learn to hunt before venturing out on their own. I was fortunate to capture not one but two such families on this trip – one with adorable young cubs, the other with rough-housing older siblings. To be able to follow these two groups and observe their similarities and differences kept me busy. They were surprisingly indifferent to my documentation of their days, whether they were lounging, scrapping, or enjoying some fine dining. Along the way I captured some other denizens of the area as well.
At this moment I am on my way to teach a workshop in Utah. We photographers who make travel our business are but a tiny subset of the overall tourism industry which generates 10.4% of global GDP and some 319 million jobs, but like everyone else we are closely watching this rapidly developing situation with the Novel Coronavirus. It is a huge understatement to say that getting the under control is critical.
While my life has been full of risk-taking, I don’t expect my clients to have the same threshold that I do. Already this month several of my speaking events have been rescheduled which I completely support. The health of my workshop participants is an absolute priority for me. My home, the beautiful Pacific Northwest, has become an epicenter, and is the location for my spring workshops
In light of this, I am postponing my photography workshops scheduled from later this month through the end of May. I will work with my students on rescheduling and deeply appreciate everyone’s flexibility and support as we explore options. If you are signed up for one of these workshops, my office will be contacting you soon with updates. In the mean time, feel free to email us if you have any specific questions or concerns.
My workshops later in the year are continuing as planned. For all workshops I strongly recommend travel insurance, and if you want the extra security, a CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) supplement.
While we’re all waiting for worry-free travel to return, I don’t want any of you to get rusty! Continue to hone your skills and prepare yourself for your dream trips. I will be releasing and streaming updated versions of my tutorial seminars. You’ll have the opportunity to get out in your immediate surrounds to practice and join our group review sessions. I plan to do the very same and it’ll be fun to do it together and challenge ourselves! Stay tuned to our newsletters and updates for these releases in the very near future!
Please take care of yourself, your family, and friends during this time of uncertainty and stress. We are all working to stay safe and healthy to travel another day. For up to date information on the Coronavirus, see the CDC and WHO websites.
2020 continues to fly by at a supersonic pace. Spring is just around the corner, and here in Washington things are starting to warm up. When I’m home and working in my garden I can definitely appreciate the longer days. Looking back at the past 15 years, photos from March tend to capture the colors and activity of those approaching spring months. With better weather and more hours to get things done, cultures world-wide begin to celebrate and festivals such as Holi in India have captured my attention over the years.
Enjoy the photos, and have a fantastic weekend – and for those of you in the affected time-zones, don’t forget to spring ahead this Sunday!
I hadn’t been to Easter Island since 1986 and if you’ve checked out Photographs From the Edge, you’ll know that despite my “scientific” western brain, I had quite the spiritual experience here, miles away from the closest human and surrounded by monuments of ages passed. It is places like these where despite our different backgrounds one can come and feel an almost metaphysical presence that was partially my inspiration for an upcoming book on international faith and ritual.
For that project, among others, I thought it would be great to revisit it during the Tapati Festival. Rightly so, Rapa Nui people are very proud of their heritage and this festival highlights their culture. Of course, everyone is familiar with the moai, monumental statues of ancestors. We got up at three in the morning to photograph them under the Milky Way, running around with flashlights to illuminate them in various ways.
I was also able to pull photograph three Rapa Nui men in traditional garb, overlooking the ocean. In the past, men would brave the currents and swim out to the small island in the distance and bring back seabird eggs. If they succeeded they would be regarded as heroes for their efforts.
Enjoy the photos, and stay tuned to the blog for more photos from my first couple months of 2020 travel!
Better late than never and it’s still February; where’s the year going??? More importantly, where have the past 15 years gone? It’s always interesting to look back at the various phases of my career to be reminded of my previous goals, successes and of course. . the very very occasional failures. If you’re ever struggling to come up with something to say with your photography, there are plenty of resources around to step back and take a look at. I’m an avid book collector and I’m always on the look-out for compendiums of the passions of others that may help spark an idea of my own.
There is something to be said for being your own inspiration, however – especially if it’s been some time since you’ve looked back on your own photos and/or artwork. Perhaps time and experience will give you a new angle on an old idea, or you may find the simple purity of your original concepts got lost among new technologies, software, or just the clutter of life in general.
Enjoy the photos, and stay tuned to the blog for some exciting upcoming events!
