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{{Short description|American wilderness photographer, mountaineer, and author (1940–2002)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
⚫ {{Unreferenced|date=June 2007}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2007}}
{{Infobox Person {{Infobox person
| name = Galen Avery Rowell | birth_name = Galen Avery Rowell
| image = | image =
| image_size = | image_size = http://danbaileyphoto.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Galen.jpg
| caption = | caption =
| birth_date = {{birth-date|August 23, 1940}}<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/14/arts/galen-rowell-mountaineer-and-nature-photographer-61.html|title=Galen Rowell, Mountaineer And Nature Photographer, 61|last=Lewis|first=Paul|date=August 14, 2002|work=The New York Times|page=20|access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref>
| birth_date = August 23, 1940
| birth_place = ], ] | birth_place = ], California, US
| death_date = August 11, 2002 | death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|8|11|1940|8|23}}
| death_place = ], ] | death_place = ], US
⚫ | occupation = Photographer, ]
| education =
| education = ]
⚫ | occupation = ], ]
| title =
| spouse = Barbara Cushman Rowell
| parents =
| children = Nicole Ryan, "Tony" Edward Anthony Rowell
| nationality = ]
| website = http://www.mountainlight.com/
}} }}
'''Galen Avery Rowell''' (August 23, 1940 &ndash; August 11, 2002) was a noted wilderness ] and ]. Born in ], he became a full-time photographer in 1972. '''Galen Avery Rowell''' (August 23, 1940 – August 11, 2002) was an American wilderness photographer, adventure photojournalist and ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rockandice.com/articles/how-to-climb/article/1130-the-vertical-world-of-galen-rowell|title=The Vertical World of Galen Rowell|last=Osius|first=Alison|year=2009|work=Rock and Ice|access-date=August 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530184014/http://www.rockandice.com/articles/how-to-climb/article/1130-the-vertical-world-of-galen-rowell|archive-date=May 30, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Born in ], he became a full-time photographer in 1972.


==Early life and education==
== Biography ==
⚫ {{Unreferenced section|date=March 2013}}
Rowell was introduced to wilderness at a very young age, and began climbing mountains at the age of ten. For the next fifty-two years, he climbed mountains and explored the wilderness. He began taking pictures on excursions into the wild so he could share his experiences with friends and family. After graduating from ] in 1958, he stayed in Berkeley to study physics at the ] but dropped out after four years to pursue his love of climbing. He was never formally trained as a photographer. Rowell was introduced to the wilderness at a very young age and he completed his first roped climb in ] when he was 16.<ref name =NYT/> For the rest of his life, he climbed mountains and explored landscapes. He began taking pictures on excursions into the wild so that he could share his experiences with friends and family. After graduating from ] in 1958, he stayed in ] to study at the ] but dropped out to pursue climbing.<ref name =NYT/>


==Career==
In 1972, Rowell sold his small automotive business and became a full-time photographer. Within a year, he had completed his first major assignment; a cover story for '']''. The cover story, originally initiated by an invitation from fellow photographer ] to help him on an assignment, came about when Jones was called away and Rowell suggested and made a ] ascent and documented it on his own. When ''National Geographic'' got the pictures, they decided to do a story separate from Jones' and thus Rowell got his start. He pioneered a new kind of photography in which he was not merely an observer, but rather he considered himself a participant in the scenes that he photographed &mdash; he considered the landscape part of the adventure, and the adventure part of the landscape. From 1968 on, he used 35mm ] cameras and lenses almost exclusively for their portability. His main media choice was slide film, beginning with ] in the ] and ] and Fuji ] following its introduction in 1990. In 1972, Rowell sold his small automotive business and became a full-time photographer.<ref name=NYT/> Within a year, he had completed his first major assignment, published as the June 1974 cover story for '']''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=OKTB&p_theme=oktb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F9935D4C947F953&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Top nature lensman killed in plane crash|last=Chapman|first=Glenn|date=August 13, 2002|work=Oakland Tribune|access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref> The story originated from an invitation by fellow photographer ] to help him on an assignment, when Jones was called away and Rowell suggested an ascent of ]'s ] that he documented by himself.<ref name="Kaiser2011">{{cite book|last=Kaiser|first=James|title=Yosemite: The Complete Guide: Yosemite National Park|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-hfXUow_3AIC&pg=PT64|access-date=August 8, 2012|date=January 1, 2011|publisher=James Kaiser|isbn=9780982517222|pages=64–}}</ref> When ''National Geographic'' received the pictures, they decided to do a story separate from Jones', thus Rowell got his start. He pioneered a new kind of photography in which he was not merely an observer, but considered himself a participant in the scenes that he photographed – he considered the landscape part of the adventure, and the adventure part of the landscape.


