Shameless plugs – Yosemite Backcountry Book, Exhibit, Workshop

[Keith S. Walklet]

When the brown truck delivered my advance copy of First Light: Five Photographers Explore Yosemite’s Wilderness yesterday, I decided I couldn’t not crow about it.

The book is a quiet testament to Yosemite’s wilderness, photography and friendship; a wonderful win, win, win, win… collaboration between the park, two of its non-profit park partners (The Yosemite Fund and The Yosemite Association), the park’s guest service provider (Delaware North), The Ansel Adams Gallery, and five photographers, (Charles Cramer, Karl Kroeber, Scot Miller, Mike Osborne and myself).

Five years of two-week backcountry expeditions are distilled into 132 pages with 75 color reproductions (15 from each of us) interspersed with excerpts from our journals.

A book-signing, artists’ reception will be held from 6-9pm on Friday, July 17 at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite to celebrate its release and accompanying exhibit (July 9, 2009 - August 19, 2009).

On Saturday and Sunday, the same weekend, Charles Cramer and I are teaching a lecture-style class in Yosemite Valley, Making a Photograph: From Field to Print.
The class presents highlights from the 3-5 day workshops that we typically conduct for the Ansel Adams Gallery. Note: The block of rooms set aside for the class has already been assigned, but there is still space for additional attendees and the schedule was deliberately set to permit travel time to the park from outlying areas.

[Kerik Kouklis]

Congratulations, Keith! Well-deserved.

[Vaughn]

Yes, a hearty congrats to you, Keith, and to all involved! I might be able to see the show in early August...I hope I will be able to.

I wish I could attend the opening and the workshop. The workshop sounds particularily worthwhile. But I will be somewhere else in the country -- on the road with the family on a cross-country camping adventure. No room in the minivan for the 8x10...those three boys of mine are growing! But I'll have my new-to-me 5x7 ready to go and I'll be thinking of you as we cross the wilderness of Middle America!

Good luck with it all, and I look forward to buying/seeing a copy of the book!

Vaughn

[Harley Goldman]

A good shameless plug it is. Congratulations!!!!!!

[Eric James]

Congratulations Keith!!! You have extraordinary and intimate knowledge of Yosemite - seeing what you've decided to contribute to such a project will be very enlightening and, I'm sure, inspiring.

I hope to visit YNP at least once this year, but July 17th is a wee bit hot for me.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Keith, this is awesome! Congrat's to all of you. What a great project. May be tough for me to get there but if I can I would love to see this fantastic work.

Jim

[Keith S. Walklet]

Thanks all for your comments. This was/is a wonderful project. Great company, good cause, a subject close to my heart. The book is beautifully designed. The journal entries, especially those by Karl, add another dimension to the experience. I've rarely been inclined to read the text of most photo books. This one is special.

Additional dates have been added to the ongoing celebration.

August 29, Karl Kroeber will make a slide presentation on the project at 2 pm at Parson's Lodge in Tuolumne Meadows.

Saturday, September 19 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The five of us will all be at Sun to Moon Gallery in Dallas, Texas, where our work will be on display through October 17 (www.suntomoon).

And I just found out this week that we all will be in Tuolumne Meadows October 3 for the Yosemite Association members meeting.

[Blueberrydesk]

How would one order the book if we can't make the events? Congratulations too, btw!

[Keith S. Walklet]

We'll be signing some copies for Yosemite Association, The Yosemite Fund, The Ansel Adams Gallery, Sun to Moon which should be available through their respective on-line retail sites. (yosemite.org, anseladams.com, heydaybooks.com [the actual publisher], yosemitepark.com [buys from YA], suntomoon.com) I believe YF will only offer them as premiums to donors who contribute at a specified level.

The book is also listed on Amazon.com

Note: As I mentioned above, the Yosemite Fund will likely offer the books as premiums for donations. I understand that a small number of hardcovers are being printed that will be part of a limited edition, numbered set used for premiums by the Yosemite Fund. Sun to Moon will also have a small supply of hardcovers. These are supposed to be very limited quantities.

[Keith S. Walklet]

Friday's book-signing coming up fast!

A promo just posted on youtube today by Scot Miller, one of the participating photogs in the project, and owner of Sun to Moon Gallery, see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHBmVNwB3I

BTW, the accompanying music is by The Dodos, (Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, participating photog Karl's son).

[Tony Karnezis]

That's awesome Keith! Congratulations! I wish I could make the signing.

P.S. Cool music in the youtube video.

[Greg Miller]

Congratulations and best of luck with everything surrounding it. There's nothing quite like getting that package and seeing that advanced copy - the first time where all the work comes together and you get to see it it its final form.

[John Wiemer]

Thank you for sharing the beauty of Yosemite with others. The video provided a small glimpse of what to expect and it looks like you all have captured the spirit. On the video you guys all look like you might be part of a prison work-release program. (sorry....that may be a little insensitive, comparing prisoners to photographers can give prisoners a bad name). Again...keep up the passion and I hope you continue to share the beauty and the sweet light.

[Thad Gerheim]

Keith, thanks for sharing, teaching and being a wonderful person. It shows in your work and the brief minutes that I met you in Media Specialties, Boise, years ago. Because of that inspiring meeting I took one of Charles Cramer's workshops and was very impressed with the openness, honesty and dedication he has in knowing how to express the beauty of nature.
Congratulations and good luck,
Thad

[Keith S. Walklet]

Thank you all. There is nothing like sharing your passion. True the valley is beautiful, but the backcountry is equally impressive, and we've been fortunate to have access to places that are difficult to get to.

An update on the book. The reception and all-day marathon book-signing went well. I would best describe it as a hugfest. Lots of old friends and wonderful memories. The exhibit looks terrific and the Ansel Adams Gallery did an outstanding job hosting the event.

Prior to the event, we signed inventory for the Ansel Adams Gallery, The Yosemite Association and The Yosemite Fund. Over 500 copies in this one sitting.

The Yosemite Fund has a limited, numbered edition of 150 copies of the hardcover signed by all the photographers/authors as well as Bob Hansen, the author of the introduction, which they are selling (I thought it would be used as a premium) for $100 first-come, first-served. I believe by the end of the first day, they had already gone through half that inventory. www.yosemitefund.org

The remainder of the hardcover run was an 80 additional copies that are going to Sun To Moon gallery. www.suntomoon.com

We signed 120 copies for Yosemite Association, 75 of which were sold at the reception. We will be signing additional copies when we emerge from the backcountry to attend their members meeting the first weekend in October. www.yosemite.org.

We signed 75 copies for the Ansel Adams Gallery, which were not sold at the event, but which are currently on sale through their website www.anseladams.com

Each of us purchased a case (24 copies) for our own use, and we passed them around for signatures.

At this point, that is the extent of signed copies. We will all be together again in mid-September in Dallas for the opening and reception at Sun To Moon, at which point additional copies may be signed. Aside from the YA members meeting in October, we probably won't all be in the same place again until summer of 2010, so I doubt we'll have an opportunity to sign additional copies beyond the October gathering.

[Jeremy Moore]

I just marked the Sun to Moon opening on my calendar. Will be great to see the show in person.