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.
Back in June I was absolutely honored to receive the University of Washington’s Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus (say that five times fast!) award. It truly was a humbling honor to be recognized by the Alumni Association. I’ll be joining them again this September along side Greg Greene, the brilliant author behind the text in my latest book WILD LIVES. We’ll be sharing stories from the field and our outlook on the current and future trends of wildlife conservation – and much more!
Click here for details, and I hope to see you on Friday, September 20th at 7 PM in Seattle!
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be giving not one. . not two. . but THREE talks at this year’s B&H BILD Expo this September in New York. I’ve been working with the folks at B&H for years now and I always look forward to participating in the incredible events they put together. The event is free – just get yourself registered at BILDEXPO.COM!
Here’s when and where you’ll be able to find me on stage:
Wednesday, September 6, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Wild Lives – A Celebration of Beauty, Ferocity & Revival of Earth’s Endangered Wildlife
Bild Main Stage, 4th Floor
Thursday, September 7, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Pathways to Creativity: Composition
OPTIC Stage, 4th Floor
Thursday, September 7, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Lessons from the Field with Art Wolfe & Frans Lanting
OPTIC Stage, 4th Floor
Five more reasons to attend this incredible 50th Anniversary event:
Discover and engage with 130+ top-tier brands. Come see Canon, Sony, Nikon, Red, Arri, DJI, Rode, Profoto, Apple and many others – they’re all under one roof at Bild.
I’m pleased to be joining B&H Photo Video and the National Parks At Night organization to discuss my most recent book Night On Earth in a couple weeks. How might you catch my talk and many MANY more insights into photographing between dusk and dawn? I’m glad you asked!
WHAT:
The Night Photography Summit
WHO:
More than 25 presenters teaching over 40 classes and participating in 3 panel discussions on the subject of night photography
When:
February 4 – 6, 2022 – with access for all participants to all recordings of the summit presentations through February 7, 2023!
Where:
Everything will be online – find out more information on the official Night Photo Summit Page by clicking here.
Why:
You’re a photographer of any skill level who wants to up your knowledge of shooting at night, astrophotography, and much much more!
I also have a number of new workshops being added in the coming months. It’s been tough to navigate the calendar with how fast things change in terms of COVID, but my staff is getting quite good at it and we take every precaution. We may not be able to buy happiness, but we can purchase a little peace of mind in the form of travel insurance and I highly recommend utilizing it, especially during these *deep breath* unprecedented times.
I’ll be LIVE in Seattle next week for another talk at Town hall Seattle – this time discussing my new book Night On Earth – and I’m thrilled to be joined by Ruskin Hartley of the International Dark-Sky Association. Ruskin is an expert on the subject of light pollution and the efforts to preserve the deep, dark night skies that allow us to view the heavens and the trillions stars that surround us – among many other conservation efforts!
Town Hall Seattle – The Forum
1119 8th Ave (Entrance off Seneca St.)
Seattle, Washington 98101
Nighttime is wonderfully mysterious, beautiful, and full of a certain kind of energy — and most of the time, we diurnal humans sleep right through it. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you could not only stay awake for it all but also peek in on what’s happening at night across the entire planet?
In his newest book, Night on Earth, acclaimed photographer Art Wolfe gives us a glimpse of nature, animals, and human activity on every continent, after the sun goes down. Blazing sunsets over Antarctic ice. Night markets pulsing with activity in Morocco. Glittering star trails over the Australian outback. Colonies of penguins awaking to the dawn. Wolfe reveals it all through a dazzling compilation of photos that Sir David Attenborough calls “…a suburb evocation of some of the most breathtaking spectacles in the world.”
Wolfe takes the Great Hall stage to present slides and share stories of his travels, the process of creating the book, and the fine art of picture-making at night.
Art Wolfe is an American photographer and conservationist, best known for color images of landscapes, wildlife, and indigenous cultures. His photographs document scenes from every continent and hundreds of locations, and have been noted by environmental advocacy groups for their stunning visual impact. Wolfe has created millions of images in his lifetime and travels nearly nine months out of the year photographing for new projects, leading photographic tours and seminars, and giving inspirational presentations.
