Canyon Wilderness of the Southwest

Jon Ortner takes the reader through a photographic tour of the great American Southwest in this "mini" edition, a scaled down version of the "deluxe" edition, a much larger and more expensive book. Don't let the very affordable price fool you; while the "mini" edition is obviously smaller, it's also more easy to transport, and the quality of reproduction is every bit as good as, if not perhaps exceeding, the reproduction quality of the larger book.In this tour, Jon takes you to the familiar national parks of Utah and AZ as well as the tribal lands like Monument Valley and the slot canyons near Page, Arizona. However, the essence of this book is when Jon gets off the beaten path (quite literally) and takes you to places many a visiting tourist has never been to. So you'll get your "typical" shots that define Bryce Canyon, for example, but then Jon will also produce a gorgeous panoramic of a bristle-cone pine that I'm fairly certain many a photographer has strolled right on by, ignoring the unique shot while chasing the common. Same with Zion: you'll see the usual shots of this wondrous NP, but then Jon will have hiked into the "Subway" to show you some of the far less accessible areas for a view most visitors to Zion never see see. And on it goes. You'll get the images that define the park or monument, but in almost every case he'll also show you an image or two that you don't immediately recognize, something more unique.That's just the appetizer. The main course is when Jon gets truly off the familiar path, and that is when this book shines. For this reader, the magic of this book is when Jon explores the "strip" where Northern Arizona and Southern Utah meet. The White pocket and neighboring Coyote Buttes South, in particular, a rugged canyon wilderness accessible only by 4WD (along with a good dose of patience), is supremely presented with magical photographs. The beauty of "The Wave" in Coyote Buttes North is as good as anything that has been photographed there, and the soft, serene, stillness of the Wahweap and Rim Rock Hoodoo's is enough to make one reach for their credit card and book a flight to Utah. The imagery for these areas alone are easily worth the price of the book.All in all, this is a great reminder of the beauty of this area for those who have traveled there, a visual tour of sorts (although not a guide book) for those who have not yet been, and in many ways a "sampler platter" for photographers who wish to photograph in the region. Highly, highly recommended, particularly given the extremely affordable price.

First let me say that I agree 100% with all that the other reviewers have said about the author and the subject matter. Rather than being redundant about those things let me praise the quality of this publication! This is probably the most expensive book I have ever purchased but let me say that it would be a bargain at twice the price! It is truly an awesome work of art from cover to cover and even comes packaged in an almost indestructible carton. Whether you enjoy the southwest or geological wonders or beautiful photography you will never get more for your money than this book. It is astounding!! The signed and numbered frame-able print included is an unbelievable bonus! There will only be 6000 people lucky enough to own this book. I am glad I am one of them!! I could go on and on but others have said it better than I probably would so I will just say "believe what you read about this one"!! I think you will probably find yourself asking your friends to "wash their hands" before looking at this work of art!

I saw that book in a museum where I volunteer. I was shocked by that book, “Italian format” and the price, 150 dollars. But those were a few places I had been recently.I found the same book but a smaller format, on Amazon, second hand but honestly, brand new for 35 dollars!The quality of the pictures is amazing. I found a few places where we hiked in September with a few French friends. And more canyons and parks for more great vacations.I recommend the book and the company which sent it to me, fast and in a pristine shape. It is on our coffee table and going thru one chapter at a time brings great memories and I want to get my shoes and poles ASAP!

If you plan to do a vacation in the Southwest or just come back from one, this small book is for you. Wonderful pictures of the area for a price that is hard to beat. In a ranger information shop at the Grand Canyon we had a look at the larger version of this book ($130 at Amazon) and of course the pictures in this one give even a better impression, but if you simply want a souvenir and do not want to spend 10 times the prize, this is a lot of value for the bucks.The only criticism I have about it is that the general organization could be better, there are no clearly separated chapters dedicated to every National Park and you have to look at the back of the book to get detailed information about the particular site the photo was taken. But if you do not expect a travel guide of the region (it absolutely is not) and rather want to endulge in nice photographs it is ok.I strongly recommend this photo book!

Ce livre est superbe.

Ein sehr grosser Bildband mit hervorragenden Fotos. Vieles davon habe ich auf Reisen selber gesehen, was das Buch noch wertvoller macht.

emballage, expédition,tout super, rien a dire. attention ce livre existe en grand format et en petit format, ici c est le petit.amazon est canon pour vous envoyer votre produit souhaité en temps record.Merci beaucoup.

Herrliche Bilder und toll als Geschenk geeignet. Ich war in der Region recht lange unterwegs und finde, dass alle Highlights drin sind bzw. liebe das kleine Format und die tolle Fotographie.

Lovelly photos and after two books from Amazon, one with bad marks on the title page and one who's binding has failed, I have to give up, shame, it was a birthday present!!!!!!!!