It goes without saying that the past couple of years have been difficult to say the least, but we march forward! I’m blessed in that I’m very rarely at a loss for motivation and a project to work on, but I also understand how hard it can be to get back into the groove. To that end, here are 10 random tips off the top of my head to help get your 2022 rolling if the winter months and holidays had the majority of your focus:
1. Opening with one that might be a bit personal and timely to me – but get yourself patched up and moving forward! I’m taking care of a couple minor surgeries this month. If you’ve been putting any procedures off that will see you healthier and more mobile in the field, the sooner your recovery is behind you the better!
2. Pick a fine artist or photographer you admire and who’s work you appreciate, and challenge yourself to emulate their work with your camera. Having direction and context is a great motivator!
3. Keep in mind that every photo you take needn’t be a masterpiece. For every great shot I decide to share, there are plenty more left on the hard drive. The greatest artists in the world have sketchbooks full of work no one will every see, but like anything else practice makes perfect!
4. If money is not a huge barrier for you, is it time to upgrade? Over the past two years I’ve made the switch to Canon’s mirrorless system and I’m loving it!
5. If money DOES happen to be a bit of a barrier, check your local camera stores or online services for camera gear and rent some lenses for your system that you don’t already own. Changing your perspective can be huge!
6. Make new friends! Most cities have camera clubs, or use things like the MeetUp app to locate like-minded individuals.
7. Check your local guides to parks and recreation, or take a trip a short road trip to a city or town you’re not as familiar with and do some exploring. The process of scouting locations for our workshops often give me ideas I didn’t know I was looking for.
8. Libraries are still a thing!
9. Maybe what you need to be motivated this year isn’t related to photography at all. Is there a passion from your past that you’ve back-burnered for years? Maybe it’s time to work on that novel. I recently visited the Blick art supply store here in Seattle to prepare to do some fine art painting.
10. Last but not least – tune in to Art Wolfe Live, this blog, and stay up to date on my events page – I’ll do my best to keep you motivated!
Is it that time already? 2018 started off a bit slow with a foot surgery that kept me home to “kick off” the year (pun entirely intended) but definitely picked up pace as time went by, culminating in a nearly seven-week trip around the world! This year’s travel starts off rather quickly with a trip to the Northern California coast next week. Here is a brief rundown of this past year’s highlights:
•All year long, we’ve been aiming to bring useful educational content to the masses via Technique Tuesday posts on the blog.
•Spiritual Journey won a Graphis Gold Award for their 2018 Photography Annual.
•I had a fantastic time traveling to the East Coast and presenting to the Carolina’s Nature Photographer’s Association, as well as a trip across the pond to Birmingham, UK to present Earth Is My Witness at the Photography Show.
•Mitch Stringer and myself got together to create a special extended episode of Where’s Art – check it out if you missed it!
•More books! A trade edition of Human Canvas is in the works, as well as my collaboration with Dr. Sam Wasser, Silent Giants: Elephant Conservation in an Age of Extinction.
•More Workshops! Sign up today to reserve your spot!
•I’ll be presenting at Wildspeak in Washington D.C. in November
. . .and much more to come; currently I’m awash in calendars trying to strategize – stay tuned for updates and have a wonderful new year!
What an incredible year it was! I got to meet so many very nice people all over the world. I also turned 60 and became an orphan this year.
Thank you all for participating with me in workshops, tours, classes and in the studio. We all learned so much from each other.
Thanks also to my incredible staff and fellow associate instructors for supporting me and helping me be prepared for the multitude of places and events I touched.
Before we launch into the next year with a full head of steam, enjoy a brief backward glance of some of the places I traveled to this year teaching workshops and classes. I find this is a great way to catch my breath before diving in again. Forgive me if I didn’t mention your spot, even though I was really there.
India
Japan
China
Olympic Peninsula
Canadian Rockies
Eastern Oregon
Seattle
San Francisco
Vancouver
Iceland
Alaska
Canadian Rockies
Palouse, WA
South Africa
Botswana
Ethiopia
Namibia
Montreal
New York City
