Customer Reviews

Galen Rowells Inner Game Of Outdoor Photography

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4 star:		(4)
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2 star:		(1)
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I've been a working photographer for 13 years so "How To" books are not really on my list. This book is very good in that it is more about the mindset of making good images and less about how to do it. It is in the end a collection of his Outdoor Photography articles. Since that was one of the only reasons I ever bought the magazine I find the book very useful.

There is plenty of philosophy in this book based on his own experiences. If you're looking purely for a techniques book or how-to or teachings of his techniques, you'd might be disappointed because it's not organized as such although some good techniques and info are in there. You just need to do some information-mining.

Galen Rowell has become my Nikon guru. Why?? I have read enough technical information about photography to last for ages.

Why do I like this book so much?? Simple....he rarely mentions any technical information, but rather, spends all of his time discussing the very important item of vision, seeing the world around us, and the essence of light and photography.

This book is helping me to understand to not "shoot" and run, but rather, to look carefully before you shoot.

After reading this book, I immediately found his web site, and was bummed to see that all of his workshops for 2002 are filled.

Maybe in 2003, because as good as this book is, I cannot wait to actually hear him speak!!

Inner Game is right. Rowell immediately jumps into the mental and psychological aspects of what makes a good photograph. Great exapmples in his essays and pictures of how it is that a photograph "speaks" to the viewer.

Even if you have limited technical expertise, the essays and pictures will certainly be enough to motivate you to get your *expletive* together and develop said expertise, get out there, and take breathtaking photographs.

He could have always used more pictures and of those he did include not all included technical info on how they were made. Minus one star for that. But all in all, a great book!

I have enjoyed Galen Rowell's photography and writing for many years. His column in "Outdoor Photography" magazine is probably the main reason I renew my subscription.

This volume, like its predecessor "Galen Rowell's Vision," is a collection of his columns from that magazine, arranged thematically, with more of his photos to illustrate the points made. He ranges from how to photograph, to technical issues and equipment, to environmental issues, to seeing and creating.

I don't want to be Galen Rowell. I don't want to photograph like Galen Rowell. But I like his viewpoint and outlook. He seems to be able to put these things into words a bit better than most other photographers. This is a worthy addition to any outdoor photographer's bookshelf, not to mention the armchair photographer.

As an underwater photographer, I have a lot of books about this type of photography, but not many about topside shooting. Frankly, I have read enough about apertures and shutter speeds to last me a lifetime.

This book appealed to me because it talks less about the technical aspects, and more about the philosophical approaches to outdoor photography. Galen Rowell has made some incredible photographs, and I am inspired by his approach and how he remains true to his vision.

There is also a good discussion on the ethics of digital manipulation - a very timely and relavant topic.

Get this book. Having read it, I have been inspired to order 3 more of Rowell's books

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.

As befitting a book on photography, colour separation & reproduction are excellent, photographs printed on high grade gloss paper. The font might prove a tad small for some, but the ample spacing between lines does help make for easy reading. The binding on the hard-cover version is sound & strong.

As the title suggests, the book is not quite your usual travel photography book, certainly the chapters are not laid out in any conventional manner.

Chapter 1 deals with the author's own inner vision, of what creates an good image. Rowell is unafraid to share his philosophy on image making.

Chapter 2 explains how both equipment and mind can (and perhaps ought) to be pushed to their respective limits. Rowell is careful to emphasise that often - less is more.

In Chapter 3, Rowell writes about melding of camera person's mind's eye visions with the realities & practicalities of a field trip or expedition.

And finally in the last Chapter, Rowell shares his thoughts and views about how an image may be communicated to the world.

While the title does caution this is not quite your average photography book - the book itself is not some esoteric journey into the dark recesses of a photographer's mind. Rowell is much too pragmatic for that.

As always Rowell remained forthright and direct. The contentsensibly written, and helps the reader appreciate the mental preparations required to make good images on a field trip ... the book is by and large about how a camera persons needs to learn/understand how imagination, mind-set and perspective often determines the type & quality of images made ...

While not quite the book for the new photographer trying to figure out f-stops, Rowell does shares technical tips and suggestions for the making better & more effective images.

For many of us, a time comes when we begin to truly realise (not just mouth the words) but truly realise that getting the latest or most expensive equipment just isn't improving our images ...

And that's when we need to read this book ...

I could not possibly say enough about the brilliance of Galen Rowell. It is self-evident from his photographs that he is both a technical master and an artist with tremendous vision -- he possesses an extraordinary ability to capture and convey breathtaking images and moments in time.

What is extremely lucky for other photographers like me, constantly striving to learn and improve, is that Galen Rowell is also a phenomenal writer. Some can do; some can teach -- Galen Rowell is one of those rare instances of a master of both.

The first time I picked up his Mountain Light (a MUST read), I heard a voice speaking to exactly all of the difficulties I had encountered in my work, explaining what the problems were, and clearly showing me how to correct them.

Some of Galen Rowell's photographs are so extraordinary that some people doubt whether they are authentic -- let me just say, read Galen's teachings, apply them to your own work, and you will understand the power of this man's vision. Before studying his work and writing, I would not have believed what I could do with my own camera.

Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography is yet another magnificent addition to his collection of works which will allow any photographer to expand and fulfill their potential, and to achieve realization of their artistic and personal vision.

This is a nice book with inspiration of what you see and what you can see in a different way. I would definitely recommand it to friends or give as a fabulous gift to my friends who are keen in developing a hobby in photography.