Art Wolfe

One of the country’s finest wildlife and portrait photographer is Art Wolfe. His works are regularly featured in top magazines like National Geographic and are housed in some of the most prestigious galleries. Seattle is lucky to have him as a resident and if you aren’t familiar with his name, then surely his pictures of animals (like the smiling baby fox with a flower in its mouth) or his shots of Patagonia will. He’s been around the block, circled the globe, and has managed to open a gem of an arts gallery & studio over in the Pioneer Square area. (it’s about a quick 3 minute walk from the square itself, but if you’ve got a car, it’s probably easier to use as there’s lots of parking around.) The gallery has sweeping large windows, which allow a lot of light in — they do a great job selecting some of his works where you can view them, undisturbed, and there’s museum-​quality benches for you to sit. It’s hard not to notice the Japanese-​influenced design in this 2-​floor gallery (shoji rice screens and light colored hardwood floors and trim are readily seen throughout the place).
While traveling on business, I made a point to block out some time to visit the gallery, which was opened in the last few years. I’ve been a fan of Art’s for many years and learned a bunch of great tips from his photography books (check out the one he did with John Shaw — awesome primer about landscapes, aperture and lighting).
There’s a great selection of ARt’s books — some of which you cannot get on Amazon. The best thing about them is that some are indeed autographed by Art and if not, you can place an order (in person or online) and his staff will be sure to get the book (s) personalized. Such amazing service without any sort of price gouging. I can’t say enough good things about the service — knowledgeable, personable, and not the least bit pushy (which you often find in art galleries around the world… and I’ve been to many of them and felt very disenchanted at such places). You can buy original and limited edition prints in multiple sizes — and subjects range from people, landscape, wildlife, to macro shots of flora & fauna — the ones I saw were about $ 195 and I’m sure there are variances that are lower (smaller prints) and upwards & on. There’s also a nice selection of notecards and greeting cards (done in partnership with Colorado-​based company, Leanin’ Tree)
Were I a local, I’d probably sign up for those photography workshops, which seem to cover everything you might want to learn as an amateur photographer (i.e. Photoshop, LightRoom, lighting, basic tutorials). Seattle — this is a total lucky diamond — visit, enjoy it, and support your local artists.