Books And Magazines

  1. Here are some books and magazines that I have found very helpful over the past few years:

Books (Click on title to go directly to Amazon or publishers site)

          1. Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape by Galen Rowell. – A series of essays and gorgeous photos by one of the finest photographers of the 20th century.  Highly recommended if you are into landscape photography.
          2. Milky Way Nightscapes: A Guide To Photographing The Starry Night Sky by Royce Bair. – Everything you ever wanted to know about shooting the night sky, including info on low level lighting, astronomical twilight, forecasting alignment, what gear to use and post processing. Packed with info, it is the single most comprehensive book I have come across on shooting the Milky Way. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
          3. Galen Rowell’s Inner Game of Outdoor Photography – Similar to Mountain Light but more in depth articles detailing the stories behind some of his best shots.
          4. The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye – Mandatory reading if you are planning your first trip to Yosemite.  All of the key locations are expertly laid out along with example photos. The book isn’t that big, but it will fit easily into your backpack.  There is also an excellent iPhone/ipad app that contains much of the same info.
          5. The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nature Photographyby The Mountain Trail Photo Team – Contributing photographers include an all star line up of Marc Adamus, Richard Bernabe, Jim clark, Jerry Greer, Bill Lea, Ian Plant, Nye Simmons, George Stocking, Guy Tal, and Joseph Rossbach.  Inspirational and informative reading for beginners and experts alike.
          6. Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera by Brian Peterson- Excellent book for photographers who are just starting out.  Covers everything you need to know about nailing a good exposure.
          7. The wonder of Yoho: A trail guide by Don Beers- Incredibly useful book detailing Yoho National Park in Canada. Contains trails, detailed info for virtually every hike in the park.
          8. Jasper-Robson: A taste of heaven : [scenes, tales, trails] by Don Beers – Incredbily useful book detailing Jasper and Robson National Parks.
          9. Summits and Starlight: The Canadian Rockies by Paul Zizka) – Contains several of Paul’s award winning shots of the Canadian Rockies. Very inspirational reading.
          10. Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Masters by Michael Frye – Discusses everything from Ansel’s Zone System to current software/post processing ideas.  Gorgeous photos throughout.
          11. Ansel Adams: An Autobiography– Great background info on Ansel. Keep in mind that the photos are geared more towards Ansel’s life, so not as many landscape photos in this book.  I loved finding out that he was well on his way to becoming a concert pianist.

 

Magazines:

              1. Backpacker Magazine– By far my favorite and most inspirational.  Packed with articles detailing trails that I have never heard of before.  Also excellent reviews on backpacking gear.  The quality of the paper stock of this magazine is not the highest, but I’ve seen some remarkable photography since I subscribed a couple of years ago.
              2. Outdoor Photographer – Probably the leading magazine for landscape photographers.  Amazing photos combined with very informative articles.
              3. Digital Photographer – I had subscribed to this British publication but have dropped it recently.  The subscription is over $100 to receive it here in the US.  I love the sheer size of this magazine and the rich, saturated colors.  Gorgeous, solid magazine.  I just wish it wasn’t over $100 a year.
              4. Popular Photography – I prefer this to Shutterbug for some reason.  Both magazines are aimed at the same demographic, but it just seems to me that Pop Photo is laid out a bit better.