After trips to present Photography As Art in Toronto and Chicago, I spent several days last week photographing just a very few of the over 1,500 species of plants and, in particular, animals of Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California.
This is an area that has been engaged in a back and forth battle between ranchers, developers, and environmentalists, with a fascinating history and political seesaw that resonates today. It is so important that we, and generations to come, have these wild places to retreat to. You can read about it here, or better yet, make a trip of it and support your public lands.
“It is in the wild places, where the edge of the earth meets the corners of the sky, the human spirit is fed.”
Enjoy the photos, and keep an eye on the blog in the coming days for another edition of my new and well received audio/video segment, “Where’s Art?”from this location!
Episode 1 was a huge success, thanks to everyone who watched, and left comments! This time around I was in Astoria, Oregon teaching my Abstract Astoria workshop. You’ll have to excuse the audio quality, as I recorded in a bunker – but for good reason! Check out the video to find out more!
Thanks again to Mitch Stringer for providing the interview questions. If you missed the first episode of Where’s Art?, you can find that by clicking here!
My staff and I are always striving to bring you new content whenever possible, and we are proud to present to you a new feature on our site, “Where’s Art?” hosted by Mitch Stringer. Each episode of “Where’s Art?” is brought to you on location, with insightful questions from Mitch along with images from wherever I might be at the time.
Our premier episode is from my recent trip to the Columbia River Gorge with a small group to photograph not only the iconic waterfalls of the area, but also the micro-environments and details that make this part of the world unique.
I hope you enjoy this new segment! Let me know in the comments how you like it!
Last week I posted about additions and changes to my upcoming workshop schedule, and I wanted to take some time to expand on this as they begin to fill up. Despite the lack of bright sunny weather, spring is here. The days are longer, and the overcast lighting is perfect for the purposes of taking photographs in the beautiful landscapes of the Pacific northwest.
In less than a month, I’ll be leading a Columbia River Gorge workshop. From waterfall-laden rainforests to grasslands, this workshop will encompass a variety of subject matter – and good food from local restaurants to boot! My goal is to not only provide tips and techniques for shooting the varied landscape, but I’m also excited to announce that we will be lending 6-stop neutral density filters to participants to use for nighttime captures of waterfalls. I’ll also provide all participants with personalized copies of my how-to book, The Art of the Photograph.
As of this post there are six spots remaining to join me, but with only weeks to go it will fill up quickly!
I’ve scheduled another Lake Quinault retreat for October. Not only will we be photographing one of the more lush and green rainforests you’ll find, we are also providing a full day of instruction on Adobe Lightroom, as well as printing tips on EPSON printers. Come away from this workshop with new skills in the field, a better understanding of powerful and affordable photo editing and organizational software, and beautiful print or two!
We are a couple weeks away from Photography As Art in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts on May 13th. Sign up now to spend the day hanging out with me and learn how a lifetime of photography and a background in art can change the way you see the world around you. Be inspired to capture interesting and unique images!
While browsing my website, you may have also come across a couple new additions. Many people have asked me about the equipment I use in the field, and to that end we’ve created the Art Wolfe Recommended Gear page. All items listed here are items I use in the field or in some cases as I travel or edit my photos. The Featured Partners on this page are also all companies who’s products we use both in the field and in our office.
We’ve also launched the Pro Tours page – workshops led by my associates Gavriel Jecan, Sean Fitzgerald, and Yuri Choufour. I can’t be everywhere at once, and these instructors have traveled a great deal with me over the years.
Lastly, enjoy some of my latest exhibitions and photos! I was recently in Hamburg, Germany and cut the ribbon on my first ever open-air exhibit, Meisterhaft Getart. Over 50 large format prints from my book Vanishing Act are on display for free all day all night on the streets of Hamburg’s Überseequartier through June 30ths. If you find yourself in Germany, check it out!
I’ve also recently returned from central Africa, where little shade and 110 degree temperatures made for a grueling trip – but I couldn’t be happier with the variety of wildlife I was able to capture. On the ground, I was happy to find a variety of wildlife mingling within each shot. From the sky, we were able to capture the magnificent elephant herds who’ve come together in search of dwindling water sources, and in unity against the attacks of poachers in the region.
Following my exhibition opening in Hamburg, I flew off to central Africa. For eight days we endured 110 degree heat; there was no way to escape it, and I was drinking nearly two gallons of water per day. Re-entry to chilly Seattle has been a shock to the system.
For months we planned the logistics of this trip – do we take drones or not? Hire planes or not? While in Hamburg we received word from the U.S. Ambassador to this central African nation that it was not advisable to take the drone, so we scrambled & FedExed the equipment home.
