Art Wolfe in South Africa

"Art Wolfe’s photographs are a superb evocation of some of the most breathtaking spectacles in the world.” — Sir David Attenborough

For over 30 years, Art Wolfe has photographed on every continent. He has authored over 65 books, each full of outstanding images. He is one of the world's greatest pictorial story tellers, Intermingling artistic and journalistic styles to create his signature images, his photography captivates the viewer. He has transformed his photography into an art form.

Magazines all over the world publish his images and pictorial stories. He is at ease in the world of television production and his acclaimed 13-episode Travels to the Edge is a stunning production. It will remain a significant part of his remarkable legacy of work.

Everyone one viewing Wolfe's evocative images has their mind captured. He stands alone in terms of sustained brilliance in photography. His passion generates its own energy. His teaching is infectious.
People are eager to learn from him and come away absolutely inspired, eager to try his unique approaches and compositional styles in their own photography.

He is a master teacher, an artist and one of the finest photographers alive today. He is coming to speak in South Africa, for the first time. This legendary photographer will be presenting seminars and photo workshops in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. It is the first time Art Wolfe will present his work in South Africa.

4 April - Johannesburg Gallagher Estate, 09h00 – 16h00. R1300 per person
6 April – Cape Town, Mutual Park 09h00 – 16h00. R1300 per person
8 – 11 April 2012. Arniston Bay Hotel. R13500pp sharing. All inclusive photo workshop.
11-14 April 2012. Arniston Bay Hotel. R13500pp sharing. All inclusive photo workshop.

Details of the content and the one day seminars and 4 day photo workshops can be seen via these links.

"Art has the broadest range of excellence of any nature photographer I know.” -- Galen Rowell

Join me and C4 Images and Safaris with Art Wolfe in South Africa for this once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from one of the great masters of photography.

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The best lens you never had

The largest 'one-off' images sale I made was for $22 000. It was with a consumer-grade-kit-lens that came with a consumer grade digital camera. It was a 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 or something along those lines. It sucked dust like a vacuum but was light, produced decent quality images and was a great travel lens. And I sold an image using it for $22 000.

Moments before the $20 000 image shot. This is probably a better photo...

Following on from my last two posts here and here, todays tip for taking better photographs is: Forget the equipment.

Or as Chase Jarvis says, "The best camera is the one thats with you", Yep the one in your hand, right now. I've heard it all about how good your glass needs to be to get a sharp image.
Most of this comes from photographers who love the glass and not necessarily the photo; who covet sharpness like an elephant yearns for oranges in a campsite during the dry season.
telling you the price I sold an image for is not being brash- it is about knowing that the image in my head was more important than the camera in my hand. The camera took the picture, the head made the image.

So get out and shoot with what you have in your hands. It will give you way more enjoyment than chasing sharpness, and perhaps even a large sale...

A nicer image of Lesotho than a dam wall.

And another.

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54 000 ways to improve your images

It seems the more people have access to the Internet, the more articles on "top 10 ways to improve your.... " pop out. They have become so popular I even found one for brushing my teeth the other day. After 35 years of doing a basic hygiene routine, here was an article telling me how to put toothpaste on my brush. Not Surprisingly, I didn't get to point 3.

Photographers are brilliant beings. We get out each day and create. There is a massive process that goes on in your head between when you have nothing in he camera, to when you do.
Sure, we all need help, but when it gets to 'improving your images with colour sliders' Then I know we've lost the plot.

So with out much further ado, here are my Points to make you a better photographer. They are the same ones that have been around for about 100 years, so for the sake of repetition, I'll repeat them again.
Get out there and take images. Nothing beats the moment of right now. Use the equipment you have and make it work for you. Study the masters- those who moved away from the norm and learn what made their images so great. Repeat from he start!

Enjoy!

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My (42) 000 best images of 2011…

And 54 000 tips on how to improve your images in Lightroom…

At the end of each year photographers gain an affliction to display what they think is their best work of the 365 days prior. Its something I now struggle with because if I showed you my favourite images for a year you would most likely think I've fallen off the photographic world map. What I would show you is the images you are bound to like. The ones that make you feel warm inside, fit a mould and are aimed at a specific forum. My personal favourites are ones that will be scratched upon, tweaked and left for me to enjoy. When last did you take images for yourself, ones where you had no intention of showing the world because they were so different? And yet the thought of them being 'ground breaking' gives you shivers down your neck?

There's a major difference between the two. Follow a formula and you will get your desired 'ooohhh' response. Change your tack and shoot for yourself, and you will really push your levels to create that '"Oooohhh" within.
There's is a significant difference. Thats when others will sit up and take notice. Read more!

