“Wholly an unattractive country. There
is nothing whatever in it, no object of interest to the tourist,
and there is not one out of twenty who visits for purposes of
observation this remote section.” So declared one congressman in
the late 1800s, dismissing the valleys of Yellowstone.
What a difference a century can make: Today, 3 million people visit
Yellowstone National Park each year. Still more visit Grand Teton
National Park and the seven national forests that surround both
parks. Together, these lands comprise the region known as Greater
Yellowstone. It is an area challenging to any photographer, because
rather than offering “no object of interest,” it offers so many.
We’ve all seen outstanding photos of this part of the
Rockies; our standards are high, and it takes a true artist to show
us something new.
Incredible Vision: The
Wildlands of Greater Yellowstone lives up to its name.
Pete and Alice Bengeyfield pursue nature photography as a hobby,
but the vision, patience and skill that captured these images
reflect a calling.
The book succeeds as a coffee-table
book, but the fine writing takes it well beyond mere furniture.
Pete Bengeyfield’s prose is readable yet comprehensive, and
he begins with the geologic forces that formed the area and ends
with some of the contentious issues — logging, oil and gas
exploration, wildlife management, development — that rivet
High Country News readers today. In between, he
covers water, plants and wildlife, along with humans, and some of
their varied perspectives since the first trappers headed west.
The text should appeal to anyone who lives in or cares
about the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem; the photos will appeal to
anyone with open eyes.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline A new look at Yellowstone.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
