Busy week both here in Art Wolfe land and the world! Sports are returning in limited fashion, political fallout, and conflicts of ideology that are having harmful results (wear a mask! Please – I have many more book projects to complete!). I absolutely enjoyed chatting with Michelle Valberg last night on Earth Is Our Witness. If you enjoyed Michelle’s work, don’t forget to pop over to the Earth Is Our Witness Instagram page and give a photo you like a comment – a lucky winner will receive a free print!
Last night on Tequila Time, I had a bit of fun with a look at some of the antics of my youth, but I also ended on a poignant note. As many of you are aware, the flora, fauna, and livelihood of local fishermen is under immense threat by the proposed Pebble Mine project in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska If the Pebble Mine goes through, the bears will lose, the fish will lose, Alaskans will lose, and Earth will lose. It’s short term gain for the few and long-term destruction for the many.
A little over a year ago now I sent out a call to action to contact your congresspersons and let them know your thoughts on this project, that only serves to propagate wealth for the few while ravaging this beautiful and globally unique environment that we and future generations will lose out on.
With the recent Army Corps of Engineer’s Environmental Impact Study being labelled as inherently flawed and wholly inadequate by respected organizations such as the NRDC and the obvious interests of the Save Bristol Bay campaign, it’s time to make voices heard. No project ever goes flawlessly. We know this as humans. I do my best to see both sides of a conflict, but when it comes to matters of the environment versus the personal gain of a few individuals whom already possess the means to undertake such an environmentally devastating project, my decision is very simple.
We will continue to fight the good fight! Have a fantastic weekend!
This week’s episode is titled, “The Big Picture”. It’s all about large landscapes, large formats, and large ideas. I discuss how I ensure that the elements of design we’ve discussed until now don’t get lost in the vastness of an open landscape, or wide panoramic shot.
Enjoy – we are at the half way point of Season 1! Hopefully everyone who has purchased Pathways thus far has found the first 6 hours useful. Don’t forget to leave a comment below, on my on demand page, or contact my staff if you have any feedback on your experience with Pathways, and how to make Season 2 even better!
I was back LIVE last night with Parimal Deshpande for Tequila Time last night discussing my first travel in months. We discuss photographing American Crocodiles up close and personal, complete with photos and video – check it out if you missed the live broadcast!
I during the broadcast I also mention the excellent support I had on this trip from our contacts on the ground and I wanted to highlight them here. Javier Salas and his company XTC Dive Center. They were incredibly supportive to me as well as my staff back home. I can’t recommend them enough.
You know, there simply aren’t very many places to swim with crocs – imagine that! If you’re going to do so, these are the experts to do it with!
Tequila Time was a great appetizer, but the main course for the evening (not me for the crocs, fortunately!) was sitting down once again with Parimal to talk to Phil Borges on Earth Is Our Witness – a fantastic new interview series with photographers around the world, with an emphasis on mindfulness and our place as fellow humans living on the same planet.
To that end, Phil Borges has long been a photographer for change, documenting the struggles and perseverance of cultures around the world. It was a fantastic interview – watch it here – and make sure you follow Earth Is Our Witness on Facebook to catch future interviews live, and visit the EIOW Instagram page for beautiful galleries of our featured photographers!
It’s been a busy month and perusing the series of images I have created in the last fifteen years, that seems to be the case for many a June! No surprise is a wonderful month for photography. From Alaskan Arctic to the Australian Outback, take a visual journey around the globe in June!
If you’ve subscribed to become a view of the first season of Pathways to Creativity, good news – Episode 5 is up today! Though much of my instruction is designed to train your artistic eye and hone your vision into that of an accomplished visual storyteller, this episode talks a little hardware. I discuss the lenses I use most often, which ones I might consider leaving at home on a long trip, the circumstances that influence my choices – and much more! It’s a longer episode, but packed with decades worth of professional experience.
I’m back in Seattle today where I’ll be starting my 14-day quarantine – safety first!
Due to connectivity issues and concerns we decided to record this episode of tequila time first and then share, to ensure I at least had some new content for you. I’m on the road travelling for the first time in a while – down in Mexico hoping to swim with some big crocs! Enjoy and I’ll see you next week!
It’s taken some time to look back over my career and select the best photos to illustrate the many lessons included in Pathways, and the feedback I’ve received so far from those who have subscribed has been incredibly gratifying.
If you’re on the fence about the series, here are a couple questions that have come up:
Q: Is there any kind of free trial for Pathways to Creativity, so I can get the gist of what it is all about before I buy?
A: Absolutely! Below and on the Pathways website you’ll find a free nearly 16-minute long preview that includes a few segments from the first 3 episodes.
Q: If I purchase a single episode, but decide I’d like to upgrade to the entire series, is that possible?
A: Of course! If you’ve purchased a single episode and decide you’d like to purchase the complete series, simply email us at info@artwolfe.com, or email vimeo through the help menu on the right side of my On Demand page and provide the name and email address of the original purchaser. We can provide you with a code to apply to the series for any previous episodes you have purchased, not to exceed the cost of the full series price.
Q: Season 1 implies a Season 2; is there a release date for the second season yet?
A: While there is no release date set in stone for S2 of Pathways, I already have the chapters laid out and ready to go, with a bit more finessing – rest assured S2 is all but a certainty in the very near future!
One of the last trips I was able to take before travel restrictions tightened up globally was an Antarctica expedition with my good friend Kevin Raber and 28 participants above the Magellan Explorer.
If you have some time, you should definitely check out Kevin’s story on photopxl.com. It’s complete with photos and beautiful video captured on the expedition with interviews and plenty of fun!
In case you missed last night’s episode of Tequila Time, you can watch it here! In this episode I discussed times in my career in which I may have done something a little risky, or my understanding of the dangers involved may have been overruled by my need to get that perfect shot. Learn from my mistakes! And just a Public Service Announcement in case you simply can’t find the time to watch the video – stay away from sloth bears!
If you’ve missed any past episodes and want to get caught up, you can find links to all the videos on my multimedia page. Catch every story, every moment, and every Tequila-induced “TMI” moment!
Also, stay tuned to my social channels regarding next week’s episode of Tequila Time – I’ll finally be travelling (and taking all the proper precautions!). That may mean adjusting the Tequila Time format and timing a bit to accommodate when I might have a strong enough connection to broadcast.
Thanks to all who continue to join our weekly chats!
Back in 1975, I graduated from the University of Washington with Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and Art Education – and this is the foundation I’ve built my career upon, traveling the world and capturing images utilizing the tenets of my traditional art background. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and Pathways is the cultivation of 45 years of these pursuits.
The feedback I’ve gotten for the first two episodes of Pathways has been wholly positive and I can’t thank you enough for checking it out. I love sharing what I do, and to be able to combine that with the affinity I have for teaching is the perfect way to share it.
If you’re looking to be inspired to take your photography to the next level and consciously create beautiful shots that artistically emphasize your subject to it’s fullest extent – look no further!
We just wrapped up this week’s Tequila Time, and there were so many comments about wanting to see the images that I wanted to get them up ASAP!
Don’t forget to also follow @EarthIsOurWitness on Instagram and join us again tonight at 7 PM PST for an interview with Australian photographer Darren Jew who specializes in underwater photography, but as discussed on our EIOW preview earlier today, does, in fact, breath oxygene!
Lastly, just a reminder that Pathways to Creativitylaunched last week. It was a quiet launch because of more important things happening in the world, but for those who have checked it out, the feedback has been fantastic.
It’s Tuesday – that means a new episode of 
