“I recently went on a winter workshop with Art Wolfe to Japan. The places we went were fantastic, the photographic opportunities were great, the people on the tour were lots of fun, and last, but not least, Art was really a great guy to be around. He was always helpful with photo tips and always had us in the right place at the right time. I wouldn’t hesitate to go on another workshop with him.”
“Another wonderful workshop! It’s hard to beat these trips — Art and Gavriel are great leaders — knowledgeable, enthusiastic, with a lifetime of experience in wildlife and nature photography, and fun to travel with. Art’s vision is truly inspirational … he has a unique ability to teach the “art” side of photography. And this was a terrific opportunity to experience the natural beauty of rural Japan and be exposed to some amazing wildlife. Can’t wait for the next trip! “
Beate Dalbec has become a friend over the years and she is celebrating her first big commercial sale of an image of bison and Grand Prismatic to the state of Montana. Hear from Beate in her own words her path as a photographer and the role Art has played along the way:
“My introduction to photography came when I was 15 years old, a gift from my father.
I’ve always had a passion for nature and travel photography which led me to watching Art Wolfe’s “Travels to the Edge” on PBS. It gave me a needed boost and when Art offered a workshop in Acadia National Park in Maine in 2009 I jumped at the opportunity to learn from him. Taking this workshop completely changed the way I approach photography.
Art took me out of my comfort zone and made me look at the world around me with new eyes. I followed up this first workshop with a second one from Art the same year at Mt. Rainier National Park. Though the weather was miserable I was amazed at the photographic opportunities before us.Art has taught me to always keep looking, not just to go for the obvious shot. Sure, take it, but then keep looking for different angles, details, and never walk away too soon. Anyone who has taken one of his seminars or workshops can attest that his passion for photography is infectious and that you walk away inspired to take your photography to a new level.
Through Art I connected with Gavriel Jecan and took my first photo tour with him to Myanmar in 2011 – I was instantly hooked on this gorgeous country and its wonderful people. Seeing it through the eyes of a professional photographer makes all the difference. My next project is an exhibit of my Myanmar images from this first as well as my most recent trip.
The bison at Grand Prismatic is my first big commercial licensing sale (and hopefully not my last). I traveled to Yellowstone National Park in June 2011 with my mother. While there I had hoped to hike up one of the hills surrounding Grand Prismatic hot spring in order to photograph some nice abstracts (I was inspired by Art’s captures which he had shared during the seminar).
With unpredictable weather I headed straight to Grand Prismatic to take advantage of some accommodating afternoon light. As intended I hiked up one of the hills and when I reached a nice vantage point I was quite surprised to see a herd of bison heading straight for the hot spring. I just couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t really be that lucky that they would walk right past it?! But they did! I photographed a variety of compositions, from the entire herd to smaller groups, vertical to horizontal to panoramic. After the herd had passed by, the dark clouds on the horizon earlier opened up into a thunderstorm. We packed up quickly and headed back to the car, drenched but elated to have witnessed and photographed this wonderful scene.
Photography is a wonderful creative medium that is available to anyone. My advice for other aspiring photographers is to photograph what you love and connect with others who share your same passion. Try to connect with photographers that inspire you and take advantage of opportunities to learn from them. Lastly have a website so people can see your work – there are so many different options out there, that there is really no excuse not to have one.
Photos from the talented photographers who joined us on the Olympic Workshop in January. The weather presented some challenges, but the group was adaptable and made the most out of the situation. Even a foggy wet beach was transformed into a beautiful serene environment. We were impressed by the variety of images this group was able to capture!
Jane Herzog “What a transformative 3 days in my world of nature and photography. The instructors are outstanding, each with his/her unique perspective and skills, and it is really a privilege to learn from Art. His vast experience, humor and sensitivity are inspiring…I look forward to participating in more of Art’s adventures in the future!”
