This is a book of spectacular and inspiring images captured by one of our premier adventure photographers. The text is fairly minimal--just enough to give the reader a fair sense of the lengths to which the photographer has gone to bring us to some of the most remote and precious places on our planet. This book makes an excellent gift for anyone who likes to meditate upon sights and adventures far from our workaday world.

Written and photographed by the greatest adventure photographer of all time, High and Wild is a must read for anyone who enjoys outdoor adventures. Galen Rowell takes us on many of his greatest outdoor journeys from California to Tibet to Alaska in this large format book. The photos are incredible and the accounts by Rowell make you wish you were there. Sadly, Galen Rowell was killed in a plane crash in August 2002 so the world will be deprived of more of his talented works. This review is for the original version, published in 1979. I look forward to the new version, published in Oct. 2002.

What a lovely book! Engrossing illustration of a way of life destroyed by the Chinese conquerors. I love reading Buddhist writings, but I think this would appeal even to those who are not interested in Buddhism, as Harrer seems to be not particularly religious and he concentrates on the everyday life of Tibetans in Lhasa.

I have been a fascinated with Galen Rowell's work since I became familiar with it while working at the now defunct Nature Company. His work is nothing short of breathtaking, and should inspire even the most sreious workaholic to pause for a moment to reflect on the wonders of nature. I have often wondered how much time Mr. Rowell spends waiting for the light or clouds to to reach the awe-inspiring beauty he captures on film. I have owned more than one set of these postcards and was thrilled that Amazon sells them as I'd been lookin for more to give as gifts. This is a wonderful introduction to his work. There are also a number of books, (these shots were taken from a book by the same name), ranging in subject from Tibet, Yosemite, and Alaska to the San Francisco Bay Area, many of which are available in paperback at very reasonable prices. I highly reccommend this "book" and any of Galen Rowell's other work to photographers, nature lovers, or anyone who needs the kind of lift provided by the undiluted beauty of nature.

Great book for stories on climbers in Yosemite!

A great book and a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Yosemite. Rowell's photographs are wonderful, and are set to John Muir's observations and memories of the Valley.

This is a book of landscape photography which works both as a coffee table presentation of some of renowned photographer Galen Rowell's most famous images, and as an informal teach-by-example guide to photography. The images range from familiar scenes of Yosemite and the Rockies, through to shots of the mountains of Pakistan and elsewhere taken during the author's career as a climber. Each is accompanied by text describing the story of how the image came to be taken, and what the photographer was thinking at the time (in some cases, apparently, "this one will sell well"!).

My sole gripe is that although the reproductions of the images are excellent, the rest of the layout is only so-so. But this is a minor complaint about a truly inspiring book. Together with John Shaw's more conventional "how-to" books, this would make an ideal gift for the aspiring landscape photographer.

Like Galen Rowell, I am a professional photographer specialising in landscape and mountain subjects. Also like him, I am what is sometimes called 'self-taught'- which, of course, means we never took college courses in photography, but have learned from many people, both in person and from books. (Has there been a genuinely self-taught photographer since Fox Talbot?) In my case, one of the most- perhaps the most- significant books has been 'Mountain Light'. There are other photographers who are as good as Galen Rowell, but very few who can write so clearly and illuminatingly about the creative and technical processes involved. Ansel Adams, of course, is the towering exception, but he was principally concerned with black and white large format photography. Galen Rowell speaks directly to those who work in colour and with smaller cameras. Adams is essential reading, but so is Galen Rowell.

IF you love the mountains and the feeling they give you as you take in their grandeur...or if you love photographing these majestic places, this book will likely become one of your favorites. As a landscape photographer, I've poured over literally thousands of landscape photos - in books, slides and magazines - but the work of Galen Rowell stands alone in the realm of mountain landscapes. As Arthus-Bertrand has mastered photography from above (aerial) and Doubilet from below (undersea), Rowell has mastered the mountains.

If you pay attention to his photos and read what Rowell has to say about the making of each, you will begin to "see the light" - quite literally. No one captures the ethereal like Galen Rowell. He has the rare ability to sense and then photograph those fleeting moments that most (even many photographers) only daydream about. His photos will not only impress your eyes but they will tug at your soul. If ever a collection of photographs defined the majesty and mystery of mountians, this is it.

