eBook Review: Photographing the Canadian Rockies by Darwin Wiggett
It’s hard to imagine many of my readers are not already familiar with Canadian photographer Darwin Wiggett. His work had been an inspiration to me for almost as long as I’ve been a photographer myself. Darwin’s name is almost synonymous with spectacular imagery of the Canadian Rockies, where he lives, works, and teaches. Still, before I delve into his most recent eBook offerings, I’d like to urge you to also visit his web site and blog to appreciate just how versatile a photographer he is. As a professional, he produces exquisite stock images, but his personal projects and great sense of humor are also guaranteed to inspire you with new and creative ideas – a hallmark of not only a great photographer but also a great role model.
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A couple of years ago I made my first trip across the border to visit some of Canada’s famous National Parks. As is my habit, I didn’t bother planning too much. I do this on purpose so as not to lock myself into any given concept or trophy image and keep my mind open to discovering things as I go along. Still, not knowing much about the area, I did bring along just one guide book: Darwin’s How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies. I have since recommended it to anyone traveling to the region. For such a compact and portable book, it was packed with more information and tips than you can fit into a dozen trips or more. The thing is, the book is now out of print BUT for a good reason: Darwin adapted the concept into an even more versatile format: a series of eBooks, available at www.howtophotographthecanadianrockies.com, focused on specific regions in the Rockies, and offering a treasure trove of useful information, directions, and practical advice.
The first two titles in the series are focused on the Icefields Parkway – one of the most spectacular stretches of road anywhere – with one volume specifically dedicated to winter photography, when the place is transformed and offers new and unique opportunities not often seen by most tourists. Additional titles covering Banff and Jasper National Parks are in the works and already listed on the site, and I am anxiously awaiting to see if Darwin will also share his secrets of Waterton Lakes, which was one of my personal favorites as I made my first and all too short excursion to the area.
When I say these books are packed with useful information, I do not use the term lightly. Darwin covers everything from location data (with mileage and GPS coordinates!), through the most favorable time of year to visit and time of day for best lighting conditions, tips on lens selection, filters, and shutter speed, and all the way to recommended maps to help find your way.
If you are planning a trip to the Rockies, think about having years worth of experience from a master photographer specializing in the region right there with you, in the comfort of your iPad or even smart phone. I’ll also say this: even if you don’t have imminent trip plans, these eBooks are worth owning for pure inspiration. They are beautifully designed and loaded with high resolution imagery that will take your breath away. Just paging through the PDF document on a good monitor will make you want to drop everything and head to the Rockies.
To purchase your own copies at a mere $10 each, head over to www.howtophotographthecanadianrockies.com.
Category: Books and eBooks, Product Recommendations, Reviews
I made my first trip to the Rockies in May 2010 thinking I could research online. After having the chance to read these books after the fact, I realized just how much I missed. I hope to make it back to the Mountains sooner then later.
I just purchased them for a future trip to the Canadian Rockies. They look really good. I’m happy to see that Darwin uses an extensive Bookmark tree, which makes navigating e-books soooooo much easier. I’m amazed at the number of e-books (i.e. Craft and Vision, among others) I’ve purchased which use NO bookmarks.
Thanks for the review.
My old paper copy of How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies road around the countryside in my camera bag for a number of years. I’ve now retired it in favor of the ePub version on my iPhone. The mobi and ePub versions are included with your download. I find the ePub much easier to read on the small screen, in comparison to the regular pdf.