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.”
There is still time and there are still a few spots left on this incredible adventure, as shown in my TV series Travels to the Edge.
The Pantanal offers a wetland environment like no other on the planet. At 54,000 square miles you could hide the whole of the Florida Everglades in the center and never find them. It’s no secret that I love photographing wildlife and the Pantanal offers some of the best avian photography anywhere. While the Amazon rain forest may be larger, the Pantanal has a concentration of wildlife that allows you to see (and photograph) 100 times more birds and animals than you ever would in the Amazon. I chose the Pantanal for my TV show for this very reason.
You will have the chance to photograph capybaras and caimans and many of the 400 species of birds that live in the Pantanal. Nearly a quarter of these birds weighing in at over a pound (1.6kg) – which is a pretty big bird when you stop to think about it. We may even get to see Giant Otters (big as a grown man) and Giant Anteaters. If you’ve seen the episode of “Travels to the Edge” from this region you have some idea of what you’ll be in store for. But don’t worry, when it comes to the caimans, we’ll keep a respectful distance (this time).
Through traveling to photograph wildlife, I have been blessed with getting to know some of the most interesting and diverse cultures around the world. For this tour, I have scheduled visits to two working Brazilian ranches so we can get a taste of what it is like to pull a living from this land and call it home. To visit a country without getting to know the people is an incomplete story for me. There is so much to be learned from others who share this earth with us but have different perspectives and unique viewpoints. Seeing the challenges they face can bring a new perspective to our own lives.
And if you’re not hooked yet… on my previous trips I have stumbled across a very remote corner of the Pantanal where there is an incredible opportunity to see Jaguars in the wild. This particular group has become habituated to seeing people much like some of the lion troops you would see on safari in Africa and they no longer instinctively retreat and hide in the dense forest. It may take a while to swallow your heart back down from the middle of your throat, but seeing a Jaguar in the wild is a experience you will never forget.
11 days/10 night Photography Expedition led by Art Wolfe
Change is coming quickly to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. New elections have brought the hope for democracy, Nobel peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in parliament, and now is the time to travel to this fascinating country!
Explore the ancient cities, Buddhist temples, and vibrant culture of this country just opening up to the outside world.
