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The American Wilderness by Ansel Adams Synopsis: In this magnificent volume, the land Adams loved and strived to protect endures as he saw it--undefiled, incomparable--championed in the most eloquent and impassioned words Adams ever wrote. 108 duotone illustrations. Customer Comments edlynn@hotmail.com , 01/30/97, rating=10: Among the best work of the original master of photography The photographic images of Ansel Adams are among the most significant pieces of artwork which have been created within the 20th century. His techniques have revolutionized the world of the black and white photographer, and his images are the rule by which all others are measured. His art has spoken to the soul of millions, and you should not be left out! This book contains some of the most beautiful images of nature ever made, and is a bargain at twice the price! Review by Edward Lynn, student of commercial photography, The Art Institute of Seattle. My comments: A definite coffee table book.
Ansel Adams' California by Andrea Stillman (Editor), Ansel Adams
Photography Outdoors : A Field Guide for Travel & Adventure Photographers by Mark Gardner, Art Wolfe
Techniques of Natural Light Photography by Jim Zuckerman
The Sierra Club Guide to 35Mm Landscape Photography by Tim Fitzharris
The Camera (Ansel Adams Photography, Book 1) by Ansel Adams The Negative (Ansel Adams Photography, Book 2) by Ansel Adams The Print(Ansel Adams Photography, Book 3) by Ansel Adams
Examples : The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams
The Essentials of Nature Photography by Milton Heiberg
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Ansel Adams may be one of the most famous nature photographers ever, but his often-overlooked portraits of people and images of buildings and manmade landscapes are as stirring and beautiful as his inimitable wilderness photographs. This is a manageably sized volume that collects images of the state's beaches, mountains, parks, architecture, and people, as well as
writing--poems, essays, fiction--by authors such as John Steinbeck, Jack Kerouac, Robert Louis Stevenson, Walt Whitman, and Joan Didion. The combination of words and images is a visual and literary homage to California, a place that was home to and the source of inspiration for the great photographer.
How many times have you gotten back from a great trip, had those rolls of film developed, and then discovered that what you thought was a fabulous shot of a grazing moose or the Eiffel Tower by moonlight turned out to be less than spectacular? For all you National Geographic hopefuls, this is the book for you. This slim volume packs a world of information between its covers: chapters on composing photographs, the character of light, and how to measure it to determine exposure are followed by ones on camera equipment and how to get the best shots while adventuring and traveling. The book is intended for anyone with a 35 mm camera, from the simplest point-and-shoot variety to the most sophisticated single-lens-reflex model. Best of all, the book is small enough and light enough to take along with you on your travels.
What makes or breaks a picture? Composition, of course, and perhaps less obvious but equally fundamental--light. "Subtle or dramatic, the impact of light on an image completely alters how that image is perceived," asserts Jim Zuckerman, who discusses the qualities of light-- direction, diffusion, harshness--and how to use them as creative tools. There are many impressive color photographs (including twilight panoramas of Rio de Janeiro and interiors of Spanish architectural wonders), but few illuminate Zuckerman's text like his multiple images of a bikini-clad model on a beach, taken during a rapidly-changing sunset. While he is generous with technical details and data, he does not cover black and white photography. 
Einstein wrote a book for lay people to explain the theory of relativity. I've read it twice, and I still don't know what Albert's talking about. Ansel Adams wrote three books on photography, The Camera, The Negative, and The Print, for lay people to explain how to take good photographs. I've read 'em all, and at least I know what Ansel's talking about, even if I can't take photographs like his yet (gimme fifty years of practice). Whether you like Adams' style or not, in technique, he is to photography what Einstein is to physics: a single authoritative master who's work can be relied upon. Of the three books, _The Negative_ is the most important; but if you are just getting started, the Camera is where to begin.
As wetlands and rainforests get swept under the pavement, there is an increasing need and desire to photograph the parcels of nature that we have left. Creating and publicly displaying beautiful photo images of the natural world informs and inspires us toward the preservation of these parcels, and helps promote a public awareness of how vital the earth’s natural environment is to our own existence. In The Essentials of Nature Photography author Milton Heiberg, a thirty-year veteran of the discipline, gives expert instruction on how to make excellent nature photographs, and does it with both reverence for nature and a sense of humor. 
