July wrapped up with a trip to northern Canada; more specifically the Nunavik region of Quebec. We went in search of tundra wolves, however the changes in the environment and local wildlife meant there were none to be found.
Fortunately this is such a unique part of the world that other opportunities presented themselves. A family of foxes made themselves available for our group, and I was pleased we were able to spend a couple days photographing the musk ox that roam the landscape. They were on my list already as a subject I intended to capture for an upcoming book project, so it was a great opportunity to save myself a future trip. Lemons to lemonade!
In this video shot on location in New Zealand, Art discusses the equipment used to compliment ideal overcast lighting to take photos in a forest of trees, moss, and lichens. The overcast lighting provides the perfect opportunity to capture the many layered textures of the forest without the distracting shadows and highlights of sunny direct lighting that can often hide or blow out the fine details.
Along with the overcast lighting, a longer lens to focus on areas of interest, and a shutter release with tripod to minimize movement, Art is able to capture the immense detail of the thick verdant forest.
Episode 4 of Where’s Art is here! This one is a little longer than previous installments, with more insight and photographs from my most recent trip to Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park. I’ve been coming here for so long that it’s difficult to pare down my thoughts on this location and the way it feels to be back. Glacier Bay is a trip I look forward to making every year – so much so that we plan them well in advance. Click here for more information on how you can join me on my next trip here in 2018.
In case you missed them, you can check out all of the episodes of this segment so far on the Where’s Art section of my multimedia page. We have some exciting new ideas in store for this segment in the future!
Many people believe that great photographic images are composed in a flash of inspiration; an epiphany that presents itself fully-formed, ready to be mined by the artist there to capture it. This can and does happen, yet most of the time we fumbled towards a great shot, refining the composition with each exposure.
Such is the case with one of my favorite images, featured in this video. For Technique Tuesday, hear me pull back the layers of the many elements I navigated through to get the final shot.
Harsh, direct lighting is not always the best option for shooting. However if you pick your battles, you can turn it into an advantage in creating unique imagery. Shot on location in Bolivia Art points his camera directly at the sun and uses a cactus to shield his lens, capturing effective rim lighting.
Episode 3 of Where’s Art is now up for your viewing pleasure! In case you missed them, you can check out all of the episodes of this segment so far on the Where’s Art section of my multimedia page. We have some exciting new ideas in store for this segment in the future!
This time around, I was on location in California visiting the Point Reyes National Seashore. I like to make this trip whenever I’m in the San Francisco area. There is such an array of wildlife – from bobcats to a variety of birds – it’s hard to come away unsatisfied. Special thanks to Daniel Dietrich for being my field guide during this trip!
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!
It’s no secret that soft, diffuse light is often preferred for great photos unless you’re going for a specific style, look, or feel. This quick video shows one reason why soft light is preferable. not only is the location of this village in Mali complex in terms of the many rooftops and structures, the conical rooftops themselves are textured complex pattern. Add in a busy landscape of brush and trees, and there is quite a bit going on.
Shooting this scene in more direct lighting would create a high contrast graphical image that might be interesting, but you would lose the detail that informs the viewer of the context of this location. Most of the materials used to construct this village are from the landscape it’s built upon. Showing the even tones, hues and cohesive nature in which everything blends together helps capture the symbiotic relationship between the people and the land in a way that a high contrast image with dark shadows and bright highlights simply wouldn’t deliver.
Welcome to another technique Tuesday! Today we revisit creating compelling compositions focusing on wildlife that also give context to their environment. Often times just centering up your subject isn’t the most interesting way to present it, even if your focus is on an animal or person. Unless your goal is to inform the viewer about the specific detail of the subject itself, there is often more to be learned about it’s nature by including the world it lives in.
I also give some tips on how you can ‘break the ice’ with wildlife and increase their interest and comfort level, ensuring they stick around until you get that well-composed shot you’re looking for!
Tomorrow I’m heading south to the Washington-Oregon border for my Columbia River Gorge workshop – stay tuned to the blog for new photos!
Argentine Gray Fox, Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile
Episode 4 of Where’s Art is here! This one is a little longer than previous installments, with more insight and photographs from my most recent trip to Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park. I’ve been coming here for so long that it’s difficult to pare down my thoughts on this location and the way it feels to be back. Glacier Bay is a trip I look forward to making every year – so much so that we plan them well in advance. 
