The next week or so is shaping up to be wonderfully busy, and I’m looking forward to a few opportunities to gather with friends, photographers, conservationists, and curious minds both back home in Seattle and online. Photography has always been about more than making images for me—it is a way of paying attention, telling stories, and building a deeper connection with the places and people that make this world so extraordinary.
If you’re nearby, I hope you’ll join me in person. And if you’re farther afield, there’s an opportunity to tune in from wherever you happen to be. Here are three upcoming events I’m especially pleased to be part of:
Wild Night Out
Wednesday, September 30 | Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
I’m delighted to support Washington Wild as the community gathers for Wild Night Out, the organization’s biggest fundraising event of the year.
Washington’s wild lands and waters are a tremendous part of what makes this corner of the world so special, and protecting them takes people who care enough to show up, work together, and keep the conversation moving forward.
The evening will bring together conservation supporters for local food and beverages, a live auction, raffle, paddle raise, conservation awards, and plenty of time to reconnect with friends and others who share a love for Washington’s extraordinary natural places.
Proceeds from the evening help Washington Wild continue its work advocating for public lands and waters throughout the state.
Thursday, October 1 | Ivar’s Salmon House, Seattle
The following evening, I’ll be joining NatureBridge for a special gathering celebrating its Olympic National Park campus and the students who experience this remarkable landscape through its programs.
I’ll be sharing a curated presentation of photographs inspired by Olympic National Park—a place of extraordinary forests, coastlines, mountains, wildlife, weather, and light. It’s a landscape I never tire of returning to, and I’m looking forward to sharing some of those experiences through images and stories.
The evening will also feature former NatureBridge board member and NASA astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, along with NatureBridge President and CEO Phil Kilbridge.
We’ll gather on the Seattle waterfront for drinks, appetizers, conversation, and even a taste of the educational experiences NatureBridge brings to students in Olympic National Park.
For photographers who can’t make it to Seattle—or who simply want to spend a Saturday immersed in photography—I’ll also be joining the New England Camera Club Council for a special virtual event featuring three presentations from photographers working across nature and landscape photography.
I’ll begin the day with my presentation, Wild Lives, exploring the animals, landscapes, cultures, and fleeting moments that have kept me traveling with a camera for more than five decades.
Later in the day, Nikon Ambassador Mike Mezeul II will present Earth, Wind, Fire, Water: Documenting Our Planet, followed by OM System Ambassador Peter Baumgarten with Into the Landscape.
It’s a full afternoon of photography, ideas, and inspiration for just $15. The presentations will be shown live and will not be recorded, so this is one of those occasions where you’ll want to be there when it happens.
One of the great pleasures of this work has always been the people I meet along the way. Photography may begin with a camera, but it quickly becomes a conversation—about wild places, cultures, conservation, creativity, and the endlessly surprising world we all share.
Whether I see you in Seattle or on the other side of a screen, I hope you’ll join me for one of these gatherings. Bring your curiosity, bring a friend, and perhaps we’ll all come away seeing the world a little differently.
Our annual trip to Alaska came a bit later this year, so it was interesting to see the bears with a bit more meat on their bones after the smorgasbord that was the salmon run. Speaking of which – don’t forget to cast your vote for Fat Bear week 2026!
Next year’s Katmai adventure will take place a bit earlier in the season once again, and that adventure is nearly full already, so if you’ve been intrigued by this trip in the past, now is the time to join and give yourself plenty of time to prepare for what is always a rewarding trip.
If you’re looking to get up to Alaska before then and focus on other aspects of this vast and varied location, I’ll also be heading there in February to photograph eagles and the aurora. Sign up now to save a few hundred bucks with an early bird discount.
Madagascar is a place of extraordinary contrasts, where richly layered cultures, everyday life, and some of the world’s most distinctive wildlife exist side by side. These photographs offer a glimpse into the rhythms of the island—from its people, communities, and landscapes to the remarkable animals found nowhere else on Earth. At the heart of the collection are Madagascar’s many species of lemurs, each uniquely adapted to the island’s forests and ecosystems, alongside other wildlife that reflects its exceptional biodiversity. Together, the images form a portrait of a country defined by natural wonder, cultural depth, and an enduring connection between people and place.
Join Art in the Field for Creative Photography Tours and Workshops
There is nothing quite like being in the field with a camera in hand, surrounded by light, texture, wildlife, landscape, and a group of people who are just as eager to see the world in a more creative way. In the coming year, I’ll be leading a series of photography tours and workshops designed to help you slow down, look deeper, and come away with images that feel personal, expressive, and alive.
Explore Coastlines, Wildlife, Autumn Landscapes, and Abstract Photography
These upcoming experiences range from the abstract possibilities of the California and Oregon coasts to the vast open landscapes and cultural traditions of Mongolia. We’ll also explore the creative potential of nature close to home in the Seattle area, chase autumn color through Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and photograph the golden aspens and mountain air of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Each workshop has its own rhythm, but the goal is always the same: to help you strengthen your eye, refine your technique, and discover new ways of translating the world into art.
