Mountain Light Photography: News Room

EASTERN SIERRA MEMORIES: The wonders of the Eastern Sierra with Galen and Barbara Rowell. WATCH THE VIDEO.

Now through March, Mountain Light Gallery will host a guest exhibit by photographer Carr Clifton chronicling the splendor of the Sacred Headwaters. A public artist’s reception and booksigning will be held at the gallery on Friday, Jan. 13, 5:30 pm. to 8:30 pm.

Clifton’s exhibit comes from his recent collaboration with Wade Davis, an acclaimed writer, photographer, filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence for the book, The Sacred Headwaters: The Fight to Save the Stikine, Skeena and Nass Rivers. The book is a comprehensive portrait of the Sacred Headwaters giving voice to the historical, cultural and ecological significance of this region.

Clifton served as the book’s principal photographer with additional imagery by Claudio Contreras, Paul Colangelo and Joe Rils, members of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). Trekking hundreds of miles of backcountry trails and roads, and logging ten helicopter flights, Clifton captured some of the most beautiful and endangered lands in North America, covering a vast and mostly roadless area of approximately 150,000 square miles. From aerials of the region’s rivers and valleys, to the remote lakes, mountains and glaciers, this collection of remarkable images conveys the importance of protecting this extraordinary place.

The exhibit – aptly titled, Nine Weeks in the Sacred Headwaters – features 32 of Clifton’s fine art prints from his best images from the project and is open to public viewing daily, 10 am to 6 pm.

For more information about this exhibit, please visit our Featured Artists Exhibit page. For more information about Carr Clifton, including more samples of his work, please visit his website.

Mountain Light Photography is pleased to announce its 2012 Photography Workshops, plus the addition of a Fall workshop to its 2011 schedule.

By popular demand, Mountain Light has added a Fall 2011 workshop with Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jack Dykinga. This new addition is slated for Oct. 12-15 and will feature field sessions in the majestic Eastern Sierra and instructional and critique sessions at Mountain Light Gallery. For additional details about this workshop, please visit the Workshops page or call our friendly staff at (760) 873-7700.

In 2012, join David Muench, Jack Dykinga, Elizabeth Carmel and Jerry Dodrill as they expand your visual horizons amid some of the most beautiful and geographically diverse locations in the Western United States. This year, the Mountain Light workshop series will visit the expansive Death Valley National Park, the lush Grand Teton National Park, the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, mystic Mono Lake and the hauntingly beautiful ghost town of Bodie State Park. By popular demand, Mountain Light will also offer three classic sessions in California's beautiful Eastern Sierra.

Our workshops have been honored with recognition by both Sunset and American Photo magazines – Sunset having selected our workshop program as one of its top-ten smart vacation picks, while American Photo gave our workshops top billing among a handful of America's best photo workshop operators.

David Muench: Ancient Bristlecones,
Mono Lake and Bodie Ghost Town
July 9 – 12, 2012

A 10 percent registration discount will be granted to returning participants who have taken any past workshop operated by Mountain Light, as well as to new participants who simultaneously enroll in two or more workshops for 2012. The registration discount is also available to full-time students, full-time art or photography instructors and members of the North American Nature Photographers' Association. Please note that these discounts are not cumulative and that the maximum available discount on any workshop is 10 percent.

Each workshop is limited in size to ensure that everyone receives the time and attention needed. We expect these to fill up quickly, please contact us promptly to reserve your space.

For a complete schedule or to reserve your space, please visit the Workshops page!

The Galen Rowell calendars for 2012 are now available in the Mountain Light online store. These 12-sheet wall calendars measure 12" x 12" and are published by Sellers Publishing, Inc.

California the Beautiful 2012 features some of Galen's best images from his home state, from snow-covered mountains in the north to white sand beaches and blistering deserts in the south.

American Landscapes 2012 celebrates the scenic beauty and diverse wildlife of North America's national parks and open spaces through this unique portfolio of Galen's work.

Colorado-based Team HighPoint from the non-profit 501(c)(3) 50 For Tibet fund-raising project in support of The Rowell Fund For Tibet has returned from Scandinavia where they successfully achieved four new country international highpoints (Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark) from June 26th through July 10th.

