The Hidden Canyon: A River Journey

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Description

In this astonishing book, legendary wildlife photographer Art Wolfe turns to one of nature's most fundamental survival techniques: the vanishing act. His portraits show animals and insects disappearing into their surroundings, using deceptions, disguises, lures, and decoys to confuse the eyes of both predator and prey. In a world where nothing is as it appears to be, a lion blends into the tall grass in the late-afternoon sun, or a harp seal disappears against his snowy backdrop. Pastel orchids can suddenly morph into predatory praying mantises, while lizard heads become tails. What at first appears to be a torn and decomposing leaf on a forest floor in Peru suddenly sprouts legs and starts walking: it is a leaf-mimic katydid. Spotting each cryptic animal amid Wolfe's clever compositions is both a fun and an informative challenge. At a time when many species are performing permanent vanishing acts due to habitat loss and human encroachment, this book showcases the beauty and evolutionary extremes of animal behavior and artfully illustrates the tenacious will to stay alive in an eat-or-be-eaten world.

Reviews

"Blaustein's color photographs are spectacular." - Los Angeles Times "I cannot recall a better collection of Grand Canyon photographs than these." - Library Journal

Author Bio

John Blaustein started rowing in the Grand Canyon in 1970 as one of the first river guides with Martin Litton's Grand Canyon Dories. Having been a guide on more than 80 trips during his 40+ years on the river, Blaustein still rows the river once or twice a year. In addition to photographing the Grand Canyon, he does commercial assignments that have taken him around the world. Blaustein lives in Berkeley, California. Edward Abbey (1927--1989) was a novelist, essayist, social critic, and outspoken defender of the American wilderness. His many books include Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang. Martin Litton (1917-2014) was the founder of Grand Canyon Dories and the recipient of the John Muir Award--the Sierra Club's most prestigious honor. In 2004, Litton celebrated his 87th birthday by rowing a dory down the 277 miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and became the oldest person in the world to do so. Kevin Fedarko has written for Outside, Esquire, National Geographic Adventure, and other publications and was on the staff of Time Magazine. His book, The Emerald Mile, won the National Outdoor Book Award and the Reading the West Award and was a New York Times bestseller.