⚫ Rowell won the ] in 1984.<ref name=scawards>{{cite web|url=http://www.sierraclub.org/awards/downloads/Award_sr.pdf|title=SIERRA CLUB AWARDS – LIST BY AWARD|date=May 25, 2012|publisher=]|access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref> He had numerous photographic assignments for '']'', ''National Geographic'', '']'', and various other publications. Rowell was also a highly regarded writer on subjects ranging from photography, humanitarian and environmental issues, human visual cognition, and ], publishing numerous magazine articles and eighteen books in his lifetime. His ''In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods'' about the history of mountaineering on ] (1977) is considered a classic of mountaineering literature, and his 1986 book ''Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape'' is one of the best selling how-to photo books.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} As an energetic advocate for the causes in which he believed, Rowell served on multiple advisory and directors' boards for organizations ranging from the ] to the ].
Rowell conceived a technical approach of extending the dynamic range of film. He developed a graduated gradient neutral density filter and had them produced by a filter manufacturer. They were sold under his name and became a standard for improving the dynamic range of film.


⚫ Rowell was particularly keen on seeking out and photographing optical phenomena in the natural world. He referred to his ] as "dynamic landscapes," due to both the fast-changing nature of light and conditions and his energetic pursuit of the best camera position at the optimal moment. Rowell wrote about the quest for such images in ''Mountain Light'', and also in ''Galen Rowell's Vision'' (1993) and ''Inner Game of Outdoor Photography'' (2001).
Rowell, his wife Barbara Cushman Rowell, pilot Tom Reid, and Reid's friend Carol McAffee, were killed in a plane crash near the ] Airport in ] on the 11th of August, 2002. They were returning from a photography workshop in ].
⚫
⚫ A retrospective book on his life, career, and impact on the various worlds he touched was published by ].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.mountainlight.com/books.html|title=Galen Rowell: A Retrospective|year=2006|isbn=1578051150|last1=Rowell|first1=Galen A.|publisher=Sierra Club Books }}</ref>

===Photography techniques and equipment===
From 1968, he used ] ] cameras and lenses almost exclusively for their reliability and portability. His primary medium was color ], beginning with ] in the late 1960s through the 1980s, and Fuji ] following its introduction in 1990.

Rowell conceived a technical approach of extending the ] captured on film. He developed a set of ]s produced by filter manufacturer Singh-Ray.<ref>{{cite book|title=Real World Digital Photography|first1=Katrin|last1=Eismann|first2=Sean|last2=Duggan|first3=Tim|last3=Grey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3kDYK6e5LnMC&pg=PT211|publisher=Pearson Education|year=2010|isbn=9780321712905}}</ref> They were sold under his name and became a standard for dealing with high contrast scenes.

Galen Rowell mastered the technique of using balanced ], allowing him to subtly lighten the deepest shadows to match the relatively narrow dynamic range of ].


==Death==
== Climbing and adventuring accomplishments ==
Rowell, his wife – photographer, author and pilot Barbara Cushman Rowell – pilot Tom Reid, and Reid's friend Carol McAffee were all killed in a plane crash in ] near ] in ], at 01:23&nbsp;am on August 11, 2002. The Rowells were returning from a photography workshop in the ] area of ] on a flight that had originated in ]. The ] determined (NTSB report LAX02FA251) that Reid had only 52 hours in the ] 690 and only 1.6 hours at night. He was not certified for carrying passengers at night at the time of the accident. The aircraft crashed during the turn from base to final approach for runway 30, within a quarter mile of the runway threshold.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20020819X01425&ntsbno=LAX02FA251&akey=1|publisher=National Transportation Safety Board|title=LAX02FA251|access-date=23 April 2013}}</ref><ref>, '']'', Chris Clarke, August 12, 2002. Retrieved August 7, 2019.</ref> The Rowells' business, Mountain Light Photography Gallery in Bishop, California, continued to operate (owned by Galen's children Nicole Ryan and Tony Rowell, and Barbara's brother Robert Cushman) until October 2017, first under General Manager and Curator Justin Black until June 2009, and subsequently under General Manager Kevin Calder until 2017.


==Mountaineering achievements==
* More than 100 first ascents of technical climbs in the ] * More than 100 ]s of technical climbs in the ]
* First one-day ascent of ] (on which his camera froze)
* First ski circumnavigation of ] * First one-day ascent of ] (during which his camera froze)
* First ski circumnavigation of ]
* First one-day ascent of ] * First one-day ascent of ]
* First ascent of ] in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya * First ascent of ] in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya
* First ascent of the ] peak in 1981 with Harold Knutsen and Kim Schmitz, reporting its true altitude at 20,610 feet. * Second ascent of the ] peak in 1981 with Harold Knutsen and Kim Schmitz, reporting its true altitude at 20,610 feet.
* First ascent of ], the final major peak climbed in the Everest region * First ascent of ], the final major peak climbed in the Everest region
* First ascents of numerous lesser-known but challenging peaks around the world, including the Andes, Alaska, Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya, Tibet, Nepal, China, Greenland, etc. * First ascents of numerous lesser-known but challenging peaks around the world, including the Andes, Alaska, Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya, Tibet, Nepal, China, Greenland, etc.
* Oldest person to climb Yosemite's ] in one day at age 57 * Oldest person to climb Yosemite's ] in one day at age 57