Steve Kidd “The Art Wolfe Olympic Peninsula workshop was fantastic. Art and all of the instructors were extremely approachable and always offered great advice. I came away with much better photographs than if I had just gone to the locations myself. A very worthwhile trip!”
Roland Kilcher
Yolanda Moreno
Sheri Pascual “Art Wolfe is so unbelievably talented and creative and very willing to share his expertise with his students. The Olympic Peninsula’s forests and beaches gave us very diverse photo opportunities. We started our day before the sun came up and ended when the sun went down. I learned more in two days about composition and technique than I have learned in the last three years. Art also has an amazing group of accomplished photographers to help and advise as well. I was always able to get help when I needed it. Thank you Bill, Jay, and Libby! I can’t wait to go on my next workshop!”
Walking into my first Art Wolfe Workshop, I was a self-taught photographer, anxious and concerned I may not keep pace. Within minutes I was diffused. Fast forward seven seminars/workshops and I find myself standing next to Art ready to board our small plane heading towards Coastal Brown Bears. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have taken the opportunity long before my first.
He has treated me as a friend; given knowledge and support peppered by encouraging opinion. He has shared; I have tried and failed and he has tirelessly shared again. He has crept into my brain, opened my eyes and opened my world. I have grown. For that I am thankful.
Once again we experienced tremendous photographic opportunities with the bears at Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park. Here are some of the picks our fellow travelers and photographers took!
Next year the workshop will be led by Jay Goodrich & Gavriel Jecan. If you are interested in getting on their mailing list, please contact info@jaygoodrich.com.
Jim Waterbury www.jimwaterbury.com
“Thanks for a terrific workshop! What a treat to see the magnificent coastal brown bears up-close, interacting with each other in a natural setting, and seemingly oblivious to the presence of humans. As usual, I found Art’s artistic vision, passion, and vast experience photographing wildlife to be both inspiring and educational … a real privilege to have been able to spend 4 days with Art and Jay, in the wilds of Alaska, yet in a very comfortable environment. Looking forward to the next opportunity! Thanks!”
Dale Moses
Hanspeter Leupin
“Taking pictures of the bears was an absolutely amazing and breath taking experience. With the input I got from Art and Jay I learned to enhance my skills in taking pictures.”
In June I like to head to the Southwestern United States. The heat of the desert hasn’t quite yet got to the point where it is painful. Moab and Kanab, Utah are close to magnificent national parks. After the wet spring in the Northwest, it is nice to travel to a warm location, and this area offers a completely unique environment. Spectacular land formations and lots of hidden canyons can be found in Arches, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks to name a few. The Southwest certainly has a lot to offer, and we explored a small corner of it in my latest workshop. Take a look at the wonderful shots my fellow photographers got!
Adam Sabow: “It was a fantastic time – already can’t wait to plan the next one!”
Alan Sund: “We had a great trip to Moab! The participants were great – many (like me) were back from prior trips, and knew we were in store for a wonderful workshop. Art and Jay were their usual selves, always supportive but also determined to help each of us grow in our photographic abilities – and all the prep-work done by your Seattle crew made it all work smoothly. I can’t wait to find another workshop to sign up for in the near future.”
As always, it is always great to spend several days in Olympic National Park with such enthusiastic photographers! This workshop continues to be the gold standard of my learning program. Be sure to check out the blogs & websites of the following photographers!
Alan Augustine: “I really enjoyed the workshop. Art and all of his assistants were very helpful with my attempts to progress from simply documenting a scene to creating a work of art.”
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Cory Kitzan: “I had a GREAT time at this workshop. I came home and told my wife that it was the best three days of my life! It was very mentally and physically challenging. It took me two days to recover! I loved every bit of it.
Art has so much energy and passion, and seemed to really care about the quality of the workshop experience for each member of the group. He was a lot of fun to be around. His lectures and candid comments during the critiquing session were invaluable. I learned so much!
