Designed in the spirit of our signature tours, this remarkable experience combines expert instruction, breathtaking landscapes, and the rare chance to photograph some of the most iconic terrain in the solar system. From the stark beauty of the Sea of Tranquility to the dramatic rim views of ancient lunar craters, each stop has been crafted for photographers who want to capture something few have ever seen firsthand.

The journey is led by a seasoned astronaut guide and supported by a noted lunar tourism expert, offering a thoughtful blend of exploration, education, and creative inspiration. Guests can expect a carefully planned itinerary, premium accommodations, and the kind of access and attention to detail that define every Art Wolfe adventure, even if this one happens to be 238,900 miles from home.

There is now just one spot left on this unforgettable workshop. If you have ever wanted to take your photography to new heights, this may be the ultimate opportunity.

Reserve the final space before this extraordinary journey leaves orbit!

Since I spend so much time traveling to lead photo tours and workshops, I’m asked this question often: When is the best time to book flights?

It is a fair question, and the honest answer is that there is no single rule that works every time. Airfare has become increasingly unpredictable, and today there can be real advantages and disadvantages to both booking early and waiting a bit longer. Add in global instability, shifting fuel costs, and economic uncertainty, and the picture becomes even less straightforward.

That said, here is the general guidance my staff and I have found most useful:

Advantages of Booking Early

Booking earlier can offer a few clear benefits. First, there is the peace of mind that comes from having your flights secured and one more detail checked off your list. In some cases, booking early may also mean a better fare, particularly if prices continue to rise due to broader political or economic pressures. It also usually gives you the best selection of flight times, seat choices, and more efficient routing.

Disadvantages of Booking Early

At the same time, booking too far in advance is not always the best strategy. Data often shows that the lowest fares appear within a “golden window,” rather than many months ahead, so purchasing six or more months early can sometimes mean paying more than necessary.

There is also the possibility that prices will drop after you purchase, leaving you to track fare changes and negotiate with the airline for a credit or reimbursement. Early booking can also reduce flexibility if your plans shift, or if the airline changes its schedule. Flight times can move, aircraft can be swapped out, seating can change, and partner-airline connections may be affected, sometimes resulting in longer or less convenient itineraries.

The General “Sweet Spot”

As a rule of thumb, the timing that tends to work best is:

Domestic flights: about 1–3 months in advance
International flights: about 2–5 months in advance

The biggest exception is peak travel periods. If you are traveling during holidays, majo

r vacation seasons, or other especially busy times, it is usually wise to book well ahead.

Our Practical Take

Even with all the data, booking flights can still feel a bit like a gamble. Over the past year and a half, my team and I have spent so much time adjusting flights, or dealing with airline schedule changes, that any savings from booking very early have often been offset by the inconvenience.

Because of that, we have become more cautious about locking in flights too far ahead. These days, we often find ourselves booking in that 1–3 month window, depending on the destination and time of year.

In the end, there is no perfect formula, but a thoughtful balance of timing, flexibility, and tolerance for risk usually leads to the best outcome.

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming a team from Epson to the studio for a behind-the-scenes shoot as part of an upcoming marketing campaign. It was a fun and energetic day, with cameras capturing the workflow, the environment, and the small details that make the studio tick. Having an outside team document the process offered a fresh perspective on the work that happens here every day.

During the visit, my long-time photo editor teamed up with Epson’s long-time marketing manager of professional imaging to review a selection of images from the studio. Together they carefully chose the photographs they felt would best showcase the qualities of Epson Hot Press Bright Paper. The process sparked plenty of great conversation about tonal depth, texture, and the subtle details that come alive when the right image meets the right paper.

We thought it would be fun to share the fruits of that collaboration with you. There’s always something special about seeing photographs move from screen to print, and it’s especially rewarding when the results are this beautiful. No matter how many times it happens, there’s still a bit of excitement in holding a finished print and appreciating the craftsmanship that brings an image fully to life.

February in Japan has quietly become a bit of a tradition for me. I keep telling myself I’ll skip a year, and somehow I end up back there again with a camera in hand. The snow monkeys are the main reason. Watching them soak in steaming hot springs while snow falls around them is one of those scenes that never loses its appeal. Pink faces, white snow, and rising steam create images that practically compose themselves. The monkeys are wonderfully expressive and endlessly entertaining to photograph.

From there we head north to Hokkaido. In Kushiro Shitsugen National Park the red crowned cranes gather across the winter fields and wetlands. At sunrise they bow, leap, and call to one another in slow, deliberate movements. Mist and soft golden light fill the landscape and every moment feels carefully choreographed. It is quiet, beautiful, and incredibly rewarding for photographers.

Nearby we spend time with whooper swans drifting across icy lakes and wetlands. Their bright white feathers and long necks create elegant shapes on the water, and the reflections can be spectacular in calm conditions. It is one of those locations where every direction offers a new composition.

Then we travel to the Shiretoko Peninsula where the drift ice brings in one of the most impressive birds in the world, the Steller’s sea eagle. These birds are enormous, powerful, and unforgettable to watch in flight. From the boat we photograph them soaring, circling, and diving down to the ice to grab fish. It is dramatic wildlife photography at its finest.

Japan is an incredibly welcoming and beautiful country to explore, and it is a place I return to again and again. This November I will be leading another journey in Kyoto during the height of autumn color. Temples, gardens, and vibrant foliage make it one of the most visually stunning seasons in Japan and a wonderful place to explore with a camera.

We have Epson in the studio today for a behind-the-scenes shoot, which is always fun. We have a great relationship with their team. People sometimes assume the hard part is getting the shot. That’s only half of it. If the print doesn’t hold the depth, subtle color shifts, and fine detail I saw in the field, then the photograph isn’t finished. That’s why I’ve worked so closely with Epson for years. Their printers and archival inks let us reproduce the full tonal range with rich blacks, delicate highlights, and those nuanced colors that can easily get lost.

