Product Description

“ìThis landscape is remarkable. . . . The heart of canyon country may be stone, but its soul, which Dykinga reveals so well, is as alluring as it is enduring.” —Nature’s Best

Now in paperback, this volume explores two little-known canyon systems just north of the Grand Canyon National Park. Jack W. Dykinga’s glorious photographs reveal stunning desert vistas and sheer, slick, red rock, while Charles Bowden’s tales of the stark region make clear why early Spanish explorers called the land “Sal Si Puedes”—“Get Out If You Can.” Together, the author and photographer of Abrams’ The Sonoran Desert have produced a dramatic tribute to one of the most desolate and beautiful natural wildernesses remaining in North America.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1180679 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From Library Journal
Straddling the Utah/Arizona border, the Escalante River system and Paria Canyon were among the last areas of the continental United States to be mapped. Dykinga and Bowden, who have teamed up before (The Sonoran Desert, LJ 10/15/92), work well together. Both are residents of Tucson and share a love of the desert Southwest. Dykinga's spectacular color photographs and Bowden's overview of the natural history of the remote and rugged area make for a stunning coffee-table book on a little-known area. Also included is a brief but very beneficial annotated bibliography, most welcome because there is such a dearth of information on the region. Highly recommended for all regional collections.?Tim J. Markus, Evergreen State Coll. Lib., Olympia, Wash.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
JACK W. DYKINGA’s photographs have been published in many magazines and are frequently featured in the literary and photographic journal Arizona Highways. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1971.

CHARLES BOWDEN is the author of three notable books of essays about the desert and desert life.

Customer Reviews

An exquisite exploration of the Colorado Plateau
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.

The Best Landscape 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 Grimm
Bedford, TX

Don't photo the Great SW landscapes without it
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.