Stone Canyons of the Colorado Plateau

This is one of several photo books by this author, which are detailed guides to exactly where to locate specific subjects for landscape photography in the geographical areas covered by each book - there is some overlap between the books. There is some discussion of specific photo techniques, mainly addressing the issues imposed by the unique areas and subjects, including non-photo advise on how not to hurt yourself in what is mainly desert country. Primarily, this is a collection of directions in the nature of what landscape features are out there and how find them, with some comments on best techniques, lighting, and types of equipment to consider. Some caution might be applied to use of the guide to avoid mere duplication of the author's experience or photos. Prior to discovering this and its related guides, I have personally "been there and done that" over much of the same geography. I later bought the guides to plan new trips and found them well worth the cost and time invested. These guides are a great resource for planning if your time on the ground is limited and you want to maximize your experience.

STONE CANYONS OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU contains 81 color photographs. Each of the photos occupies from 50-80% of the page. The book is large, 10 ¼ by 11 ¼ inches. Most of the photographs are from Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, a little known park overlooked by most publications dealing with the American Southwest. Vermilion Cliffs encompasses Paria Canyon, Coyote Buttes, and a stone formation called "The Wave." The stone formation called The Wave seems to be in an area about a quarter the size of a city block. Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness is noted for its conical, haystack-like stone formations. The book contains plenty of photos of artistic merit. Page 5 shows a few cones at close range and a dozen cones in the distance. Where the desert floor is made of stone, the stone is striped like a candy cane. FIVE STARS for this photograph. Page 9 shows Bryce Canyon, with snow-covered cliffs in the distance, and dark clouds overhead. FIVE STARS for this dramatic photo. Page 20 shows snow-covered buckwheat and a dead juniper. FOUR STARS for this depictions of the texture of the snow residing on top of the buckwheat. Page 26 shows a hoodoo in the sun. The hoodoo consists of a dark pancake of stone supported by a an orange, funnel-shaped pedestal. Half of the photograph is in deep shadow, a sloping hill of stone. Page 35 shows an arch with a garden of cottonwoods beyond. FIVE STARS for this rare image of pastoral beauty. Page 45 shows a close-up of two cones at Paria Canyon. One of the cones looks like a little house. Page 45 shows an angled stone formation in a canyon wall at Paria Canyon. The crazy angles resemble those of a Kandinsky painting. Page 67 (also seen as the cover photo) shows a pond at The Wave. This is one of the greatest landscape photographs ever taken in the history photography. FIVE STARS. Page 69 shows a crazy, bizarre stone formation at Paria Canyon. What we see is a pancake consisting of a cluster of thin stone sheets, where the pancake is supported by two pedestals. This is one of the most bizarre landscape photographs taken in the history of photography. FIVE STARS. Page 70 shows an excellent arrangement of cones in the distance, with swirling stone spirals, and a dead juniper in the foreground. The juniper has a spiraling grain. FIVE STARS. Page 99 shows a slot canyon, where there are various qualities of light--a warming bath of glowing orange, a harsh white glare, an even indirect illumination with no shadow, and deep shadow. The image is reminiscent of those depicted in Bruce Barnbaum's astonishing book, VISUAL SYMPHONY. Page 116 shows a dozen tiny waterfalls, where water spills from knife-edge stone formations that form the streambed. This unique image is somewhat reminiscent of David Muench's depiction of Havasupai Falls, in NATURE'S AMERICA (page 125 of NATURE'S AMERICA). One wishes for more photos of The Wave. For those interested in more of The Wave, I recommend Reiner Sahm's book,

In 1998 I'd seen a photo on a calendar of the Vermillion Cliffs in Utah, but had no idea where exactly it was located. I teach photography and my students and I had done some research to find it, but discovered it was a very large area. When I found Mr. Dykinga's book I was even more determined for my students to see and photograph the area. Needless to say, the book is truly inspirational thanks to Jack's remarkabe work.! If you know a photographer or a traveller - this is the book for them! Enjoy the treat yourself as well.Jeff GrimmBedford, TX

The number of photographic works exploring the nuances of the Colorado Plateau is seemingly endless. Many can be browsed once and left behind. This book is the scintillating exception. Jack Dykinga's photographic work is simply exceptional, and beyond the pale. Each color photograph appears as exquisitely crafted as a piece of fine crystal, beginning with very cover of the paperback edition. One can only envy his great patience and expertise in composing each work. Much of the photography comes from the Paria Wilderness, an area of the Plateau not usually treated to any degree in most works, and the novelty is refreshing. A particularly enjoyable facet of the book is that use of a telephoto lens has been largely eschewed, leaving a series of scenes that the enterprising tourist can find and view with his or her own eyes, just as depicted by the book. Charles Bowden's accompanying text is evocative and hearkens a wild diffusion of images and memories of the fascinating region. It is an apt companion to Dykinga's superb work. If you are limited to five or less books about the Colorado plateau, let this be one of them. I enjoy it more every time I read it.

An hymn to the nature and it's landscapes, whose pictures are superb in both the technical and artistic plans.