Galen Rowell's photographies speek for themselves (marvelous illustrations!!!). This book provides the intellectual background (basically a compilation of more or less independent essay from "Outdoor photographer"). Just like other outdoor photographers Galen Rowell states that being a promissing (or talented) outdoor photographer one basically needs to be a naturalist.
Hence this book is short on technical advice (that's why I rated it only with 4 stars), but if advice is given it's precious (fill flash and flash compensation, aerial "wisdom" etc.). IMHO it is a backdraw that it sometimes reads like a Nikon advertisement.
After the more technical first part the rest of the book primarily deals with ethical (e.g. altering of digitized images, overcrowded tourist ressorts etc.) topics and major experiences.
Although Rowell sometimes sounds a bit snobbish, always being the first, the last, the only one, the most patient, the best informed etc. (which he probably was), it's exciting to read throughout the entire book.
I'm gratefull for new insights and the inspiration to focus on human perception when composing images (actually the book deserves some more stars for this). This book encouraged me to think about composition rather from the viewers perspective than from the photographer's. Rowell gives some book recommendations, but I started with Richard Zakia's very readable "Perception and Imaging" for it was the most recent on the market.
Throughout the book Rowell emphazises that well made photographies convey a particular spirit from the photographer experiencing the situation towards the viewer whose only chance to capture the mood is to find it in the photography.
Rowell tells you what it took him to take his pictures and, besides just interesting anecdotes, encourages to commit to the situation.
If you're searching for technical advice look for something else (e.g. John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide which is simply brilliant). Sooner or later you'll come across Galen Rowell and you'll find out that it's not just handling your gear.

This is a review that I have been meaning to write for some time, but with the recent, tragic death of the author in a light plane crash, its time to put pen to paper.

Galen Rowell was one of the outstanding adventure photographers of our time. A major proponent of "participatory photography", Rowell's unique approach was based less on equipment and technique, and more on vision and philosophy. Participatory photography is an approach where the photographer is not a passive observer of the subject, but someone who is interacting with the environment and the subjects. Rowell was an active participant, and as such was a noted mountain climber and hiker, skills that allowed him to get a unique perspective that most photographers don't even get close to.

Most of us have seen those photos of a climber hanging delicately from a cliff face, and marvelled at the extreme situation in which that climber has got themselves into. Yet few of us stop to think about the photographer, who is right there in the same place taking that photo. Many times that photographer was Galen Rowell.

His remarkable photographs have been featured in National Geographic, Outdoors and Outdoor Photographer. He wrote 18 books; some of them coffee table books, others more instructive about his approach to photography, and some of them about climbing.

The Inner Game of Outdoor Photography is one of Rowell's most recent books. Inner Game is a compilation of various articles that Rowell has written over the years for Outdoor Photographer magazine.

Clearly underwater photography is a form of participatory photography - it is difficult for the photographer to be passive. Although not known for underwater images, Rowell's philosophy and approach is one that underwater photographers should consider. Few other photographers become so much a part of their environment as underwater photographers!

As a matter of interest, Rowell did in fact do some underwater photography, and some of these pictures are published in Inner Game. When you look at these, underwater photographers may notice some backscatter - a curse that most land based photographers never learn much about. But the composition, the organisation of the elements within the photo and the technical exposure are up there with the best, as you would expect. His landscape and adventure photography are without equal.

Many underwater photographers have an extensive library of books on our subject. Many of us read up on photographic fundamentals, landscape photography, macro photography and so on, due to the parallels between topside and underwater techniques. This book is different - it focuses on the philosophy and approach. These are aspects independent of environment.

The Inner Game of Outdoor Photography is a superbly written and beautifully illustrated book. I would recommend this book highly to underwater photographers, landscape photographers, and indeed to any photographer who understands the importance of vision in image creation.

...

The advanced photographer is searching for something in a photography book different from the novice's search. The advanced photographer understands exposure, focus perspective and the fundamentals and can tie them together to create a sharp, properly exposed image. What he or she wants to know is how to form a vision of the world that he sees and translate it into what Galen Rowell call's a visionary image.

"Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography" is not a how-to book. There is no progressive review of the fundamentals. Instead it is a collection of Rowell's essays that have appeared in Outdoor Photographer magazine over the years, revised for the book and placed in a sort of order that ties subjects and ideas together, rather then in the random fashion that they appeared in the magazine. The book is divided into four parts. The first discusses photographic visualization; the second a few advanced techniques that the photographer can use; the third Rowell's own travels and the way he transformed his visions into photos;and the last, a collection of miscellaneous thoughts related to photography ranging from digital manipulation to what's really wrong in the Galapagos.

