“ The best form of philosophy is the contemplation of the universe of nature .” ~ Aristotle
Sitting down with Art Wolfe is akin to delving into Aristotle ’ s treatises on “ The History of Animals .” Aristotle classified more than 500 species during his zoological explorations , while Wolfe has chronicled as many through the lens of his camera .
After spending time with Art Wolfe detailing his career and passions , what inspires him and what drives him to inspire others , I came away with a desire to engage . Whether that is engagement in nature , life , our own dreams — I don ’ t think it matters to Wolfe . Just appreciating the natural world and how you fit into it , appears to be his greatest love . He happens to do so , to our great benefit , through the lens of his camera . This remarkable appreciation and specific outlook were handed down to him by his parents , who were both photographers .
A brown bear fishes for sockeye salmon in Katmai National
Park , Alaska
“ My mom and dad were both wedding photographers . My dad was a photographer who worked off an aircraft carrier in the South Pacific . When I was seven years old he gave me his old box cameras , and that started me photographing from the tops of mountains around the Northwest .” Wolfe was born in Seattle in 1951 , a city he ’ s been proud to call home for his entire life . He was raised about a mile from his current home in West Seattle . His parents are not only attributed with giving him his first camera , but when he was very young , also encouraged him to take buses on a 10-mile journey several days a week to learn how to use those cameras . What might be considered unwise by today ’ s standards , was perfectly normal back then and this early exposure to self-sufficiency instilled in young Wolfe the confidence to handle the unknown and the curiosity to explore . “ One of the reasons I love living in the Pacific Northwest is the mountainous terrain .”
Wolfe ’ s entire career has subsequently been devoted to exploration and education . Wolfe has spent the last six decades honing his specific brand of conservation photography . The more he traveled the world seeing the need for conservation across the globe , the more passionate he became about expressing this need through his body of work .
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