I also learned humility when I viewed my results. I’ve been taking photographs as a hobby since I was a kid (35+ years). I understand the technical side, and can take good “vacation photos”, as Art described them. I have loved Art’s photography ever since the first time I saw “Travels to the Edge”, but I didn’t know what it was that appealed to me, or how to replicate it myself. At the workshop, those questions were answered.
I now have many fun years of practice ahead of me. What I learned in those three short days will impact my photography for the rest of my life. I would highly recommend Art’s workshops and lectures to anyone interested in photography.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Cory Kitzan
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Dan Rosen: “I had a great time at the workshop!”
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Darrell Sano: “I’ve always admired Art Wolfe, ever since watching his “Travels to the Edge” PBS series. He is far more than a landscape photographer, and his fascination with people and culture attest to his multi-faceted interests and skills. Aside from looking at his work and hearing first-hand explanations behind his images, the class afforded me the opportunity to visit someplace I’ve never been. And sharing the experience with fellow attendees, especially those who I drove in our car pool, was utterly enjoyable.”
Web: www.dksfoto.com
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Ella Hudson: “Earlier in my life I have worked as a college photographer and a medical photographer. More attune to a PR and photo journalism style, I have never really explored nature as a photo subject. The grand landscape has always been too broad and vast; my photos never came close to Ansel Adams! But I enjoy others’ nature photography.
I have followed Art’s work since becoming aware of him through “Travels to the Edge.” His obvious love and passion for animals and nature’s beauty is what makes these episodes. My husband encouraged me to sign up for the Olympic Peninsula workshop as a gift to myself. This was the first real photo workshop I have ever attended. Even though I felt a little out of my comfort zone, I promised myself that I would be open to all the possibilities, no matter what. I really had no expectations; I planned to attend and see what happened.
Well, what happened was more than I could have ever expected. Photography, photography, photography morning to night with a lot of other people at times feeling out of their comfort zones, too! But that’s how you learn! Here was an opportunity to just soak it all up!
Eric Schoch: “This was a terrific workshop in a great locale. Art and all the instructors were supportive and had excellent suggestions. I learned a lot and had a great time!”
Web: ericschochphotography.com
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Kashif Izhar: “What an exhilarating experience it was to be with Art Wolfe at the Olympic Peninsula Workshop. 3 days full of great advice and ample chances to implement it in the field with first hand feedback from Art and his team. The critique session was by far the best, where Art looks at each photo for a moment and then with live Lightroom implementation, transforms it to its true potential. Wish to join Art once again at a more exotic location for a longer trip.”
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Kathryn Mead: “Art is a great teacher in lecture, field and critique. His enthusiasm is boundless as is his knowledge, which he shares freely. This was my 3rd workshop with Art. He takes us to places that offer a variety of shots. Since he’s thought out where to go, all I have to do is think about shooting. I really enjoyed shooting with a group. I got to make new friends and learn even more about photography from talking to them and seeing their work. Art’s personality sets a relaxed atmosphere. I would recommend a workshop to anyone who would like to learn more about how to see an environment in a way that allows them to create more compelling images. For me, this class is not (mostly) about f-stops and ISOs. It’s about how to see a composition. My photography has improved tremendously as a result of learning from Art.”
Nick Monkman: “Art Wolfe is a fantastic teacher and and enjoyable person just to be around. Not only did I improve my photography – I also had a fun vacation. Art’s rich background in painting and art history really help drive home his main teaching points about effect compositions. Lectures were well-organized without being oppressive and the image critique at the end of the workshop was especially rewarding. Well done…and when’s the next one?”
Blog: nickmonkman.zenfolio.com/blog/2012/6/okay-that-was-fun
Web: nickmonkman.zenfolio.com/
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Timothy Lindsay: “I learned a lot about composition and the technical aspects of photography on this workshop. Both during lectures from Art Wolfe and his helpers in the field. I recommend atttending one near your home first so you know what kind of equipment you need (and what you don’t need) when traveling with your photography equipment.”