==Awards==
== Career and writings ==
Rowell was the winner of the Sierra Club's ] for 1977.<ref name=scawards/>


In 1984, the Sierra Club honored Rowell with the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography. https://www.sierraclub.org/library/collections/fine-art/ansel-adams-award
⚫ He was very well-known as a photographer, and pioneered the art of adventure photography: ] considered Rowell to be his most likely successor, and he was often referred to as the Ansel Adams of color photography.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} He won the Ansel Adams award for wilderness photography in 1984. He had numerous photographic assignments for '']'', '']'', '']'', and various other publications. Rowell was also a highly regarded writer on subjects ranging from photography, humanitarian and environmental issues, human visual cognition, and mountaineering, publishing numerous magazine articles and eighteen books in his lifetime. His ''In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods'' (1977) is considered a classic of mountaineering literature, and his 1986 book ''Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape'' is one of the best selling how-to photo books of all time. Also an energetic advocate for the causes in which he believed, Rowell served on multiple advisory and directors' boards for organizations ranging from the ] to the ].


He was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame preceding his death in 2002. https://www.https://www.cohof.org/biographies/galen-rowell
⚫ Rowell was particularly keen on seeking out and photographing optical phenomena in the natural world. He referred to his landscape photographs as “dynamic landscapes,” due to both the fast-changing nature of light and conditions and his energetic pursuit of the best camera position at the optimal moment. Rowell wrote about the quest for such images in his books ''Mountain Light'', ''Galen Rowell's Vision'', and ''Inner Game of Outdoor Photography''.
⚫
⚫ A major retrospective book on his life, career, and impact on the various worlds he touched has been published by ]: (ISBN 1578051150).


Rowell was posthumously inducted into the fellowship of the International League of Conservation Photographers as an Honorary Fellow in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824111100/http://ilcp.com/?cid=25|archive-date=August 24, 2009|url=http://ilcp.com/?cid=25|title=Honorary Members|publisher=ILCP}}</ref>
Rowell's work is on display at the , in the Eastern ] town of ].


== External links == ==See also==
* ]
⚫ *
* ]
⚫ *

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

==External links==
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106134611/http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/53531/galen-rowells-sierra-nevada#index/0 |date=January 6, 2011 }} – slideshow by '']''
⚫ *
⚫ *
* *
* *
* * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004075549/http://www.50fortibet.org/ |date=October 4, 2006 }}
* *
*
*

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowell, Galen}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowell, Galen}}
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Latest revision as of 16:45, 11 January 2025

American wilderness photographer, mountaineer, and author (1940–2002)
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Galen Rowell
BornGalen Avery Rowell
August 23, 1940 (1940-08-23)
Oakland, California, US
DiedAugust 11, 2002(2002-08-11) (aged 61)
Bishop, California, US
EducationBerkeley High School
Occupation(s)Photographer, Climber

Galen Avery Rowell (August 23, 1940 – August 11, 2002) was an American wilderness photographer, adventure photojournalist and mountaineer. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.

Early life and education

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Rowell was introduced to the wilderness at a very young age and he completed his first roped climb in Yosemite Valley when he was 16. For the rest of his life, he climbed mountains and explored landscapes. He began taking pictures on excursions into the wild so that he could share his experiences with friends and family. After graduating from Berkeley High School in 1958, he stayed in Berkeley to study at the University of California but dropped out to pursue climbing.

Career

In 1972, Rowell sold his small automotive business and became a full-time photographer. Within a year, he had completed his first major assignment, published as the June 1974 cover story for National Geographic. The story originated from an invitation by fellow photographer Dewitt Jones to help him on an assignment, when Jones was called away and Rowell suggested an ascent of Yosemite National Park's Half Dome that he documented by himself. When National Geographic received the pictures, they decided to do a story separate from Jones', thus Rowell got his start. He pioneered a new kind of photography in which he was not merely an observer, but considered himself a participant in the scenes that he photographed – he considered the landscape part of the adventure, and the adventure part of the landscape.

Rowell won the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography in 1984. He had numerous photographic assignments for Life, National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, and various other publications. Rowell was also a highly regarded writer on subjects ranging from photography, humanitarian and environmental issues, human visual cognition, and mountaineering, publishing numerous magazine articles and eighteen books in his lifetime. His In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods about the history of mountaineering on K2 (1977) is considered a classic of mountaineering literature, and his 1986 book Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape is one of the best selling how-to photo books. As an energetic advocate for the causes in which he believed, Rowell served on multiple advisory and directors' boards for organizations ranging from the Committee of 100 for Tibet to the World Wildlife Fund.