With the five international country highpoints achieved in 2010, Team HighPoint has now accumulated nine total international highpoints and 48 U.S. state highpoints (as well as Washington D.C.) since the project’s inception in June 2006.

Since 50 For Tibet’s beginning in 2006, more than 120,000 miles of travel have been logged and approximately $210,000 in donations have been raised to promote The Rowell Fund For Tibet, an organization which provides grants to help preserve the threatened Tibetan culture. In addition, Team HighPoint has provided education and publicity about the Tibetan situation resulting from the occupation by China over the past 60 years.

“It is my intention to take the message of the Tibetan crisis to every corner of the globe. By climbing highpoints, there is a natural curiosity by many people on why we are doing this around the world. With that spotlight of attention, we can relay the story of why Tibetans worldwide need our help,” states Team HighPoint member John Jancik. “So many people have asked me why we do something as dangerous as mountaineering to bring attention to this cause. My reply is that we are doing something far less dangerous than what Tibetans face on a daily basis; the preservation of their culture.”

Team HighPoint consists of John Jancik (Parker, Colorado), Terri Baker (Parker, Colorado), David Baker (Denver, Colorado) and Steve Gardiner (Billings, Montana). John and Terri, who originally met the late legendary photographer and mountaineer Galen Rowell in 1995 as the three of them prepared for their participation in the 1996 Top Of The World Expedition to northern Greenland, now serve on The Advisory Board of The Rowell Fund For Tibet. On September 23rd, 2006, Team HighPoint was honored with a special meeting with His Holiness The Dalai Lama during his visit to Colorado.

Expedition photographer Gordon Wiltsie comes home for Mountain Light exhibit

Reception and Booksigning, June 17th, 5:30-8 pm.
Special Slideshow presentation at 6:30 pm.

Gordon Wiltsie has been to the ends of the Earth and back, capturing his adventures on film and sharing his stories with readers around the globe. Now he is coming home to Bishop for an exhibit of his life's work.

Galen Rowell's Mountain Light Gallery is hosting Wiltsie's exhibit, To the Ends of the Earth, through Sept. 30th. The exhibit is open to the public seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A reception honoring Wiltsie is set for Friday, June 17th, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will include time for a book signing. Wiltsie will also give a slide presentation during the reception at 6:30 p.m.

Born and raised in Bishop, Wiltsie was in his late teens when he first met Galen Rowell through a mountaineering acquaintance. "I'd already read about Galen's famous climbs and seen dozens of pictures he had taken for the most popular mountaineering journals," Wiltsie wrote in a National Geographic tribute to Rowell. "I couldn't believe that someone of his fame and wizened old age (he was 29) would even stoop to talk to a kid as lowly as me – a mere high school yearbook shutterbug.

"I was even more astonished in later years as he invited me to climb with him, taught me photography tricks, hired me to change his film, and helped me to get my work published. But that was just who Galen was."

Although Wiltsie's work has been exhibited in many countries, he is especially excited about presenting this show at Mountain Light. Choosing which pictures to present on the walls of Mountain Light Gallery presented a special challenge for Wiltsie, but he hopes the selection will give viewers a glimpse of his photographic passion.

CLICK HERE for more information about Gordon Wiltsie's exhibit at Mountain Light Gallery. For more information about Gordon Wiltsie, including samples of his work, please visit his website.

New Custom Calendars: Choose from Dozens of Galen Rowell Images and Starting Month!

Mountain Light Gallery is pleased to add customizable calendars to its array of Galen Rowell products.

You may now design your own beautiful 12-month calendars with your favorite images from a large selection of Galen’s best photographs. In addition, you can select the start date of your calendar for any month you wish, making this the perfect rear-around gift in addition to gifts for the traditional December holidays.

Your 11" x 17" calendars are printed to order on durable, gloss cover stock and feature a wire binding and pre-drilled hole, perfect for hanging in any home or office. Each customized calendar will be shipped from our partners at L+L Printers in Carlsbad, Calif. to any designated recipient.

Pressed for time? Uncomfortable with selecting images for someone else? Mountain Light is also offering a pre-selected series of images we’re calling Gallery Favorites, which will also be available at the Bishop Gallery.

