Celebrated photographers Ron Leonetti and Christopher Jordan explore the diversity of Michigan landscapes in their latest collection of photographs. Forests, prairies, savannas, wetlands, the shorelines of four Great Lakes, and the variety of terrain that crosses the Upper Peninsula are featured in more than 100 colour images. "Of Woods and Water" conveys the natural allure and hidden treasures that exist in Michigan - scattered, isolated, and generally small in size, their protection and preservation are paramount.
At present, these beautiful landscapes thrive, untouched by the urban sprawl that sweeps our country's land, but a greater awareness for and involvement in the preservation of our threatened natural communities are greatly needed. This shared love of nature and the unexpected gifts the state has to offer guided Leonetti and Jordan in producing a splendid body of work that captures the spirit of Michigan's untamed beauty.
Foreword by Dave Dempsey
Acknowledgments
Artists' Comments
List of Locations
The Journey
Technical Details
List of Resources
In Memoriam
About the Photographers
Ron Leonetti and Christopher Jordan have been photographing the natural world for many years. They are the authors of Unexpected Indiana (IUP, 2004) and principal photographers of The Nature Conservancy's Guide to Indiana Preserves. Leonetti lives in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Jordan lives in Zionsville, Indiana.
"These powerful photographs are evocative hymns to the beauty and majesty of Michigan, a place where the greatest fresh waters of the world originate."
– Dave Dempsey, co-author of The Waters of Michigan
"Countless photography compendiums of the beauty of nature in Michigan have been published – but few achieve the utter transformation that this team of photographers saw behind the lens [...] Bottom line: The beauty of the images compiled in this coffee table book speak a thousand words to the elegant magic of Michigan."
– Megan Waitkoff, Lake Magazine
"Of Woods and Water unquestionably lives up to its title, and is an absolute must-have for nature photography enthusiasts. Highly recommended."
– James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review, December 2008
"The artistic quality of [the authors'] work from a close-up study of tree bark to the grandeur of a vivid sunset over lake Michigan raises this compilation of 140 stunnning color photographs far above the usual coffee table book."
– Current Books on Gardening and Botany, March 2009
"Clarity, detail, colors and quality should go without saying in anything touted as a 'coffee-table book,' but this one delivers beautifully in those categories where many others do not. Ultimately, a great photo book inspires readers to new ways of seeing. This does that."
– lakesuperior.com , 12/11/2009