Here be Dragons! I spent most of the month of January in Asia – Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Japan, I was able to return to the place I photographed ducks and swans three decades ago for Migrations. As you can see, the congregation of waterfowl was a crush of feathers and beaks that mostly obscured any sight of the water beneath them. We also visited the beach, where storms in the region have discarded all kinds of garbage onto the shore – it was awful, but also quite a sight.
From Japan, we visited Indonesia and most notably Komodo island where I was able to capture the massive and menacing Komodo Dragons. I’d been planning this stop for a while and wasn’t disappointed, using some rigged up gear to get in nice and close.
The trip closed out in the Philippines, and this time the congregation was of revelers and worshipers at the Sinulog Festival and the – *deep breath* – Solemn Procession of the Miraculous Image of the Santa Niño. That’s quite the name, for quite the festival! I was most impressed with the variety of colorful costumes on display. I was also the sole photographer willing to get in the water with whale sharks – no regrets, enjoy the photos!
There are three opportunities left to join me in my stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest, but they will fill up quickly as these dates approach – sign up today to ensure your spot!
In April, I’ll be leading an Abstract Columbia River Gorge workshop, and while we will most definitely capture the beautiful landscapes of the region, we’ll also be doing something a bit different and including an abstract angle to the workshop a la my Abstract Astoria workshop, which is always a hit!
In May I’ll be headed back to the Olympic Peninsula, and the word here is variety! From old growth forests, hopefully some wildlife spotting, to the picturesque beaches where woodlands give way to rocky beaches – you’ll be sure to come away with plenty of diversity in your photos. The atmosphere and lighting at the margins of the day here are second to none.
Last but not least, as autumn rolls around and the fall color begins to permeate the Pacific Northwest, I head inland a bit to capture the fall color in flora surrounding majestic Mt. Rainier. The sunsets as Summer transitions to Fall captures the golds, oranges, reds, and evergreens as well to create a riot of color.
My tours in Moab, Utah have become one of our fastest selling workshops the last couple of years, and two spaces have just opened up to join me there this March. If you were on the wait list, you’ve been contacted! If you weren’t – first of all, why not!? Second, now’s your chance to sign up!
If you need some convincing, I can be very persuasive! Here are 10 reasons to join me in Moab, Utah this March!
10. Arches & Canyonlands National Parks border Moab and the Colorado River – this is a fantastic place to capture the outdoors of the Southwest!
9. If you’re a movie buff, this location should be on your bucket list. Movies such as Stagecoach, Thelma and Louise, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade filmed scenes here, among dozens more.
8. Artwork inscribed into rock faces provides an authentic look at the First Nations in the form of pictographs and petroglyphs.
7. A small town that relies on tourism to fuel it needs great food and we plan to share some fantastic meals together!
6. Critiques – what good is a workshop if you’re not there to do a little work? I’ll be giving critiques of your photos as we review them and discuss!
5. Get to know Moab – it’s a great place to return to multiple times to explore all it has to offer. Biking, rafting, and rock climbing are just a small sample of things to do there.
4. I’ve called this workshop, “Moab by Night” for a reason. Though we will do some day shooting, this is also an excellent place to capture the stars with limited light pollution and relatively consistent clear skies.
3. Mid-March is the perfect time to visit, when things are warming up from the cold winter – yet haven’t reached the scorching days of summer.
2. Of course, hands-on instruction and educational lectures. I love to talk!
1. And the #1 reason to take an Art Wolfe Workshop, completely agnostic of location and theme – hanging out with me and meeting new life-long friends and travel companions!
In all my journeys, though, one place in particular captured my soul and spirit in ways that continue to inspire me today. The incomparable grandeur of the granite spires, spectacular rocky peaks, contorted pines and swirling mists I encountered at Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in China’s Anhui Province, planted in me a desire to blend my global travels into the shape and feel of my own home environment.
Soon my simple lawn with its rhododendron border was transformed into a bustling work site. I rented a backhoe to sculpt a koi pond and cascading stream beds. A mobile crane brought in over 100 tons of moss-covered granite boulders, black pines, Western red cedars, hemlocks, Douglas firs, and Japanese maples, some with root-balls weighing as much as 8,000 pounds. My yard quickly became a place to enjoy visually as well as spiritually, and I was not alone. Wildlife promptly discovered the habitat I had created and new photographic opportunities arose.
There is something incredibly peaceful and grounding about working here, pruning the pines, weeding, planting and observing life thriving all around me. Simply put, my yard has become my therapist, my refuge, and a beautiful, relaxing place where I can explore my lifelong passions for nature and photography.
