“The National Parks: Our American Landscape”
($39.95, Earth Aware Editions)
comes along at a fortuitous time — the national parks have been very much in the spotlight, with Ken Burns’ documentary debuting on PBS last week, the parks offering free weekends over the summer (let’s lobby to get those again) and many travelers using federal lands as reasonably priced vacation alternatives in a down economy. Photographer Ian Shives shows why it all makes sense: The mind-boggling diversity of the terrain, the stunning landscapes so easily reached and the myriad opportunities for outdoor pursuits make these areas set aside for the people’s use true treasures. Shives’ painstaking efforts to capture wildlife, brilliant skies and foliage at just the right moment are our gain — the images are compelling and make one long to be at a park right now. I have only one complaint: Some of the saturation or contrast added to classic shots appears a bit unnatural, such as the one of Delicate Arch at Arches National Park in Utah. Kyle Wagner
