The Amazon Rainforest Is On Fire

The Amazon rainforest is on fire. 

This year, between January and August, almost 73,000 fires have been recorded, which is nearly double 2018's total of nearly 40,000 fires. It's a record high. Since Thursday, almost 10,000 new fires have started.

Read more…

2019 Scotland Tour: Isle of Skye & Highlands

To Deal With Climate Change We Need...

With all of the different ways that have been proposed to deal with climate change, this has the potential to have one of the biggest impacts, not only on the climate change, but also on the World Economy and financial industries. This article may be from a couple years ago, but the ideas expressed are just as important now as they ever have been.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/nov/05/how-a-new-money-system-could-help-stop-climate-change

'Treeline'

Yes, the skiing looks incredible, but I feel it’s all about the message. The message portrayed here is how connected trees are to humans and the environment and how important a role they play in our changing climate.

This short film, produced by Patagonia and Jordan Manly, is extremely relevant to the issues we currently face and future generations will continue to encounter. If for no other reason, you must watch this film for the captivating cinematography.

Amazing New York Times Article and Photos

New Zealand 2018 Workshop

Photo: Max Rive

Join Shane Wheel and Allan L’Heritier in January 2018 during their Ultimate New Zealand tour. This 8 day Photo tour will visit the most beautiful and scenic locations this beautiful island has to offer.  Get ready to capture Milford Sound, the Wanaka Tree, Nugget point, the Moeraki Boulders, Mount Cook, Motukiekie beach, Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki and many more well known and secret locations.

For more information:  http://www.maxrivephotography.com/p/newzealand2018

Please contact me if you have any questions or are interested in booking a spot on this amazing, once in a lifetime, trip! 

2017 Photography Tours

Photo: Max Rive

I'm excited to announce that I'll be working with the incredibly talented Max Rive guiding adventure photography tours to Iceland and Greenland for the summer of 2017.  To find out more about these tours, please visit the following links:

ICELAND - http://www.maxrivephotography.com/p/iceland

GREENLAND - http://www.maxrivephotography.com/p/greenland-2017

Please contact me if you have any questions or are interested in booking a spot to either of these amazing, once in a lifetime, trips!  

2015 Readers' Photo Contest Gallery

Whether venturing to Iceland or stepping into the backyard, catching a wild owl mid-perch, or capturing the dizzying shapes of architecture, this year’s prizewinning pictures are all about the art of composition. Read on to find out just how our readers crafted these stunning images.

The Sentinel

Sometimes you set out to photograph one place, but something completely different along the way catches your eye. I think this is probably a fairly common occurrence in Lofoten.

This rock formation, standing guard over the snowy rock covered beach, grabbed my attention as I was returning from another beach location in the Lofoten Islands of Norway.

I'd be lying if I said I wan't a little concerned with the short, steep, slippery climb down the snow covered, slimy rocks to the water. The last time I was shooting in Norway in a similar spot, I made it out alive, but my D810 wasn't so lucky. Fortunately, for me and my camera, this attempt was much more successful.

AERIAL FOOTAGE OF NORWAY

I had to share this video taken by Cody Wilson on our recent trip to Norway.  Cody filmed this all on his DJI Phantom 3 during our 8 day trip to the Lofoten Islands, just above the Arctic Circle. Enjoy!

NEW GALLERY: NORWAY | AUTUMN

I'm excited to announce that I've uploaded a new gallery that includes photos from my recent trip to the Arctic in the Lofoten Islands of Norway.  I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this place, from the dramatic mountainous fjords, the serene lake reflections to the endless epic vistas, Norway seems to have it all. 

As this was my first time visiting Norway and I was on a tight schedule, I wanted to go with someone that not only knew the area well, but had lots of experience finding the best locations to shoot in any weather condition, I found all of this with Lofoten Tours, owned and operated by Arild Heitmann and Stian Klo.  http://www.lofotentours.com/

After an incredible 10 day trip to Iceland in March, where I was hoping to see the aurora, but was skunked out by either cloudy conditions or the aurora just not showing up during the few clear patches of nighttime sky.  The Autumn Aurora tour led by Arild Heitmann and Ryan Dyar was nothing short of incredible - not only did we see the Aurora the first night, but the show continued the following 6 nights, getting more and more intense each night.  I was told on several occasions, during and after the trip, that the Northern LIghts spectacle that week was one of the strongest many people in Norway had recalled witnessing in quite a some time.

Of all the great locations shot and new experiences gained during this Arctic trip, the most memorable thing I took away from this trip was knowing that I had made new friends, that not only share a passion for photography, but will also always share the memories of this beautifully remote region in Norway, the Lofoten Islands.

I'll be adding more images to this gallery soon!  

Photo of the Day on Smithsonian.com!

National Geographic - Travel 365

Vatnajökull Ice Cave, Iceland
Photograph by Shane Wheel

The jewel-like interior of an ice cave beckons adventurers on Iceland's Vatnajökull glacier in this photo submitted to the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. The glacier was the site of a volcanic eruption in November 1996 that melted billions of gallons of ice and triggered a flood that lasted two days. The floodplain was littered with huge blocks of ice.

Travel 365. Explore the world, one incredible image at a time.

Thrillist

National Geographic is one of the few publications where you can get away with saying "I just read it for the photos” without being severely judged. So it goes without saying that when the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest rolls around, people take notice. 

Well, it’s that time of year again, and NatGeo's celebrating its 27th annual photo contest, giving unknown photographers the chance to enter and win serious prizes until June 30, 2015. The grand prize includes an eight-day photography expedition traversing Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, including airfare, for two people. Time to start rifling through those vacation photos on your laptop.

National Geographic was kind enough to share the top submissions for the month of April, and this lineup hits harder than the 1998 Yankees. Here are a few entries for your gawking pleasure, complete with captions written by the photographers.  More...

Huffington Post

10 Jaw-Dropping Photos From The 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

The entries for the 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest are in, and the photographs are as stunning as ever. The annual contest asks photographers from all around world to submit photos in four categories: Travel portraits, outdoor scenes, sense of place, and spontaneous moments. More...

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2015

Frozen In Time

The photograph "Frozen in Time" has won 3rd place in the Landscape category.  All of the winning photographs will be on view at the gallery.  Click on the events link below for more information.

Events