Alaska: A Photographic Journey Through the Last Wilderness [Hardcover]

John Pezzenti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1997

Alaska is a photographic portrait of one man's journey into the heart of America's last wilderness. John Pezzenti has a wilderness soul and an artist's temperament. He obsessively seeks out the remotest corners, the most beautiful natural places, and wildlife in its purest state--and then positions himself and waits patiently for the perfect image. He records the flora and fauna and the brilliance of the Alaskan landscape with the highest craftsmanship and artistic purpose to be found in nature photography today. He has accepted the solitude of his pursuit, has withstood injury, and has risked danger to obtain his photographs. He is driven by the fear that civilization and technology will inevitably intrude upon the pristine wilderness and forever alter its compelling beauty. Here, then, is one man's photographic odyssey through the Alaskan wilderness, from the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak, Katmai, and the Kenai Peninsula to the fjords and waterways and the Tongass Forest of the southeast, the Wrangell Mountains, and on to Denali, the Alaskan Yukon, and the Arctic Circle. Along the way he records encounters with brown bears and grizzly bears, golden eagles and bald eagles, sea lions and sea otters, majestic moose, Dahl sheep, and one very disoriented lynx. In his text he also describes some encounters with a few creatures of the human variety. Pezzenti's Alaska is an unforgettable experience.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

John Pezzenti is an advocate of a photographic technique he calls "roaming nature," which involves studying the rhythms of a particular piece of ground, the ways of its trees and animals, and only then taking pictures. His 25 years of roaming the wilds of Alaska yielded this exquisite book of nature and landscape photographs, with one beautiful image leading to another. Among the highlights, of use to students of ecology and photography, are images of nature in action: caribou migrating across ice fields, an otter plucking a king crab from the sea, two bald eagles fighting over territory.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Studio (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670870943
• ISBN-13: 978-0670870943
• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 10.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #594,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a journey that touches the heart, mind and spirit., July 29, 1999

By 

Lisa Mary Nolan ([e-mail]) (Mount Olive, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alaska: A Photographic Journey Through the Last Wilderness (Hardcover)

Once you have met John Pezzenti, you will understand that this artist and his incredible photographs are one entity. John's "ALASKA..." will take you on an incredible journey through the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, into the soul of an unforgettable man.

Five years ago, I walked into a conference room at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. A man stood beside a display of exquisitely breathtaking photographs, protecting them like an anxious parent; listening to every word, every comment, as if there might be some question about the magnificence of his work. That enigma was John Pezzenti, Jr. Those privileged to know him, have experienced the complexities of the man: Passionate, sensitive, wild as Alaska, free as the wind and sometimes, as immovable as the mountains. His life and his photographs have made an indelible impression.

Language seems a truly inadequate means of conveying the experience of John's "ALASKA" book. The photographs seem to have a life of their own. Speaking directly to the heart and soul, they give a glimpse into the spirit of the man who created them. This is a soul that seems to dance somewhere between heaven and earth. A soul that has borne burdens that few of us could shoulder, but one that has known transcendent heights that few will ever reach.

With each page, John's photographs and stories allow us to share his incredible gift, and to see places on this earth that seem closer to heaven. John's spirit is as wild and free as the Alaskan wilderness. Nature seems to recognize a kindred spirit. You will feel certain that he has been granted special permission to view the sacred, and that at times, nature must say "wait, keep that until John gets here." But such honors are not bestowed without tremendous tests of courage and endurance, endless patience, and unquestioning faith. No work of this magnitude is brought to fruition without great sacrifices, and John has made more than his share.

John has the unique talent of capturing the essence of the moment - then combining it with a fragment of his own soul - the result is this spectacular gift he has given to the world. No one can experience "ALASKA: A Photographic Journey..." and not be deeply moved. The superb imagery and heart warming words speak to everyone in a unique way. It will draw you in, touching your heart and soul each time you open its pages to relive the journey. Again and again it will surprise you, revealing something new with each reading.

Thank you, John for sharing your vision. Your book is dearly treasured, and keeps Alaska close to my heart until I return. God Bless, John. We await your next creation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent work of art., April 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Alaska: A Photographic Journey Through the Last Wilderness (Hardcover)

I received a copy of John Pezzenti's book,A Photographic Journey Through The Last Wilderness,as a gift through my work. John Pezzenti's photographes portray such beauty and his words flow with spirituality. John Pezzenti's gift for writing matches his talent for capturing nature at it's finest. From the incredible photo's of the birth of an eagle,to the heart felt story of the Birthday Cake Bear. As I look through this magnificent book I feel his photo's and words drawing me in. It gives me the sense that I too am able to share what John Pezzenti must have felt being there. When I was young I went on a cruise to Alaska. I knew that one day I would move to this great land. John Pezzenti's book reinforce's why I kept this dream so close to my heart for all these years. I will always cherish this gift I received and feel blessed that John Pezzenti chose to share his God given talent with the rest of us. One could keep writing but there are no words that can truely describe this work of art. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever dreamt about Alaska. John Pezzenti truely opens his heart to the reader with his photographes and lets us share in the beauty he has captured over the past 25 years. I look forward to being able to share his work with my family and friends,as I also look forward to his next publishing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book and Great Photography, January 10, 2000

By 

Harlan B. Williams, Jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alaska: A Photographic Journey Through the Last Wilderness (Hardcover)

Great Book! I would recommend to anybody interested in the beauty of our 49th state. This book captures the wild beauty and grandeur of the last frontier. Buy this book, if you can!