I love to create abstract, painterly images. I often find my favorite ones in locations that most people might not even notice. This video was filmed on location in Eastern Idaho.
I also want to instill this passion in the participants of my workshops. I will be focusing on this specifically in my Oregon Coast Workshop next August. Join me and I will change the way you look at photography and the world around you!
Earlier this summer I accompanied a wonderful group of photographers on my yearly Astoria, Oregon workshop. I am pleased to share their work!
Art’s Abstract Photography workshop in Astoria was fantastic! What could be better than practicing my dream art in a beautiful environment with loads of inspiration, support, humor and companionship.
Claire Gardiner:
This workshop promised to change the way I see….and it lived up to its promise! It heightened my awareness of shapes, colors and textures. Now I can’t walk down the street without looking for metaphors! Making art out of a shipwreck or an abandoned WWII bunker was a right brain stretch for me, but I loved EVERY minute of it! Thank you Art Wolfe for heightening my awareness and opening my eyes!
Lisa Goldman
Lynne Gregg
Lynne Kester-Meyer:
I really enjoyed the workshop. Beforehand I was concerned that a workshop with someone of Art’s stature would be beyond my skills. My mistake! He found out the experience and competence of each of the participants and worked with that. He was available to all of us all the time and I really appreciated that. I was very inspired by Art and his approach and I suspect that my photography is changed forever. I’m certainly seeing shots where I never saw them before!
Matt Kiener:
Somewhere along my three year journey with photography I lost the excitement I got from going out and taking pictures; photography became more about technical details and getting the shot than being in the moment and experiencing the beauty that surrounds me. After just one weekend with Art, I have regained my excitement and passion for photography. Take care, and I hope to see you all on another workshop in the future.
This month I am giving two exciting presentations at Portland’s Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).
The April 25th event is sold out.
However, there is still space in the April 26th Art of Composition Seminar. It is my master class where I show insights and techniques that will help your photographic eye and transform your photography.
July 1 to October 1 found me photographing landscapes & wildlife near and far: caribou in Svalbard, Norway; a hummingbird nest in my own backyard in Seattle; brown bears in Alaska; Canon Beach, Oregon; Palouse wheatfields and the sleeping volcano of Mt. Rainier in Washington State; wildlife in Kenya, Uganda, and the Surma people of Ethiopia.
This three day workshop was filled with intensive field sessions. Art’s goal was to work closely with each participant to really transform and refine their skills. An image can have the power to stimulate the imagination and intellect while also telling a story that awakens the senses. He challenged them to explore the nature of creativity and discover ways to bring its power to each image.
Everyone that attended explored photography and the subjects that were presented more thoroughly than they ever had before. They all walked away with a new perspective on photography and a new found inspiration.
Photographs featured by:
Brian Allen
David Mierowsky
Jackie Anderson
John Szafranski
Larry Way
Miki Teixeira
“I have taken snapshots for more than 10 years, but I hit a wall. I knew there was something missing in my work but I just could not see it. This was my first workshop; Art Wolfe’s Oregon Coast workshop on Composition and Design. His distinctive view of the world, coupled with a unique talent to teach reinvigorated me. It was well worth the investment to get me to the next level. Thank you.”
-Don Turriaga
“The workshop was the most intense, personal experience of any photo seminars/workshops I’ve attended. The focus on the artistic aspects of photography really whet my appetite and senses to see more of what surrounds me for photo opportunities. The review of technical basics like the 10 deadly sins plus the near genius demonstration by Art of the capabilities of Lightoom will allow me to continue to progress as a serious amateur. Art’s assistants were also very helpful and courteous throughout the 3 days—they complemented Art very nicely. I would definitely consider attending another session to continue to grow my skills and vision.”
-John Szafranski
The field workshop I lead on the Oregon coast is always one of the most relaxing. The locations are gorgeous–Cannon Beach, Cape Meares, Astoria, and the Columbia River. There is always something new to see!
The next one is scheduled for July 10-12, 2015.
Need something awesome to do this weekend? Will you be in the Pacific Northwest?