In the studio, every print is proofed, adjusted, and inspected. I want someone standing in front of a finished piece to feel like they’ve stepped into the landscape with me. Epson’s large-format printers and fine art papers give us that level of control and consistency, print after print.

I’ve always believed the print is the final expression of a photograph. It’s not just ink on paper but the culmination of the entire journey, from fieldwork to darkroom to wall. Working with partners who care about craftsmanship as much as I do makes that possible.

While you’re here, check out my video with Richard Young where we printed photographs from New Zealand. Gavriel and I will be joining Richard to lead a tour through New Zealand’s falls season which takes place in just a couple months, when many of us will be ushering in the spring. Space still remains on this trip, and participants will receive a 16×20 fine art print to celebrate this collaboration with Epson!

In January we had a terrific safari in the Serengeti. We were lucky to be in a less-visited area of wide-open plains scattered with granite hills–classic scenes of East Africa. It is on these exact rocky outcrops where the action lies, for leopards and lions lie up here, awaiting you to discover them in the early mornings. And when you do find them, it is the quintessential African scene, large cats poised on the precipice of rocky outcrops overlooking open plains. It is Africa defined and it is photographic heaven.

Then we moved on to the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti to witness the wildebeest calving season. More than half a million wildebeests converge here to give birth, flooding the landscape with life and attracting a full cast of predators in their wake. Mixed in with the activity of the big cats are elephants, giraffe, zebras, and hyenas. We were able to travel where there was more wildlife and fewer vehicles, a rare luxury for any wildlife experience in East Africa today.

If you’re interested in joining me on my next great adventure, I’ve got a couple fantastic trips coming up, including a return to New Zealand for what is their fall color season at the end of April. My last trip there was fantastic and with fall weather and autumn hues, this one is sure to check a lot of boxes for myself and our participants!

In December 2025 a good friend and I ventured into the waters around Papua New Guinea and also took a foray inland to photograph colorful tribes.

In places like Stetin Bay, the water is remarkably clear, revealing steep reef walls, sponges, and schools of barracuda cruising past. The biodiversity is staggering. Coral gardens here are largely untouched, bursting with healthy hard corals and clouds of small fish.

Enjoy the photos, and have a great weekend!

After a lifetime spent chasing light across the globe, I’ve come to appreciate something surprising: some of the most meaningful photographic experiences are waiting right here at home. The U.S.  still finds ways to catch me off guard, and I’m always looking for fresh ways to see familiar places. Over the coming year, I’ll be returning to a small collection of landscapes I know deeply. Each one offering its own creative challenges, rewards, and of course excellent company.

We’ll begin in Katmai, Alaska, where only two spots remain for what is, quite simply, the ultimate bear experience. Massive coastal brown bears, intimate encounters, and constant photographic opportunity make this trip raw, exhilarating, and unforgettable. If one thing nudges you toward Katmai, let it be this: there is nothing else quite like it. Closer to home, the Olympic Peninsula delivers lush rainforests, wild coastline, and gentle spring light that invitesslow, thoughtful composition. Mount Rainier is all about scale and atmosphere and is an ideal classroom for refining your approach to foregrounds and dramatic landscapes. In the Columbia River Gorge, we’ll turn toward abstraction, focusing on motion, color, and form. That creative thread continues in Astoria, Oregon, a playful mix of fog, boats, bridges, textures, and graphic surprises. This trip always sells out quickly, and with just two spots left, now’s the time to claim yours.

For those looking to travel outside the U.S., there are two standout international journeys coming up as well. In Morocco, we’ll explore dramatic desert landscapes, and vibrant markets. It’s an endlessly rich mix of culture, color, and texture that feels both exotic and welcoming. Later in the season, New Zealand offers a completely different experience: autumn color across the South Island, with glacier-carved peaks, misty fiords, and some of the most photogenic landscapes on the planet. As with all these trips, the focus goes beyond destination. it’s about learning how to see, sharing the experience with curious and passionate photographers, and creating in an environment where the pressure is low and the inspiration is high. Wherever you choose to join us, I hope to see you out there in the field!

I crossed paths with her family in 1980 when I climbed Kilimanjaro with her daughter Martha. A few years later, in 1984, Ann joined our Ultima Thule Everest Expedition, spending a week with us in Lhasa, Tibet. The food there was pretty awful, but Ann had thoughtfully brought along a stash of pickled vegetables. They were fantastic, and somehow perfectly summed her up: prepared and generous. Funny what sticks with you after all these years, isn’t it? She will be deeply missed.

The Nepal Spine Foundation Fundraising Dinner and Auction supports our mission to advance spine care and neurosurgical education in Nepal through our partnership with Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

I’ll be giving a keynote speech that includes a slide show of recent work, and I’ll be joined by renowned alpinist and featured guest Graham Zimmerman.

Kick off the evening with a relaxed cocktail hour where you can grab a drink, enjoy appetizers, and catch up with friends while browsing our silent auction and Wine Toss. Afterward, you’ll move into the Cutter Room for a seated dinner created by the Rainier Club chef, with flavors inspired by traditional Nepali cuisine. It’s a great chance to settle in, enjoy something truly special, and soak in the atmosphere—VIP tables will be right up front for the night’s program.

The main event brings it all together with a warm welcome from the Nepal Spine Foundation’s co-founders, live traditional music from local Nepalese performers, and of course, Graham and myself.

Whether you come as part of a table or snag an individual seat, it’s shaping up to be an inspiring, fun, and meaningful night. Tables and individual tickets are available, along with sponsorship opportunities for those who want to support the cause even more.

I hope to see you there!