Reserve Your Spot Before June 30 to Save!
Whether you are an experienced photographer or simply ready to reconnect with your creative side, these trips offer the chance to learn in inspiring locations with thoughtful instruction, field sessions, critiques, and the camaraderie of fellow travelers. I hope you’ll consider joining me for one of these journeys. The early bird specials are only available through June 30, so now is the time to reserve your spot and save a bit of cash before prices go up.
Sign up before June 30 to take advantage of early bird savings on select upcoming photography tours and workshops!
This spring, our Olympic Peninsula Photography Retreat brought us into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most lush and visually expressive landscapes in one of our nation’s many beautiful national parks. From dense rain forests and cascading water to coastal forms, textures, flora, fauna, and shifting light, the region offered endless opportunities to slow down, look more carefully, and create with intention. Having been here so often, you might think the appeal would wane. Instead, I managed to capture some of my personal favorite abstract images of the year thus far!
For me, this retreat is about more than simply visiting beautiful locations. It is about helping photographers refine the way they see, both in the field and later during the editing process. The images featured here reflect that process: creative exploration, and the inspiration that happens when we spend focused time immersed in nature.
We’ll be heading back to the Peninsula this October, when fall color and autumn weather can transform this location into a completely different yet equally stunning experience. Space is still available, so sign up and reserve your spot!
Motherhood looks a little different in the wild, but the heart of it feels familiar. Brown bear mothers are fearless providers, foraging, fishing, and guiding their cubs through the changing seasons with patience and persistence.
They are also fierce protectors, keeping their cubs close while giving them room to tumble, explore, wrestle, and grow. Every lesson and watchful moment is part of the deep bond between mother and cub.
This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating that bond with a gallery of brown bear mothers and their young. For those who dream of photographing bears in the wild, there is just one spot remaining on this summer’s Katmai, Alaska photography journey, a rare chance to safely observe and photograph these remarkable animals in one of the world’s great wilderness settings.
Earlier this month I traveled to Patagonia with some dear friends. We had several leisurely days touring and photographing Torres del Paine. Unfortunately, the puma had left the area we were in, but no matter. The mountain scenery more than made up for not seeing the cats. There were herds of guanacos camouflaged in the grassland steppe, as well as foxes, and the Andean condors were out in full force. Their size is remarkable, they absolutely dwarf the flocks of crested caracaras.
Moving on to Argentina, autumn color was on full swing in Los Glaciares National Park. One morning at the crack of dawn we hiked in two miles to see Perito Moreno glacier. Once a stable glacier, it has entered a phase of rapid retreat and thinning. Back in 2013 I photographed the glacier (with much less success due to the sun low on the horizon) from nearly the same spot. The trip was capped off by visiting the traditional neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and tango lessons—not really, but it is everywhere!
Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina 2013Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina 2026
We’ve experienced three very different photo journeys already this year.
It started off with a terrific safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti, where we were lucky to be in a less-visited area of the park. It was lush and green and full of wildlife. In February, we returned to Japan to see the playful snow monkeys, then headed north to Hokkaido, one of my favorite places on the planet. And last, in March, we led a workshop in Morocco, a stunning country of rugged mountains, undulating Saharan dunes, and colorful cities.
I recorded a podcast with fellow photographer Mitch Stringer about Morocco. Have a listen here!
In January we had a terrific safari in the Serengeti. We were lucky to be in a less-visited area of wide-open plains scattered with granite hills–classic scenes of East Africa. It is on these exact rocky outcrops where the action lies, for leopards and lions lie up here, awaiting you to discover them in the early mornings. And when you do find them, it is the quintessential African scene, large cats poised on the precipice of rocky outcrops overlooking open plains. It is Africa defined and it is photographic heaven.
Then we moved on to the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti to witness the wildebeest calving season. More than half a million wildebeests converge here to give birth, flooding the landscape with life and attracting a full cast of predators in their wake. Mixed in with the activity of the big cats are elephants, giraffe, zebras, and hyenas. We were able to travel where there was more wildlife and fewer vehicles, a rare luxury for any wildlife experience in East Africa today.
If you’re interested in joining me on my next great adventure, I’ve got a couple fantastic trips coming up, including a return to New Zealand for what is their fall color season at the end of April. My last trip there was fantastic and with fall weather and autumn hues, this one is sure to check a lot of boxes for myself and our participants!
In December 2025 a good friend and I ventured into the waters around Papua New Guinea and also took a foray inland to photograph colorful tribes.
In places like Stetin Bay, the water is remarkably clear, revealing steep reef walls, sponges, and schools of barracuda cruising past. The biodiversity is staggering. Coral gardens here are largely untouched, bursting with healthy hard corals and clouds of small fish.