Rowell was particularly keen on seeking out and photographing optical phenomena in the natural world. He referred to his landscape photographs as "dynamic landscapes," due to both the fast-changing nature of light and conditions and his energetic pursuit of the best camera position at the optimal moment. Rowell wrote about the quest for such images in Mountain Light, and also in Galen Rowell's Vision (1993) and Inner Game of Outdoor Photography (2001).

A retrospective book on his life, career, and impact on the various worlds he touched was published by Sierra Club Books.

Photography techniques and equipment

From 1968, he used 35mm Nikon cameras and lenses almost exclusively for their reliability and portability. His primary medium was color slide film, beginning with Kodachrome in the late 1960s through the 1980s, and Fuji Velvia following its introduction in 1990.

Rowell conceived a technical approach of extending the dynamic range captured on film. He developed a set of graduated neutral density filters produced by filter manufacturer Singh-Ray. They were sold under his name and became a standard for dealing with high contrast scenes.

Galen Rowell mastered the technique of using balanced fill flash, allowing him to subtly lighten the deepest shadows to match the relatively narrow dynamic range of color reversal film.

Death

Rowell, his wife – photographer, author and pilot Barbara Cushman Rowell – pilot Tom Reid, and Reid's friend Carol McAffee were all killed in a plane crash in Inyo County near Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in Bishop, California, at 01:23 am on August 11, 2002. The Rowells were returning from a photography workshop in the Bering Sea area of Alaska on a flight that had originated in Oakland, California. The National Transportation Safety Board determined (NTSB report LAX02FA251) that Reid had only 52 hours in the Aero Commander 690 and only 1.6 hours at night. He was not certified for carrying passengers at night at the time of the accident. The aircraft crashed during the turn from base to final approach for runway 30, within a quarter mile of the runway threshold. The Rowells' business, Mountain Light Photography Gallery in Bishop, California, continued to operate (owned by Galen's children Nicole Ryan and Tony Rowell, and Barbara's brother Robert Cushman) until October 2017, first under General Manager and Curator Justin Black until June 2009, and subsequently under General Manager Kevin Calder until 2017.

Mountaineering achievements

  • More than 100 first ascents of technical climbs in the Sierra Nevada
  • First one-day ascent of Denali (during which his camera froze)
  • First ski circumnavigation of Denali
  • First one-day ascent of Kilimanjaro
  • First ascent of Great Trango Tower in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya
  • Second ascent of the Amne Machin peak in 1981 with Harold Knutsen and Kim Schmitz, reporting its true altitude at 20,610 feet.
  • First ascent of Cholatse, the final major peak climbed in the Everest region
  • First ascents of numerous lesser-known but challenging peaks around the world, including the Andes, Alaska, Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya, Tibet, Nepal, China, Greenland, etc.
  • Oldest person to climb Yosemite's El Capitan in one day at age 57

Awards

Rowell was the winner of the Sierra Club's Francis P. Farquhar Mountaineering Award for 1977.

In 1984, the Sierra Club honored Rowell with the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography. https://www.sierraclub.org/library/collections/fine-art/ansel-adams-award

He was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame preceding his death in 2002. https://www.https://www.cohof.org/biographies/galen-rowell

Rowell was posthumously inducted into the fellowship of the International League of Conservation Photographers as an Honorary Fellow in 2009.

See also

References

  1. ^ Lewis, Paul (August 14, 2002). "Galen Rowell, Mountaineer And Nature Photographer, 61". The New York Times. p. 20. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  2. Osius, Alison (2009). "The Vertical World of Galen Rowell". Rock and Ice. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  3. Chapman, Glenn (August 13, 2002). "Top nature lensman killed in plane crash". Oakland Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  4. Kaiser, James (January 1, 2011). Yosemite: The Complete Guide: Yosemite National Park. James Kaiser. pp. 64–. ISBN 9780982517222. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  5. ^ "SIERRA CLUB AWARDS – LIST BY AWARD" (PDF). Sierra Club. May 25, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  6. Rowell, Galen A. (2006). Galen Rowell: A Retrospective. Sierra Club Books. ISBN 1578051150.
  7. Eismann, Katrin; Duggan, Sean; Grey, Tim (2010). Real World Digital Photography. Pearson Education. ISBN 9780321712905.
  8. "LAX02FA251". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  9. Plane Crash Kills Photographers Galen, Barbara Rowell, Environment News Service, Chris Clarke, August 12, 2002. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  10. "Honorary Members". ILCP. Archived from the original on August 24, 2009.

External links

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