Missing the shot

As good a photographer you are- how do you react when the one shot you really want, slides past you?
Most of us wont admit it openly, but I know we all miss images. Most of the time these are fleeting scenes that I’ve dreamt of taking, BBC winners, Nat geo covers… So when the image does not work, what happens?

Moments after missing the shot.

Recently I missed a fabulous image- one I have dreamt of for ages. It was a wildebeest crossing the Talek River. Before the crossing I scoped the far bank and saw lions a distance away. This placated my anxiety that the lions would hunt the wildebeest at this crossings-, as is their want with this particular pride.

Of course the beasts crossed and out of nowhere, in the bushes in the riverbed, out charged a lioness right into the middle of the beasts to pluck a yearling from them in the water. Wildebeest scattered, water splashed and a short struggle ensued in the water. We were the only vehicle and in a prime position. So what was the problem? I had just changed my large lens for a wide angle. The lion attack was going to be 3 pixels large. By the time I had swapped lenses back, the action was over- 3 seconds was the height of the action.

I was extremely upset- almost pale! I knew the scene was one of the most fantastic I had ever seen- and I had missed it.

What dis I learn from this? Its more a reaffirmation: When dealing with nature- expect the unexpected and roll with it from there.

Sometimes nature works with you. This oxpecker carrying hair was only photographed once.

This is something I’ve learnt from many years working and photographing in nature. The more I learn about animal behaviour, the more I plan for the unexpected. And when things don’t go your way, well that’s nature.

It has got me through many disappointments but also makes me appreciate the times when everything comes together that much more.

She is a beautiful beast is nature. I’m at least glad I don’t have to photograph people…!
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Simply Safari

Kenya: The ultimate safari destination, or so the book should read. From Hemingway to Selby, all have found and known Kenya to be the ultimate safari. I've just returned from a total of 5 weeks' safari in that wonderful place and am already longing for those open plains, verdant swamps and dusty views of Kilimanjaro... A strong family history in the country added extra nostalgia to each drive and I soaked up the vistas and took each image as if it was my last. Here is a small selection from the 5 weeks. Enjoy!

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News from the Mara

The second week has been as hectic in the animal action department as the first. I cant start to tell you how busy the plains have been, but the highlight was watching a lioness hunt and kill a wildebeest calf right in the middle of a crossing! Enjoy and more pics to come during the week.

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Update from the Masai Mara

Been here a week now. It always amazes me upon my arrival how much there is to photograph here- the action and intensity of the Masai Mara is way above any place I know I the world. It leaves you physically exhausted and challenged. And I love it. Here are a few images from the week. Ill try and get a few more to you in the coming weeks!

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Inspirational dedication: Life aboard Whalesong

Curt and Mich Jenner don’t own a home on land, never have. They own a boat. The first one they built by hand. It took them 18 months of blood sweat and living in a wooden shack but it got them out onto the open seas. Why? They wanted to study whales. And nothing was going to stop them. 20 years later and they are on their 4th boat. They still study whales- but now they are regarded as being at the forefront of whale data collection and analysis in the world- something that has come about from 20 years of dedication to their task.

Mich is host, lead whale spotter, whale researcher, photographer mum, mother, schoolteacher to Taz and wife. Amazing.

Their latest boat is a registered icebreaker, which will allow them to follow the whales down into the Antarctic feeding grounds. Something which has hardly been done before. Their dedication to providing reputable data on the indicator species of the ocean is now allowing them to charter waters of research not done before. Something I find quite phenomenal.

With Curt’s boat turning skills I was able to get images like this.

Meeting a couple as dedicated as the Jenner’s makes me realise how much can be achieved by ‘simply getting on with following your passion’. They have endured years of struggles, financial crisis and intermittent sponsorships. But they have overcome them to forge new channels in whale research. For that they have my utmost respect.

Sunset and whales, with the crew on the bow.

As a photographer, I didn’t need much inspiration when working with Curt and Mich. Dinner time conversations were enough to have my mind going for weeks! Even when they did end up on the fly deck with a Canadian whisky…

These are a few images of ‘the Jenner’s’ on Whalesong.

Photographing whales is an exciting affair. Photographing them breaching in golden light and the whole boat goes crazy!

A young whale calf curiously inspects us.

It takes years of practise allow a whale to get so relaxed in your presence.

Curt Jenner. Skipper of Whalesong and the only man I know who can turn a 28-meter boat on a ticky when following whales.

‘Skipper’ The true captain of Whalesong…!

The Jenner’s doing what they do best, at sea.

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