Rating: 
Summary: Good book for photographers looking to go beyond 'ordinary'
Review: Galen presents a very honest and enlightening account of his approach to photography. Two things would make the book 5 stars: 1) He mentions taking photos of people as much as those of landscapes but the book has few people photos (photos not quite matching text). 2) His best insights (like the angle of the sun required to see rainbows or really green grass) are too sparse in the book.Overall, this is a very good book and it seems to me those who think Galen is off in his own ego have no better way to compare Galens talents to their own.
Rating: 
Summary: Art and technique by a master of landscapes
Review: Galen Rowell was a world-class mountaineer and photographer. He passed away with his wife in an airplane crash on August 11, 2002. He was a master of color landscapes and had the knack of catching unique combinations of light in the memorable photos that can be seen in his Mountain Light Gallery. Interestingly, he eschewed the large format cameras used by Ansel Adams and used exclusively 35mm cameras from Nikon (thus thoroughly debunking the orthodoxy that 35mm cannot be used for serious landscape photography). In this book, Rowell lays out his relation to mountains, his artistic vision and his photographic techniques, in an engaging and lively style alternating between theoretical text and more illustrative intermezzos with detailed descriptions of the story behind each image (reminiscent of Ansel Adams' Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. Like Ansel Adams, he was a member of the Sierra Club, but ecological preoccupations are woven subtly in the text. He shows a photo taken near a 4900 year old bristlecone pine that was felled by a botanist who couldn't be troubled to special-order a core sampling borer from Switzerland. The photos in the book are gorgeous, but this is no mere coffee-table book (it is too affordable to be one, for starters). All in all, I believe this book is a must-read for anyone interested in landscape photography, even if you are not into the strenuous physical style he favored.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Galen Rowell's "Mountain Light" teaches beginning, intermediate and even advanced landscape photographers more about "seeing" than any other landscape photography book I have read. Unlike many other great photographers who cannot explain their craft with great clarity (including the incomparable Henri Cartier-Bresson who simply says it is "geometry"), Rowell is articulate and explains what he is doing technically, but more important artistically. Rowell has often been compared to the American landscape portrait artist Thomas Cole--but Thomas Cole on his best day could never have produced the quality of art that Galen Rowell gives to us every day. A lot of books can teach you technique; Rowell shows technique as a part of art. The art drives the technique and not the other way around. Everyone can learn something useful from this book. A tour de force.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Galen Rowell's "Mountain Light" teaches beginning, intermediate and even advanced landscape photographers more about "seeing" than any other landscape photography book I have read. Unlike many other great photographers who cannot explain their craft with great clarity (including the incomparable Henri Cartier-Bresson who simply says it is "geometry"), Rowell is articulate and explains what he is doing technically, but more important artistically. Rowell has often been compared to the American landscape portrait artist Thomas Cole--but Thomas Cole on his best day could never have produced the quality of art that Galen Rowell gives to us every day. A lot of books can teach you technique; Rowell shows technique as a part of art. The art drives the technique and not the other way around. Everyone can learn something useful from this book. A tour de force.
Rating:
Summary: The single best how-to outdoor photography book available.
Review: I have learned more about outdoor photography from this book than all other books, magazine articles, personal tips combined. Galen holds back no secrets. This text has been my baseline bible and I have continued to learn from Galen in his monthly columns in Outdoor Photographer magazine. Galen takes great pride in his efforts to teach and educate photographers. This book is a must read for the serious outdoor photographer.
Rating:
Summary: Appealing to the technician and artist!
Review: I've read probably 20 books on photographic instruction, leafed through at least a hundred more, spent countless hours on web articles, sites, talking to people, and at least as much time taking pictures, but this is first time I can truly say that something changed my perspective of the craft. After reading each chapter I would shoot a roll of film with more confidence and better artistic and technical results. What is most striking to me is how generous Galen is with information. He explains how things work, not by telling you what to do, but by relating what HE did, which helped me draw my own conclusions and understand the material more thoroughly. For example, most photographers know that polarizers increase color saturation, cut down on glare, etc. but Galen goes the extra step of integrating the explanation with his style of photography and use of light. My appreciation for the utility of polarizers increased tenfold. He does a similar job of demystifing many other aspects of photography. I really can't say enough about Galen Rowell's messages, whether they are technical, artistic, or even philosophical. Everything made sense. After reading between the lines I realized it's not just for photography instruction, but a way to approach life itself. Read his thoughts about "Luck" and you will know what I mean. Thank you Galen!
Rating:
Summary: Landscapes without Peer
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, beautiful book
Review: If you're a photographer, you owe it to yourself to read this book. The images are beautiful, but the text! That ties together the images. The matter of fact description of amazing feats that Galen Rowell had to go through to get those pictures just takes your breath away
Rating:
Summary: Mountain Light Delight
Review: Just finished reading every remarkable word of this excellent book. Most of these photographs cannot be taken by normal mortals. They are unique, beautiful and inspiring. But on top of this Galen has researched this material in depth, providing lots of historical and cultural detail plus a personal glimpse of the life and action going on around these enLIGHTening photographs. Are there any jobs like this still open? If you are into photography, mountains and rare air, get this book.
Rating:
Summary: Mountain Light Delight
Review: Just finished reading every remarkable word of this excellent book. Most of these photographs cannot be taken by normal mortals. They are unique, beautiful and inspiring. But on top of this Galen has researched this material in depth, providing lots of historical and cultural detail plus a personal glimpse of the life and action going on around these enLIGHTening photographs. Are there any jobs like this still open? If you are into photography, mountains and rare air, get this book.
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