LOCALadk Magazine

The Bookshelf By Paul Everett In his new book Bushwhacking Your Way to Great Landscape Photography author Spencer Morrissey puts his passion for hiking and taking photos on impressive display. The collec- tion of more than 125 photos examines a photographic pallet from across the United States. His captivating photos, which are both in color and black and white, span from the frozen Adirondack summits to the stunning geology of the Ameri- can Southwest. Bushwhacking, for those that have never heard the term, refers to traveling through wild areas without using estab- lished trails. Spencer is legendar y for his pursuit of this pas- time. After lapping the 46 Adirondack peaks that are higher than 4,000 feet several times, he set himself a loftier goal. As of this writing, he has climbed 1078 of New York State's named peaks, mostly by bushwhacking. His goal is to summit them all. He estimates there are over 1,800. This style of hiking gives Morrissey ample opportunity to photograph nature on the micro and macro scale from view- points not available to those who stick to roads or trails. His photographs capture the adventurous spirit which would lead the author (or his readers) to forge a path into some of the most remote regions of the countr y, on their own terms. I pick up Bushwhacking several times a week. During my morning coffee I like to flip to random pages and examine where Spencer has taken me. The author has included de- scriptions, albeit sometimes vague, of the locations, and the back-stor y of each photo. Each photo also has a title, which gives a glimpse into how the artist sees the world he discov- ers on his journeys. For example, on page 73 in the book and reproduced here, the photo is titled "Dinosaurs." This title came about due to social media feedback. After the first couple of pictures I cover the titles before I read them, and decide on my own title. Then I compare. Did I see what he saw? Did we come up with similar titles? I love the way this gives me a chance to look at the same image several times in different ways. I get more out of the experience of reading the book each time I look through it. Spencer includes technical aspects of the photos as well, such as the camera he used, exposures, ISO settings, and hints as far as any digital editing he might have done. I find these technical and digital editing notes to be helpful, even though they are not ver y specific. It is as if Morrissey is let- ting the reader look through the window, but not giving you the key to his artistic house. Bushwhacking Your Way to Great Landscape Photography is another must-have title from Spencer Morrissey. I'm sure readers will enjoy the experience of reading the book, and feel the temptation of the trail-less wild places ever y time they pick it up. Do you see the "Dinosaurs"? Photo Taken at Split Rock Falls Bushwhacking Your Way to Great Landscape Photography

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