[.ca] Untamed Vermont: Extraordinary Wilderness Areas of the ... (ISBN 0970551126)

Stunning vision of Vermont:
I have been visiting Vermont since the late 60s -- and every arrival is a fresh falling in love with its landscapes. Blake Gardner's new book, "Untamed Vermont," is an extraordinarily powerful evocation of the place at its best. It roams around and finds both the grand vistas and the quiet, small miraculous patches. Gardner's compositions are stunning. One of my favorites is a photo of wild grapes in the Big Branch Wilderness that has the serene lushness of a painted still life. Another one in the same woods: a portrait of a warbler's ground nest, half-hidden by ferns and browned leaves. He captures a forest coated with rime ice in the Camel's Hump area -- a wildly intricate, hypnotic vision. Though it's obvious that Gardner has hiked and climbed to some pretty remote spots to make these photographs, he also shows places that anyone can visit. If you're addicted to Vermont -- or wild lands anywhere -- you'll want to own this book.

Exellent Book:
I'm really impressed by Blake Gardner's new book Untamed Vermont for several reasons. First and foremost, Blake's photos of the Green Mountain State are outstanding. With his large format camera, he captures both grand scenic and intimate landscapes of Vermont's forests, mountains and lakes - everything from fiddleheads pushing themselves up through the oak leaves of a recently thawed ground to the sweeping vista of the Mountain State from atop Camel's Hump which adorns the cover of this book. The second reason I like this book is that the photos are accompanied by some excellent text. Senator Patrick Leahy himself, whom has been a US Senator from Vermont since 1974, writes the Foreword. He not only takes this opportunity to boast of Vermont's "inspiring colored leaves in autumn, the rivers and lakes that dot the countryside, and the countless hiking trails that weave up and around the Green Mountains." He also takes this opportunity to tell of the importance of protecting Vermont's wilderness areas. "It is important to preserve Vermont's Wilderness for our enjoyment and that of generations to come," he writes. "Vermont's first-rate quality of life is partly due to the accessibility of open lands, mountains, lakes, and rivers. Being surrounded by nature offers a time for solitude and reflection, recreation and quality moments with loved ones." I can't agree more. Most of the book's text is written by Tom Wessels. Tom is an ecologist, writer, and founding director of the Conservation Biology Program at Antioch New England Graduate School. Of course Tom's going to get points because Antioch is my wife's alma matter, but he also has written a beautiful narrative text which manages to add an additional layer of satisfaction to this great nature photography coffee-table book. The book is full of interesting facts about the Green Mountain State and it's ecology.

An Appreciation:
After gazing at the stunning vistas of nature transposed by Blake Gardner,I realized what a meditation these photos became for me. I was immersed in the depths of colors,shapes ,forms and the sensation of being there,standing next to this inspired artist,silent in the wonderment of the beauty and ancient stillnes that has been captured. Every photograph is a unique tribute to Vermont,our earth and the talent of one who sees.