Ruskin Hartley is the CEO and Executive Director at The International Dark-Sky Association, where he champions equitable access to dark skies and quality lighting for all through IDA’s award-winning programs. Prior to his position with IDA, Ruskin directed and managed conservation programs that protect land, water, and ocean resources. He has served as executive director of Save the Redwoods League, as president and CEO of Heal the Bay in Los Angeles, and as vice president of resource development at Fair Trade USA.
I’m excited and honored to announce that I’ll be a keynote speaker at this year’s OPTIC West event presented by B&H Photo Video and Lindblad Expeditions. I’ll be taking the stage with Frans Lanting and other speakers delivering both information and inspiration – register for free today!
Along with the speakers, get hands-on demonstrations of the newest technologies, day and evening photo walks, participate in critiques and reviews of your shots, learn tried and true workflow strategies, and much more!
Hope to see you there – again, this event is FREE but you must register ASAP to attend, as space is limited. Don’t miss out!
Next Wednesday, January 29th I’ll be joined by Dr. Samuel Wasser at Town Hall Seattle to give a special presentation to discuss the many threats to Elephants world wide, as well as the hopefulness surrounding the many measures being explored and executed to curb the decline of their population.
I had the honor of working with Dr. Wasser on my recent book Wild Elephants. As the director of the Center for Conservation Biology, Sam is recognized world-wide on an expert on elephant populations, and a pioneer in the area of non-invasive monitoring methods.
Through photos, conversation, and research notes we will describe the disturbing trends facing elephants – but also the work being done to ensure their continued survival.
Good news if you’re in the Pacific Northwest and could use a little photographic inspiration to recharge those chilly fall batteries – the next two weekends will see me back home for a few events, and I hope to catch you there!
As you may know if you follow me, Wild Elephants was published this week. Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered. I’ll be signing those books this weekend so we can send them out! The new trade edition of Human Canvas will also be officially published next week, but we have received those as well. I’ll be attending the Kenmore Camera Digital Photo Expo this Saturday from 10:30 AM til 12:30 PM – come and pick up your signed copy of either or both books! This is always an invaluable event with plenty of resources on-hand to talk about the latest photo tech – don’t miss it!
For those of you in the Seattle and Portland areas, there are still limited spaces remaining for both Photography As Art seminars happening in those cities – sign up to reserve your spot today!
If you’d rather gamble than secure a guaranteed spot, today is the last day to enter your name in our give-away, so check it out and enter your name before midnight for your chance to win a ticket!
It’s been an honor to be involved in judging the Greatest Massai Mara Photographer of the Year competition in 2018, and on Tuesday, January 10th 2019 at 7 PM you can join Explorer X and myself in Seattle at the Adventure Hub & Winery for an evening soirée and fundraiser celebrating these breathtaking photos captured in Kenya and Tanzania.
Wine from Elsom Cellars will be available and special guests will be in attendance. Up for bid via silent auction will be 30 award-winning photographs, as well as a trip to Africa with all proceeds from the evening benefiting the Angama Foundation in the Maasai Mara.
If you have an interest in traveling to Africa, this will be an excellent opportunity to make the acquaintance of Travel Mentors from Explorer X!
Spring is just around the corner, and after heading to the U.K. to present Earth Is My Witness at the Photography Show in Birmingham, I’ll be returning stateside for a few events in the Southeast.
Photography As Art happens on March 25th in Raleigh, North Carolina and I’ll be visiting Florida in May to present the seminar in Tampa as well. In between, I’ll be bringing a west coast favorite to Hotlanta with the inaugural Abstract Atlanta workshop, a new riff on what’s become an annual favorite that originated in Astoria, Oregon.
After being cooped up for so long, I can’t wait to get back out there refreshed and with new perspective. Hope to see you there, or at any of the other upcoming events! For those of you interested in hanging out with me in my own back yard, check out the recent post on Pacific Northwest Events.
Space is limited, and many of these events are nearing capacity. Hop on before they sell out!