For those who associate Art Wolfe solely with nature photography, be prepared for a startling revelation.
Drawing from 36 years of international travel, Art will delve into a vast range of subjects; from discovering the subject to elements of design and even new works such as time lapses. Imagery of nature, wildlife, and the world’s varied landscapes will round out the curriculum to provide the most comprehensive and imaginative class available.
EXPLORE CREATE INSPIRE
Saturday April 26th
Art of Composition – Portland, OR
Mount Hood Community College
10am-4pm
Register HERE
Sunday April 27th
Art of Composition – Seattle, WA
Kenmore Camera
10am-4pm
Register HERE
This three day workshop was filled with intensive field sessions. Art’s goal was to work closely with each participant to really transform and refine their skills. An image can have the power to stimulate the imagination and intellect while also telling a story that awakens the senses. He challenged them to explore the nature of creativity and discover ways to bring its power to each image.
Everyone that attended explored photography and the subjects that were presented more thoroughly than they ever had before. They all walked away with a new perspective on photography and a new found inspiration.
Photographs featured by:
Dianne Tomita
Kevin Coughlin
Kevin & Kyle Mullen
Peter Brisley
Steven Sholly
Sue O’Connell
“Kyle and I really enjoyed the workshop and Art helped me see and create some great images that I wouldn’t have considered before the workshop. I look forward to the next time I can travel with Art for some more great images.”
-Kevin Mullen
Can’t see the slideshow? Click HERE
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Astoria-Ilwaco Workshop August 2013 – Images by Art Wolfe
We had an exciting three-day workshop in Astoria, Oregon, concentrating on abstracts and one very old clown car. Can you guess which photos are from the clown car?
Can’t see the slideshow? Click HERE
BLOG: April Showers in Oregon – Images by Art Wolfe
What to do with April Showers? – Get an umbrella, grab your camera and get outside.
I spent 2 days photographing in the Columbia Gorge and along the Southern Washington Coast, in the rain, and I couldn’t have been happier. The previous 2 days were beautiful. Blue skies, sunshine, unseasonably warm temperatures – and I wasn’t at all interested in getting outside with my camera.
While I’m always open to any subject, on this trip I had very soft, high key, moody images in mind that I could render in black and white. The coastal and inland waters of the Columbia Gorge in addition to having one spectacular waterfall after the next are littered with old pilings from a bygone era of wealth and prosperity from the timber barons of the late 1800 and early 1900s. I have photographed these subjects in the past and knew they needed the right atmospheric conditions, namely fog, to be successful. Here in the NW fog isn’t all that predictable or persistent, but when you don’t have fog, rain can be an excellent (and even better) substitute.
The overcast skies provided the perfect soft box to light the subject, the falling rain softens the image and disturbs the water such that the long exposures necessary with my smallest apertures render the image as a high key, mysterious and quiet, yet powerful image. I knew I would be rendering these in black and white and positioned myself to maximize the white background where the sky was indistinguishable from the sea. I could have stayed with these as a subject for the entire day working different angles, focal lengths and exposures. It was food for my soul and I felt like I was at an all you can eat buffet.
I wasn’t going to overlook the waterfalls as this was the perfect time of the year to photograph them through the fine lines of the trees. The leaves have only just begun to come out adding a touch of color while not obscuring the view of the falls. Most people would say I was “too early” to shoot the falls but you’ll find in about 2 weeks time the trees will have leafed out to where the shots I was able to create with patterns of lines and positive and negative space would be impossible to replicate.
Lastly I met up with friends early in the morning to photograph the Portland Japanese Gardens. With an annual pass you can visit the gardens 2 hours ahead of the general public and photograph largely unencumbered. Again the time of year allowed for some subtle color in the maple trees as they had only begun to leaf out while not obscuring the fine details and patterns of the intricate under-story of their branches. Yes it was a bit too early for bushels of blossoms but when you look at the patterns in nature, the energy contained in a balance of positive and negative space, you’ll find there is rarely ever a bad time to photograph areas like the Japanese Gardens. And when you realize the potential you may never look at a rainy day the same way again.