This turned out to be good advice since it was almost impossible to find the elephants from the ground, and we would have needed to locate them before we could send the drones into the air. The elephants are very nervous for a reason; herds in this region, as all over the continent, have been under attack by poachers. However, the African Parks personnel believe they may be calming down just a bit after a couple years of fairly successful anti-poaching enforcement.
We ended up hiring the plane that had dropped us off at the beginning of the trip and had the back cargo door taken off. We flew over the herd, which had divided into two. By the time we departed the park the herd had split into several smaller groups. It was good timing since capturing pictures of hundreds of elephants at once are highly unlikely in the future.
If you are interested in traveling to Africa with me, I am leading a photo journey in Namibia in September of 2018. Add your name to the pre-registration list now!
I have decided to jump in on the Olympic Peninsula workshop happening in in April with Gavriel Jecan, Yuri Choufour and Libby Pfeiffer. It is only one month away, so now is the time to pull the trigger if you’ve been contemplating joining us to capture the forests, coastline, and mountain peaks of this lush location. Join myself and trusted instructors in an area with a never ending variety of subjects to shoot!
Here in my home town I am offering a special meet and greet that will take place at my house. There will be hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and a special slide show! I will also include a copy of one of my popular how-to books. The following day, we will rendezvous at the Frye Art Museum for the seminar. For those of you who attended the debut of this seminar at Kenmore Camera over a year ago, please be aware that it has been extensively updated.
Hop on this perennial favorite! I myself have decided to do just that and will co-lead this workshop with Gavriel Jecan, Yuri Choufour, and Libby Pfeiffer. We will explore this internationally recognized biosphere that is in our backyard–this is a wonderland where the scent of saltwater and fir hang in the air and the horizon sometimes seems to make the entire world appear to be shades of blue and green.
C4C17 is the 5th annual visual storytelling event put on by Blue Earth Alliance. They have brought together socially conscious businesses, non-profits, educators, public agencies and content creators for two days of inspiration, exploration, and partnership building. I will be presenting the opening keynote, “All in a Life’s Work: The Creative Process of Art Wolfe” on Friday, May 5th at 9:00 AM.
In this full-day seminar, you’ll learn that the beauty, emotion and versatility expressed through photography are matched only by the limits of your imagination. Using art history as a reference point, the seminar highlights common visual elements, from shape and space to texture and light, and shows you how to apply them to enhance your own compositions. You’ll explore innovative ways to translate conceptual ideas into creative results, learn how to spot the non-obvious, and uncover new ways to expand your visual imagination.
This is fast becoming my second most popular workshop. Situated at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River, Astoria is a fascinating and revitalizing port city with a history tied to the early territorial aspirations of the United States. My goal is work closely with each participant to truly transform and refine their skills while exploring the nature of creativity itself.
It has been a very challenging last leg of a four week tour of Northern Europe. In Norway, we’ve experienced many micro climates . When we leave our cozy little cabins we are likely to experience blinding snow with gale force winds; and then upon passing through a tunnel we find sun and calm. We have passed many a stranded tourist whom are unprepared for the treacherous driving conditions waiting for assistance to show up. Finally, near the very end of this month long tour of Germany, Finland, Iceland and Norway, the Aurora we’ve been seeking shows up!
It was rainy in Iceland this past week with no snow on the ground, however my travel companions and I made the most of it and have had a good time. The highlight was strapping on the crampons and crawling into an ice cave for some luminous shots through the glacier.
My northern European winter sojourn continues in a couple of days as we exit the Land of Ice and Fire, and begin our journey to Norway’s Lofoten Archipelago. Stay tuned to the blog and my instagram account (@artwolfe) as always for new photos!
Also a reminder about upcoming events I’m looking forward to when I return to the states:
On March 3rd I’ll be presenting Earth Is My Witness at the NANPA Summit in Jacksonville, Florida. The Summit happens March 2nd through March 4th. This is going to be an informative event featuring talks from many of the world’s foremost nature photographers at a time when an appreciation for our natural resources and respect for our earthly places could not be more significant.
On March 5th, I’ll be delivering my Photography As Art seminar in Atlanta, GA. Sign up now to ensure your spot! Photographers of all skill levels will learn to shoot captivating images regardless of their ability to travel the world or simply their own back yard.
Hope to see you there, and I also hope to see you back perusing the blog in the days to come for more photos from my trip to norther Europe!
Earlier this month I was in Myanmar for ten days, leading a photo journey with Gavriel Jecan. It was a pleasure revisiting the gritty markets of Yangon, the temples of Bagan, and the still waters of Inle Lake, perfect for photographing the now-famous fishermen.
