Bay Area Wild: A Celebration of the Natural Heritage of the San Francisco Bay Area

Galen Rowell was one of the greatest outdoor photographers the world had ever seen. He was Ansel Adams' successor. Like his predecessor, he was also an ardent conservationist. Both Adams and Rowell owed much to the founding father of the western conservation movement, John Muir. All three of them had ties to the San Francisco Bay Area. It was quite fitting that Rowell made this book on the Bay Area, highlighting its natural beauty and delicate environment. The landscape pictures by Rowell are stunning. I'm an amateur photographer living in the Bay Area, and I'm amazed and humbled by the pictures he's taken of my home. I've taken pictures of some of those areas in the book, and they don't look anywhere near as impressive as his. Like Ansel Adams, he was a true master of light and timing, looking for the right places and waiting for the perfect lighting conditions to get extraordinary pictures. Besides being a fine compilation of Rowell's pictures, it also contains stunning wildlife pictures by Michael Sewell and informative text.

This book was very interesting. Not only did it have plenty of photos, the text was actually useful and have a great message. Reading Galen's work is just as great as looking at it. I had never even heard of or seen most of the places in the book until I got the book. Now, I'm walking some of the same trails I discovered in the book.

An incredible photographic argument that nature is ever-present, fecund, and indomitable! Rowell and Sewell capture the majesty of one the world's most beautiful urban areas to describe nature's ability to adapt and thrive next to mankind. A surprising array of wild animals are photographed within the ex-urban landscape and combine with dramatic Bay Area landscapes to make a compelling story of the beauty that surrounds us--if only we can take time out from our busy lives to see it! This is a great gift to bring back East for the holidays.

Galen Rowell is showing here surely the nicest landscape shots I have ever seen. The Bay Area, that I didn't know, is here in spades, and if you know a little bit of tech, you see several uses of Galen special shooting way (flash, A2 Nikon filtering, s.o.)

Galen Rowell and Michael Sewell have compiled their photography of the San Franisco Bay Area's remaining natural areas into an excellent book. The photography in Bay Area Wild illustrates the Bay Area's vast greenbelts and natural areas. For someone who has only been involved in still photography for eleven years, Sewell is an amazing wildlife photographer. The text is extremely interesting and informative--Rowell reminds those of us who live in the Bay Area how lucky we are to have such a wonderful backyard abundant with a great diversity of flora and fauna. However, conservation of our wild places didn't come easy. Rowell discusses the many struggles involved in preserving these places. This is a book I've been waiting for!!!