To create your own custom calendar simply click the banner above, or visit the Calendars page in our online store.

Signed, Limited Edition Wild Horses below Fitz Roy Available in the Collectors Vault!

Signed Wild horses below Fitz Roy Galen Rowell

Now available from the Rowell Family Collection is a signed, limited edition 16" x 20" Crystal Archive LightJet print of Galen Rowell’s AA#0431, Wild Horses below Fitz Roy, Patagonia, Argentina (1985). Presented in a custom hardwood frame with anti-reflective UV glazing, the print is in excellent condition and is among Rowell’s most popular images. The print and mat are signed, dated and numbered by the artist. The mat is acid-free 100% cotton museum board. It includes a certificate of authenticity and is offered at a price of $9000.

Collectors interested in rare Galen Rowell prints are encouraged to view our online Newsletter and use the signup link to be added to our notification list. Be sure to select the Rare and Collectible Prints option on the signup form.

For more information, on this and other rare and collectible prints, visit the Mountain Light Collector’s Vault!

Wilderness explorer and writer Craig Childs was recently honored as the recipient of the 2009 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure.

Childs was presented with the award during the annual Rowell Lecture, held June 9th in San Francisco. As a writer, Childs has published more than a dozen critically acclaimed books on nature, science, and adventure. He is a commentator for National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Men’s Journal, Outside and Orion. His subjects range from pre-Columbian archaeology to U.S. border issues to the last free-flowing rivers of Tibet.

The expeditions that Childs goes on often last weeks or months, infusing his writing with a hard-earned sense of landscape and culture. The New York Times says “Childs’ feats of asceticism are nothing if not awe inspiring: he’s a modern-day desert father.” He has been called a “born storyteller” by the New York Sun, and the Los Angeles Times says his writing is “like pure oxygen,” and “stings like a slap in the face.” He has won several key awards, including the Sigurd Olsen Nature Writing Award and the Spirit of the West Award for his body of work, an honor he shares with Wallace Stegner, Terry Tempest Williams and N. Scott Momaday.

Childs is an Arizona native, and grew up back and forth between there and Colorado. In his teens, Childs began working as a river guide, and since then has held numerous jobs to support his field time, from gas station attendant to journalist to beer bottler. Now making a living as a writer, Childs lives off the grid with his wife and two young sons at the foot of the West Elk Mountains in Colorado.

Each year, the Rowell Award honors an adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the peoples who inhabit these lands and regions. Past recipients include adventurers and photographers James Balog, Beth Wald and Jimmy Chin.

For more information about Craig Childs, please visit: HouseOfRain.com. For more information about the Rowell Award, please visit the Rowell Award website.

Reflection pond, Denali National Park, Alaska by Galen Rowell

Two photographs by Galen Rowell were recently named a part of the “Top 40 Nature Photographs of All Time” collection by the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP).

Rowell’s Split rock and cloud, Eastern Sierra, California and Reflection pond, Denali National Park, Alaska were chosen for the honor alongside photographs from Ansel Adams, Frans Lanting, David Doubilet, Thomas Mangelsen and Jack Dykinga, to name a few.

The Top 40 collection represents a wide range of styles and genres, and spans more than 100 years of photographic history. The images were nominated and chosen by members of iLCP, a fellowship of the world’s top professional conservation photographers.

More than 100 photographers and editors associated with iLCP were asked to submit nominations for images they considered to be “the best,” in whatever way they chose to define it. Restricted from self-nomination, the group was encouraged to consider factors such as aesthetics, uniqueness, historical and scientific significance, or contribution to conservation efforts.

“It was no easy task, selecting just 40 images from the incredible nominations submitted to us by some of the world’s greatest nature photographers, but it was a tremendous honor for iLCP to be asked to take the lead on this challenging project,” said iLCP Executive Director Justin Black.

“No doubt, there are other notable and worthy photographs that could have secured a spot in the Top 40 gallery,” Black added, “but this diverse cross section clearly demonstrates the power of photographs to educate, enlighten, inspire, and stir us into action to protect our limited natural resources.”

