Stunning photography
of the Columbia River Gorge
in two books.
Full-color “coffee table” book, and a “vintage view” of this marvelous region of natural beauty.
ENTER THE GORGE Beauty of the Columbia River Gorge
Lush imagery in both full color and monochrome that captures a “sense of place” of this incredible and diverse part of North America’s Pacific Northwest.
Cradled by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to the north, the Mount Hood National Forest to the south, the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area to the west, and the arid, wind turbine-dotted range land to the east, the geologically significant Columbia River Gorge radiates a natural beauty, but also demonstrates Nature’s never-ending journey of evolution and change.
A sea-level gap cuts through the North America’s Cascade Mountain Range, traverses decidedly diverse ecosystems, and within minutes, one can travel from the lush, green rain forests of old growth fir and cedar, mixed with deciduous maple, cottonwood and ash, plus many varieties of fern that dance in the mists of dramatic waterfalls, continue through a leeward slope of pine, oak and grasslands, which gives way to sagebrush, parsley flower, parched red rock plateaus, and lava beds of the Northwest High Desert.
This region is not only home to well over a thousand different kinds of plants found nowhere else on Earth, but historically has been home to thousands of indigenous peoples from many local tribes that called the Great River home, and thousands more that would travel to this region annually for fishing and trading. Archaeologists have uncovered more than ten thousand years of continuous occupation here - more than five thousand years before the construction of the Egyptian pyramids along the Nile.
ENTER THE GORGE - Beauty of the Columbia River Gorge makes a great gift for the lovers of the Pacific Northwest, or collector of fine photography books. This book contains stunning full color and monochrome images, plus articles about the flora and fauna of the region, and a few “story behind the shot” pieces.
In 1986, the United States Congress created the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, effectively curtailing potential rampant urban development across the most sensitive portions of this beautiful region. As Nature continues to repair the wounds of overzealous entrepreneurs (including, but not limited to logging companies and commercial fishing operations), government agencies and volunteer groups have taken a careful hand in presenting some of Nature’s most spectacular treasures in this region, by resurrecting ancient (and not-so-ancient) trails and roadbeds, so others can enjoy, and understand the beauty that is the Columbia River Gorge. From the lush waterfalls to the red cliffs of the arid eastern end, travelers from all over the world come to take in the spectacular scenery, history, and geology.
ENTER THE GORGE
Beauty of the Columbia River Gorge
This hardbound book contains 120 pages of full color and black-and-white imagery, showcasing the stunning waterfalls, lush greenery, enduring geology, and history of the region.
Available at Amazon.com or through most independent booksellers - just ask them to order this book with this ISBN:
978-0464502296
About Jon Ares
Starting with a photography class in grade school, and assembling his own darkroom under the stairs at age 12, Jon has been photographing the natural world for over 40 years. Shooting both film and digital, Jon has been exploring and documenting the Columbia River Gorge since he was a teenager, and continues to capture the past and the present of the Pacific Northwest, to share with the world, and hopefully foster a desire to protect the Northwest’s natural resources for future generations.
VINTAGE VIEW - Timeless Beauty of the Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge has been extensively explored, and photographed over the last 145 years, by such notable photographers as Carlton E. Watkins, Benjamin Gifford, William Henry Jackson, Edward S. Curtis, Ray Atkeson, Sarah Ladd, Lily White, Arthur McAlpin, Charles Lamb, Charles R. Savage, and many more. But in many ways, there is so much more of today’s Columbia River Gorge to capture in photographs.
This volume not a collection of authentic “vintage” photographs made by the many great photographers of yesteryear, but rather a collection of imagery from the last twenty-five years, presented in a form as an homage to the great pioneering photographers who strove to communicate the incredible natural beauty of the Columbia River Gorge to the rest of the growing United States, and beyond.
These images embrace the look and style of those bygone photographers’ work, while showcasing the modern look and form of the Columbia River Gorge, as they “may have seen it” - today. Imagine stepping back in time, but remaining firmly in the comfort of the present.
Available in both hardbound and soft cover, VINTAGE VIEW makes a great gift for the lover of photography, the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia River Gorge, or all of the above!
The hardbound edition measures 160 pages at 8 1/2 by 11 inches. The softcover edition measures 160 pages at 8 by 10 inches.
If you prefer to purchase VINTAGE VIEW from a local bookseller, please order through your favorite shop using these ISBN numbers:
Hardbound ISBN: 979-8767513239
Softcover ISBN: 978-1481840163
About Jon Ares
Starting with a photography class in grade school, and assembling his own darkroom under the stairs at age 12, Jon has been photographing the natural world for over 40 years. Shooting both film and digital, Jon has always been partial to the aesthetic and power of black-and-white photography. Inspired by such greats as Ansel Adams (of course) - but also photography masters of the West, such as Carlton E. Watkins, Lily White, Sarah Ladd, and many more that captured the raw beauty of the Columbia River Gorge and its inhabitants. Jon has been exploring and documenting the Columbia River Gorge since he was a teenager, and continues to capture the past and the present of the Pacific Northwest, to share with the world, and hopefully foster a desire to protect the Northwest’s natural resources for future generations.
