Customer Reviews

Photographing the Southwest: Volume 2--Arizona (2nd Ed.) (Photographing the Southwest)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I tend to study things to death before diving in. That extends to the resources I buy to help me with my work. This book is one of those resources I bought after reading MANY reviews at Amazon and elsewhere. It is simply the best guide to photographing Arizona landmarks (both popular and obscure landmarks).

Three things that I am concerned with when going to a new area to do some photography are:
1) What are the locations that I should visit?
2) How do I find them?
3) What time of day provides the best light?

This book (and all of Martres' books) answer these questions. I have visited other locations around the country without the benefit of such a guide and have spent the major part of the trip scouting the locations before I could take any photos. You'll still want to scout the sites in this book but it won't take you days to do it. The scouting and the shooting can be the same trip because you are so well prepared.

I recently purchased this book while on a visit to Sedona. I was looking for the Arizona Highways photography guide, but looked at this one at the bookseller's suggestion. The AH book is better for learning composition, lighting, etc, but if you are a nature photographer looking for a where to go book, this is the better choice. Well written with great suggestions for scenery on back roads and hiking trails, as well as the all important recommendations for which time of day and season to visit. There are no maps, so you'll need an atlas or GPS. Great pictures of what you'll find at any given location (better color reproduction than the AH book, too) and suggestions for side trips/hikes and best venues. Highly recommended for serious photographers.

This was the first book of the "Southwest" series that I have read. I purchased the book to prepare for a trip I was taking to Arizona. I found the book to be an excellent reference for someone that isn't familiar with all of the wonderful landscape locations available in the Grand Canyon state. The only thing that would make the book better would be greater details in the "getting there" sections. Some local maps and maybe GPS headings would also be a great addition. Some of the best spots are very difficult to find and these additions would really help out. Overall, I am very pleased that I bought this book and kept it by my side throughout my journey. I highly recommend it.

Lucky you. Having found this book, buy it before they come to their senses and double the price.

Just back from a 2 month tour of the Southwest, this guide was indispensable. Together with the New Mexico version, we were able to visit 100 sites in 65 days, and get 1000's of incredible images. We had never even heard of most of the places before reading these books. Even with 19 days of snow, we were able to put ourselves in several hyper-photogenic spots every day. And yet, I doubt we've seen half of places Laurent describes. For a few shekels, you get intimate knowledge of the region with decades of practical experience.

But that's just us. We wanted to travel and hike and photograph everyday. These guides hit that sweet spot. If you don't want to get out of the car, or just want to shop, or are looking for the best opportunities for fine dinning, or like comfortable museums, or looking to save pennies RVing parking lots, this book is not for you. To get the most out of it, you'll also need well worn hiking boots, a light backpack, water bottles, navi gear, a walking stick, lots of camera gear, flashlights, emergency gear, a high clearance vehicle, a high-limit credit card, good legs, and a variety of hats for sun and cold. Camping equipment also helps, but we like showers and beds. And that's not all. You will mostly need enormous amounts of energy, courage, desire, and time.

Yes, it takes courage and perseverance to follow this author's footsteps. If you want to see the show, you have to be the show. We hit the limit and backed out of one of his suggested hikes (Cathedral Wash), fearing for our lives. We were abducted by Indians, rescued from the desert at night by a rancher, and met countless wonderful people on the trails. We lost a tire, a windshield, and a body panel on the car. Those are just a few of the hundreds of incredible stories.

Practically speaking, it is a sturdy, well bound book, and thank goodness for that. We spent hours everyday for weeks with each book, and they got tossed around in the car and packs.

Laurent is highly enjoyable to read in the planning phase of your trip, and very enthusiastic. Sometimes too enthusiastic. When he mentions that something might require caution or is "perfectly safe," you'd better hold on for your life or back away. To get the picture, you have to drive through the stream, squeeze through the crack, and get comfortable with 500 foot cliffs.

As others have mentioned, his travel directions are capricious. This is typical for the Southwest. They don't want to squash your sense of adventure. Seriously. So it can be difficult to follow along at home. Once you are en route, he always gives you enough to get there. We bookmarked his one-little-map-per-book, and found the uncluttered, schematic view very useful.

One last word on coded messages--when Laurent mentions that you might want to spend some extra time exploring an area beyond his specific recommendations, plan on extending your stay and get busy. He's hinting that something spectacular is lurking just beyond the view of the tourists. Talk to the locals, trade info with other hikers, and explore some of those Forest Service roads. We found prehistoric pottery shards, rock art, natural and cultural wonders, and even a cave dwelling that nobody knew about. How can you beat that for adventure?

This book will get you going. I'm buying his Utah guide right now.

If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.

I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.

The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.

It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.

All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.

I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.

In the first edition of this book I found Mr. Martres' directions to be hard to follow and, in some cases, in error. This edition has greatly improved them.

I was afraid that this would be another hiker/photographer book. This is a great book with describes sufficient locations for many photography trips to come. The best part of the book is a table which gives for each of the 200+ photography locations a 1-5 star rating for the following aspects: scenic value, photographic interest, road difficulty and trail difficulty. Depending on your preferences, vehicle and hiking preference (ranging from no hike to day hikes) you can make a selection of where to go. Everyone can find many locations to take photos, even when you are just a curbside hiker.
This book gives me great value for money.

This is a great travel book for photographers. My friend and I are heading off to the Slot Canyons in a few months. After reading this book we feel much more prepared and confident on planing our trip.
We found the book as a "must read" recommendation from various landscape photography websites. The recommendations were absolutely correct.

Though I haven't yet photographed many of these sites, it appears the information in this book series (I bought all 3 volumes) will be invaluable in saving me time getting to the sites, and being prepared with enough photographic information to bring the right gear. I'm looking forward to getting some great photos.

This book is the only book my husband has read from front to back. It tells you the best times to go to each place for the best photos and what to use also how to get there. We hope to be able to some time get to see some of the places in the book. Showed it to friends who like to take photos and also like hiking.