Many of the images were up for auction at the inaugural Christie’s International “Green Auction: A Bid to Save the Earth” on April 22, with proceeds to be divided between four environmental organizations, which include: Conservation International (CI), Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Central Park Conservancy.

Breashears to Headline 2010 Rowell Award Lecture Series

Noted mountaineer and renowned filmmaker David Breashears will be the keynote speaker at the 2010 Rowell Lecture, scheduled for Wednesday, June 9th at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, One Nob Hill in San Francisco. A VIP reception begins at 5:30 p.m., and the main program itself will run from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Breashears has summitted Everest five times and was the first American to summit Everest twice. He served as a guide when Dick Bass became the first person to scale the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent. Breashears was the first person to transmit live pictures from Everest’s summit; he has received four national Emmy Awards for outstanding cinematography.

Jon Krakauer’s bestseller Into Thin Air immortalized Breashears and his team for their efforts during the disastrous events of May 10, 1996 when eight climbers were killed and several others injured during Everest’s worst tragedy. Breashears and his crew stopped filming to coordinate the rescue. They regrouped and two weeks later achieved their goal of becoming the first to record IMAX film images from the summit. Breashears, while widely acclaimed for this accomplishment, feels that his greatest success was as a result of making sure his entire team returned safely.

Breashears will pay tribute to his friends Galen and Barbara Rowell and discuss his work in filmmaking, mountaineering and climate change.

The evening will also feature the presentation of the 2009 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure to wilderness explorer and writer Craig Childs. Each year, the Rowell Award honors an adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the peoples who inhabit these lands and regions.

The event is sponsored by the Rowell Legacy Committee and its partners, NatureBridge and the Commonwealth Club of California.

Tickets are limited but still available. To purchase a ticket or to learn more about the event, visit the NatureBridge web site.

Galen Rowell's Inner Game - now in softcover!

Mountain Light Gallery is pleased to announce the availability of the much anticipated softcover release of Galen Rowell’s Inner Game of Outdoor Photography.

Published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inner Game features 140 color photographs and 66 essays in which Galen reveals the art, craft and philosophy behind his renowned images. Available in paperback for the first time, this groundbreaking work remains both an inspired manual to taking better pictures and an inspiring journey of discovery into the creative process.

Galen Rowell’s Inner Game is $29.95 plus shipping. To place your order, call us at (760) 873-7700 or visit the Mountain Light Book Store!

Last Light on Horsetail Fall signed by Galen Rowell

A highly-collectible 20" x 30" Crystal Archive LightJet print, matted and framed and in excellent condition, of Galen Rowell’s AA#0008, Last light on Horsetail Fall, Yosemite, California (1973), was recently sold to a collector. The print was signed, dated and numbered by the artist, and was offered at a price of $12,500.

Continuing to reflect the strong demand for Rowell fine prints among collectors, this is one of several rare, signed prints recently sold through the Bishop gallery.

Signed Grizzly Bear and Salmon, Alaska
Available Now in the Collectors Vault!

Signed Grizzly bear and salmon by Galen Rowell

This piece is a 20" x 30" Crystal Archive LightJet print, in excellent condition, of Galen Rowell’s AA#0824, Grizzly bear and salmon, Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska (1991). It is presented in a light, honey-colored solid wood frame with 98% UV-blocking museum glass. The mat is acid-free 100% cotton museum board, and is signed and dated by the artist. It is also signed and dated by the artist underneath the mat in the border of the print, and includes a certificate of authenticity. This collectible print is offered at a price of $7,000.

For more information, on this and other rare and collectible prints, visit the Mountain Light Collector’s Vault!

Rare, 16x20 Cibachrome print of California Gulls in last light by Galen Rowell

Within an hour of being announced as available in our July Newsletter, a collector contacted Mountain Light Gallery and has purchased the rare 16x20 Cibachrome print of Galen Rowell’s California Gulls in last light, Mono Lake, California, 1974 (#158 of 300). The print was signed, dated and numbered by the artist, and was offered on consignment sale through the Bishop gallery at $5,000.

Continuing to reflect the strong demand for Rowell fine prints among collectors, this is one of several rare, signed prints sold very shortly after availability was announced.

