After another successful Photography as Art seminar in Houston, I spent a few relaxing days photographing with my longtime friend Sean Fitzgerald. I was able to add a few new species to my bird list, including green jays and painted buntings.
Any colorful birds in Boston? That’s my next stop in July for Photography as Art!
A fever of golden cownose rays glide under the blue waters off the shore of the Galapagos Islands.
Save 20% on any Rays of Gold print purchased this month. These Open Edition prints are printed on EPSON Premium Photo Luster paper using archival EPSON Ultrachrome inks. Art signs the print with a silver acid-free pen. Get more information about our Fine Art prints here.
The last leg of our trip to the Galapagos included Isabela & Espanola islands. Here we were able to capture a variety of the inhabitants of the the islands, from the usual suspects such as groups of boobies and marine iguanas to spotted eagle-rays and the colorful hawksbill turtle, which I photographed above water using my polarizer in the shallow mangrove estuaries. Pairs of albatross and a dynamic Galapagos hawk rounded out this part of our journey.
At San Cristobal & Floreana Islands I was able to capture some wonderful shots of the local bird life, and the Galapagos sea lions were all too willing to show off for the camera. I purchased a generic light weight camera housing along the way to ensure I could get these under water shots, although I was admittedly a little weary of putting my new Canon 1DX into the water in a setup that I hadn’t tested before and trust it would not leak, but no guts no glory! The payoff made the risky endeavor worth while as the sea lions gave us quite a show. I also managed to capture schools of fish as well as some boobies looking for a meal.
I couldn’t be happier with what we were able to find on this trip. The local wildlife has been an incredible host for our group.
I had a great week second week of shooting in the Galápagos. We were able to visit some new locations, and highlights included land iguanas, nesting blue-footed boobies, and colonies of frigate birds. As many people know, I’m particularly drawn towards owls, and on this trip we were able to photograph portraits of the rare Galapagos Short-eared owl. Here on the islands, like all of the other species, the Short-eared owls have evolved into bird eaters primarily feeding on the tiny Storm petrels. Galápagos Sea lions stole the show both above and below the water.
Thus far on our trip the marine iguanas have managed to steal the show, but never so much as our trip to Fernandina Island, where their masses carpeted the coastline. Some of my favorite shots so far come from these groupings, photographed from a low angle with the landscape in the background. I also managed to juxtapose some of the smaller iconic species of the Galápagos, namely lava lizards and Sally Lightfoot crabs, crawling over the lethargic marine iguanas.
There were Amazing bird sightings during our time at Santiago and Rabida Islands, including a Vermillion flycatcher and Galapagos hawk. We were also visited by curious Galapagos Penguins and Sea lions. While on board the ship eating lunch, storm petrels danced and fed along the ocean surface with moth like movements.
I’ve returned to shoot the Galapagos this week and I’m excited to bring you some new photos from the field. Today is a selection from Black Turtle Cove, in the northern part of the island of Santa Cruz. This location is only accessible by water and contains an incredible amount of wildlife both on land and in the sea. So far this trip has provided better opportunities than expected, and the weather has been fantastic! I will be adding new images from around this amazing place in the days to come.
A lone Flamingo considers its own reflection in the expanse in the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in the southwestern Andean mountains of Bolivia. This photo was captured on my most recent trip to South America.
Save 20% on any Flamenco Reflejado print purchased this month. These Open Edition prints are printed on EPSON Premium Photo Luster paper using archival EPSON Ultrachrome inks. Art signs the print with a silver acid-free pen. Get more information about our Fine Art prints here.
The USPS has revealed the last preview of their collection of 16 new Forever Stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service. The first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place on June 2nd at Javit’s Center in New York City at 11 AM during the once a decade World Stamp Show, which runs from May 28th through June 4th and promises to be a can’t-miss event for stamp collectors from across the globe.
Congratulations to all the featured artists:
David Muench, Acadia National Park
Tom Till, Arches National Park
Tim Fitzharris, Assateague Island National Seashore
Helmuth Naumer, Bandelier National Monument
Richard McGuire, Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Paul Marcellini, Everglades National Park
Tom Bean, Glacier Bay National Park
Thomas Moran, Grand Canyon National Park
John Funderburk, Gulf Islands National Seashore
Kevin Ebi, Haleakala National Park
Cindy Dyer, Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens
Hudson River School, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park
Matt Dieterich, Mount Rainier National Park
Tim Campbell, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Q.T. Luong, Theodore Roosevelt National Park
and, of course, yours truly,
Art Wolfe, Yellowstone National Park
