I'd like to start by wishing you a happy new year! Of course, there's always a mixture of ideas and emotions that surround the resetting of our 12-month clock, and the advancement of its numerical value.
This past new year's eve, I found myself remembering where I was 25 years ago, when my
friend and longtime adventure mate Eric and I were slogging through deep slow in the dark on the flanks of Long's Peak in Colorado. Our plan had been to hike to the summit and begin the new millennium of the year 2000, while watching all the fireworks displays on the front range far below.
Adventures don't always go the way you want them to, but you know that, right? After quickly hiking the trail up to treeline, we were stymied
by high winds that had blown in the trail that led further up the mountain with drifts of deep, unconsolidated snow. To complicate matters, Eric had injured his arm snowboarding earlier in the day.
This inconvenient combination slowed our progress considerably, and after far too much wallowing, we finally realized that we'd never make it up to the top by midnight. Feeling shut down by the conditions, we turned around, hiked back to the
base, where we each crawled into in the backs of our Toyota pickups to try and catch some sleep. (Eric and I both still have those trucks!)
After a few hours of frigid and fitful rest, we both relented, said goodbye and each drove home, defeated, but nonetheless, standing on the cusp of a brand new year.
(My friend Eric on Mt. Meeker in the wintertime - Patagoina Catalog circa 2001)
I was
31 at that time, and almost three and a half years into my photography business. A lot has happened since then. Eric and I went on to have many more adventures together, and we still live about a mile apart here in Anchorage. Now, a quarter of a century later, I look back with amazement at the circuitous trail that has led me to this point.
Anyway, I hope you have some fond memories of past new years, and at the same time, look
forward to promising and inspiring events and ideas that will take you through the year 2025.
And, I hope that I can continue to be a part of your photography adventure as we go forward. I want to continue to help you become a more competent, proficient and creative image maker, and I'm excited to provide you with more insight and information as we go forward.
The book takes you behind-the-scenes during the creation of sixteen of my favorite landscape images, and walks you through the entire process as I outline the exact gear and creative approach I used to overcome the specific challenges I faced and create a final photograph that matches the
concept I had in mind for the scene.
I even show you the outtakes that led to the end result.
Essentially, reading Behind the Landscape is like taking a virtual photography workshop with me and looking over my shoulder as I
work through each scene.
Looking back, I recognize that the books which had the biggest impact on me were not those with the most stunning pictures. They were the manuals that clearly described the specific creative ideas and technical approach that each photographer employed to get his or her particular brand of imagery.
I hope that Behind the Landscape will be that for you. Of course, it's 100% guaranteed, so if you buy the eBook and don't think it's right for you, I'll give you a full refund. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Mark Bickerstaff
"The book’s approach was excellent for me as a enthusiastic
amateur photographer eager to learn how to improve my landscape images. Multiple shots from the same location with very direct and meaningful text about the location and shooting strategy is exactly what I was hoping for. I am inspired to go create!"