Rainbow over the Potala Palace by Galen Rowell

Of interest to collectors of Galen Rowell fine prints is the news that Mountain Light recently accepted on consignment a pristine signed 16x20 dye-transfer print of Galen Rowell’s famous Rainbow Over the Potala Palace. Before Mountain Light Gallery was able to broadly publicize the availability of this special print, it sold for $28,000. The print in question is #80/300, and was originally purchased from the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite in the early 1990s for $1,575. When additional Rowell signed prints become available, they will be announced here.

Collectors or institutions interested in Rowell signed prints may contact us via email or at 760-873-7700 to be placed on our special mailing list for information regarding any future releases from Mountain Light’s limited inventory of rare prints or prints placed on consignment.

Stormy sunset over Evolution Lake by Galen Rowell

Mountain Light has just released two rare, signed Galen Rowell limited edition prints that have been unavailable for public sale for several years.

The first piece is a 20" x 30" Crystal Archive LightJet print, matted and framed, of Galen Rowell’s AA#0941, Stormy sunset over Evolution Lake, John Muir Trail, High Sierra, California (1997). It is signed, dated and numbered by the artist, and is offered at a price of $12,500.

Last Light on Horsetail Fall by Galen Rowell

The second piece is a 20" x 30" Crystal Archive LightJet print, also matted and framed, of Galen Rowell’s AA#0008, Last light on Horsetail Fall, Yosemite, California (1973). It is also signed, dated and numbered by the artist, and is offered at a price of $12,500.

Click the images above to inquire about these prints via email. You can also call Mountain Light Gallery at 760-873-7700 for more information, or to be added to our special email list for information regarding future releases of rare and collectible prints from Mountain Light’s limited inventory.

Mountain Light is pleased to announce the addition of fourteen Galen Rowell images to its Fine Print collection.

While conducting research for specific projects, Mountain Light staff regularly search through Galen’s archive of over two hundred thousand images. Occasionally we come across an original 35mm transparency that we feel is exceptional, and suitable to be added to our fine art print collection. These recent additions, which span different points in Galen’s career, include images from California’s High Sierra, Antarctica, Alaska, Arizona, Canada, Pakistan, Siberia, Tibet and Zimbabwe.

The images include: Spring break-up on Lake Baikal, Siberia, 1987 (AA0422); Red foxes near Chenik Lagoon, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska, 1991 (AA0619); Sunrise on Kangbochen (23,933 ft.) from Pekhu Tso, Tibet, 1988 (AA0648); Emperor penguin leaping the ice edge, Riiser-Larsen Colony, Weddell Sea, Antarctica, 1993 (AA0835); Victoria Falls at sunset from the air, Zambezi River, Zimbabwe, 1994 (AA0861); Sunrise at Padres Buttes, Lake Powell Arizona, 2000 (AA1069); Autumn mist over the Barrens, headwaters of the Thelon River, Northwest Territories, Canada, 1998 (AA1093); Wild seas of the Drake Passage to Antarctica, 2002 (AA1215); Winter sunrise on Basin Mountain from the air, Eastern Sierra, California, 2002 (AA1223); Sunset on El Capitan from Higher Cathedral Rock, Yosemite National Park, California, 1990 (AA1228); Sunrise on the Eastern Sierra over Owens Valley ranchland, California, 2000 (AA1244); Porters at Concordia, beneath K2 (28,251ft.), Karakoram Himalaya, Pakistan, 1989 (AA1246); Alpenglow on the east face of Mt. Whitney in winter, Eastern Sierra, California, 1995 (AA1247); Arctic Fox near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, 1993 (AA1245).

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All images and content are © Galen Rowell / Mountain Light Photography, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. No form of reproduction, including copying or saving of digital image files, or the alteration or manipulation of said image files, is authorized unless accompanied by a written license issued by Mountain Light Photography, Inc. For information regarding commercial or personal uses, please contact: Mountain Light Photography, 106 South Main Street, Bishop, California 93514. Telephone 760-873-7700, or email us at mlpictures@mountainlight.com. All prices subject to change without prior notification. Original web site design by Barbara Cushman Rowell.