I frequently receive comments on landscape photos like “I’m enjoying seeing places I will never get to,” or “How do you find those places?” Most landscape photographers who have been traveling the Southwest for many years have learned what tools are out there. These are books and websites. The number has been on the increase, so it seems time to review those that I find particularly valuable. For outdoor lovers who are willing to get up early or stay out late to find the best light, these books and websites may be just as useful as they are for us camera luggers. 

The ones described below are my “go to” resources. Some are free. Those requiring a purchase are all fully worth it in terms of time savings, improved experiences and photographic results.

Start with some books.

Laurent Martres has been a full-time Southwest photographer and author for the better part of forty years. His first book, Land of the Canyons was published in 1998, followed by the four-book Photographing the Southwest series in 2005. These books are extremely well written and illustrated with Laurent’s own photos as well as those of a number or talented contributing photographers.  You will find that he is an accomplished writer as well as photographer. Martres also offers books on California (separate north and south editions), Oregon, Washington and The World by other well known photographers. I really doubt that I have ever been to a place not described one of these books. Martres' name is often mentioned by my buddies on photo safaris, so I know they regard him highly. To find out more about these books, visit his website.

Hiking Guides to the Southwest

Michael Kelsey has a number of hiking guides, primarily centered around the Colorado Plateau, that include slot canyons (separate technical and non-technical guides) and most areas in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. It is clear that the author has worn out many more shoes just be copious descriptions of the trails and canyons he has traversed. He often mentions excellent photo spots in his books. Much of this writing is essentially Kelsey's extensive trail notes. It is sometimes a bit hard to locate the material you are looking for...organization of such complete notes in written material is clearly a challenge. I use his books especially when going off the beaten path to “discover” something he has seen but is rarely photographed. Find his books here and on Amazon.

There are a number of other local hiking guides that can be picked up on Amazon or at a book shop in a National Park or other area you are visiting. Of course, I like the ones with pictures as it often leads to ways to capture something in a new way.

Online Guides

I first visited thewave.info well over 10 years ago. The site has been in existence since 2003. As the website’s name implies, the author, William Belvin’s initial intent was to describe how to find and enjoy North and South Coyote Buttes where the The Wave, a remarkable geological candy store for photographers is located in Northern Arizona. The website has grown to much more than this area, however, as it now describes many locations throughout the Southwest, and much of the rest of the United States. Maps are included with many markers for photo locations. Non-photographers will enjoy using these maps so they don’t pass by interesting formations that are sometimes a bit hidden. There are hundreds of nice images on the website. Belvin does a remarkable job of keeping this site up-to-date. There are tons of sample photos of most covered locations.

This is a rapidly expanding subscription based website and app that features around 100 locations around the U.S. that have very high photographic potential. As the name suggests, the site is designed particularly for photographers who plan to visit a number of locations to capture both iconic and unique images. Photographers Trail Notes gives helpful suggestions, such as places to eat, find Wi-Fi, or dry camp. Precise GPS coordinates and GPS guided trails are particularly useful for locations that don’t have clearly marked trails. The author, JT Wier has visited and photographed most of the locations, but he also relies on other contributing photographers so that high quality and inspiring images are included with each location. I am honored to be a contributor to this project.

Other online sources

There are dozens of landscape photographers with excellent images. If you are traveling to a known wider location (let's say Canyonlands National Park), do a search on any of the following sites for a fairly extensive collection of images for that location. Depending on the site, you may enter simply "Canyonlands" or more precise "Canyonlands overlook".  Just a few sites are listed here. These sites are better used for inspiration, since discovery of the exact locations where the images were taken is difficult unless you already know the territory.

Google Images

500px  You will have to join to look - no cost

Flickr 

Getty Images