It may be that we cannot be taught how to make the leap from snapshot to visionary image. But perhaps the teacher can open up those recesses in our own mind where our creativity lurks. I know that after reading these essays and thinking about them, I've found my own approach to photography has changed for the better.

Even though the book swept me away, I have to confess to one complaint. At the top of each essay is a reference to relevant photographs contained elsewhere in the book. Several photos are referenced by more than one article. In their original magazine format, the photos conveniently appeared at the start of the essay. Here you will have to keep flipping back and forth. There probably is no economical way to provide these links, but it does break up the continuity a bit.

Although I'm pretty closely aligned with Rowell's political philosopy, which creeps in throughout the essays, especially in the final section, there's still enough appropriately provocative material here from which a photographer with a different philosophy can benefit.

Although you may feel driven to devour this volume as quickly as possible once you get a hint of its goals, I think you will keep it on hand, to occasionally dip into an essay or two to stir up your own photographic creativity.

If you own an airplane and have been wondering why your insurance company won't let you take it south of Mexico, this book will clear up the confusion. The risks of flying over unfamiliar territory, without intermediate weather reports, in the pre-GPS days are astonishing. The book starts off weak, with a lot of psychobabblish pondering that is unlikely to appeal to the pilots for whom the latter portion of the book will be interesting. Beautifully printed and bound. Unless you plan to be immortal, however, I wouldn't recommend the book to a non-pilot; there are better books with which to occupy your limited time on the planet.

I am not sure if this is a travel book, a flying book, or a book towards self discovery. It seems to be a little of each, but not enough of each. As a travel book, I get only a sense of the towns she visits, and the cultures she adores. She gives snippets, and I wanted more. As a flying book, she reveals the most about herself. She is (was) a poor pilot. She set aside her responsibilities as pilot in command and did whatever Doug told her to do, no matter the danger. Her go-no go decisions were terrible, and every novice pilot should learn from her example. As a journey into self discovery, the book was its strongest. How does the spouse of a famous and outgoing person carve out an identity of her own? This was very interesting, and here the author found her voice.

This book is a fascinating look into the world of the risk-taker and the cult of risk-taking. There is no doubt that Barbara Cushman Rowell took an inner journey. She lays all her fears before us and conquers them. Along with this journey are her husband Galen and fellow pilot Doug Tompkins, two wild adventurers who lead Barbara into risky decisions she usually regrets. In the process of wrestling with herself, her husband and Tompkins she puts us inside the cockpit during harrowing landings, inclement weather and her own demons.

True, a percentage of the photos either weren't that good or that interesting, but the point of the book was to inspire people to shoot their own photos of the same places. I really enjoy the book even after a year of reading it. I bought it right before I moved up to S.F. I still go back and look at the photos and read the text for inspiration. I can name a number of things I discovered from teh book. I learned Sutter Fort is in Sacramento, discovered teh Sonoma Coast, Wine Country, etc.

This is a great book but you must understand that it is neither an instruction manual on photography nor a real tour guidebook for San Francisco. It is written to help give you a chance to get great shots of northern California landmarks. It not only points out the best locations from which to take pictures but also provides other info such as which time of day proviides the best lighting.

On a recent trip to SF I got some amazing shots of the Golden Gate Bridge from places I would never have known even existed without this book. It shows you perspectives from several different locations for each landmark so you can choose your favorite. This allows you to head straight for the spot you've picked out and know what time of day you need to be there to get them. This kind of plan of attack will greatly increase your chances of getting great pictures.

My travel companion and I took a recent trip to California. We started in the Napa Valley and drove down the coast to San Francisco, Monterey, and Hearst Castle. This the first time either of us had been to this area. We both enjoy photography and when I read about this book I knew I had to get it for the trip. I brought two other guide books-the AAA book and "The Eyewitness Guide to California (The Eyewitness Guides are a worldwide series of guide books which I highly recommend for the info they provide and the photographs). "PhotoSecrets" was the book of choice. It gave great suggestions of where to go and what to photograph. I can't say that we got the exact photos as suggested but I got hundreds of great shots based on suggestions from the book. My favorite shots were taken at the Monterey Bay Aquarium all using the suggestions in this book. The book gives suggestions about the best times to take photos and I used this as a guide to planning each days itinerary. My biggest regret is not having enough time to visit all the great places suggested. This book has a unique prospective and I hope that someday there will be a whole series of "PhotoSecret" books.