Photo Destination eBooks

When you are traveling to a new place to photograph, it is important to know not only how to get there, but as a photographer, when to be there.  Our ebooks give detailed directions to the photographic scene, the best time of day (and sometimes time of year) to photograph, as well as other background information and – in most cases – photo-illustrations of the scene.  No other publications out there do that.

VERMONT (Free PDF)

I am delighted to announce that this book has been recently updated with images through 2021. Even better news: We have decided that the eBook format has outlived its utility (for us at least). Publishing is costly and limits what we can do with the book, which was always intended to be a useful reference for photographers. So, this newest “3rd Edition” is now available exclusively in pdf format and is free to download. Just click on the download link below.

The First Edition, published as an ebook in 2009, was refreshed in 2017, with the Second Edition, in which my good friend, talented photographer, and now co-author, Carol Smith joined me, adding many new images and scenes, and much insight for the book. That edition benefitted from the revised format of the Michigan Book, which includes authors’ personal comments, among other things. Both of us have made numerous additional trips to Vermont since 2009 and found and documented many more scenes. In 2021 Carol and I spent almost a week together in Vermont, photographing mostly new places, mostly intended to augment the book. At that time, we determined that it would really make more sense to publish a 3rd Edition in pdf format and forgo the cost and hassle (both to us and to you) of an ebook format.

The idea for my first ebook was born out of a photographic trip in 2005, when I traveled to Vermont to photograph Fall Foliage.  As I did my research I discovered that the existing specific location information for photographers was simply not detailed enough to be useful for trip planning.  I discovered a pamphlet on the internet, first published many years back, by the late, Arnold John Kaplan (“Finding and Photographing Vermont’s Photo-Scenics“), with description locations, and giving specific directions to get there, and the best time of day to photograph.  I was excited to receive Arnold’s book.  However, when I arrived in Vermont, I discovered that many of the “classic” scenes had changed so much that they were either no longer viable shots, or the shooting was much more difficult.  Using Arnold’s book as a basis, I decided to record my own findings for other photographers.

For a number of years, I offered my pdf publications, Photographing Scenic Vermont and Photographing Michigan’s U.P. , freely to photographers. Because of an unprecedented number of requests for the Vermont pdf in 2011, I decided to publish it as an eBook.  To my great delight, Arnold J. Kaplan himself, agreed to write a foreword. But we have found the process work-intensive and costly, using a third party to format and submit ebook formatted text and illustrations to the main sellers (Amazon, Apple, Nook etc.), and the payback just enough to cover out-of-pocket costs. While there have been a good amount of sales, we believe they have come more from word of mouth, and from our own presences on our websites, blogs, and social media. For me, the real reason to do this wasn’t about making money or becoming “famous.” I just wanted to give other photographers an easier path to the searching and trekking I have done over the years to get good images of these places. While it is still only currently available in ebook format, Kerry, my co-author and I are in discussions about a “refresh” of the Michigan U.P. book and converting it to an exclusively pdf format also. Stay tuned.

Photographing Vermont’s Fall Foliage – 3rd Edition – pdf

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MICHIGAN

Michigan’s “Upper Peninsula” (UP) is a wonderland for photographers and is the one place other than Vermont that I have spent a lot of time exploring, so it made good sense to me that I would follow the Vermont eBook with a similar publication for the U.P.  Not nearly as well-known as New England as a fall foliage destination, I believe Kerry and I have demonstrated that it clearly rivals New England’s reputation as “best places to photograph foliage.”  With its Great Lakes location, the UP proves to be a 4-season photographer’s destination and a little bit of paradise.

I started the e-book, but it languished for a couple years, until my friend, and very talented photographer, Kerry Leibowitz, agreed to co-write it with me.  Kerry has spent a lot of time exploring the U.P., and his knowledge and image base has been an invaluable aid to completing this project.  This book contains some “upgrades” to the approach I took in the Vermont book, including separate sections in each area with our personal observations of the potential of the scene, challenges and obstacles.  I expect that Carol and I will continue the same format for the Second Edition of the Vermont book.  We are excited to offer “Photographing Michigan’s UP” as an aid to our compatriot shooters.

Photographing The Michigan U.P. EBook

Buy Kindle eBook (Amazon)

Buy iBook for iPad (Apple iTunes Bookstore)

Buy Nook eBook (Barnes & Noble)

Buy Kobo eBook (Kobo)

 

We need to say a word about ethics, here. In 2005, I found several scenes in Vermont that are what I refer to as “iconic.” I learned about them from other photographers who were generous with information. I was enthusiastic to do the same and share my knowledge of these locations, and they appeared in my first pdf publication, and later in the 1st and 2nd edition ebooks. Since the about 2015, however a very disturbing trend has evolved. Much of it is probably to be blamed on publications like this blog and social media. Popular and sometimes famous locations have become widely known, and in some cases, consequently overrun with thoughtless tourists and – I am embarrassed to say – photographers, who show little or no consideration for the owners of these locations, or the others who might wish to visit them. It has become so out-of-control that owners have had to post signage on the properties pleading with visitors to stay off their property. In one very popular case the local town will probably be closing off access to the location this fall during the foliage season. As authors and we believe ethical photographers ourselves, all 3 of us have agreed that we do not want to be contributors to this regretful trend. As such, we have removed all reference to 3 locations we believe to be the victims of the worst of this behavior – nothing less than harrassment. It is a shame, because they happen to be 3 of the most photogenic and iconic locations in New England. We hope we do not have to add to this list. Please be courteous and ethical in your shooting – and in the use of the information we are giving you, so that we do not have to discontinue these resources!