Galen Rowell was an American photographer and photojournalist whose career was active in the ‘70s but whose life was cut short due to a fatal plane crash. He is most noted for his nature and landscape photography that was featured in National Geographic. Before his death in 2002, he received praise for conceiving a way to extend the dynamic range of film for high-contrast scenes.
Rowell was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, California. Most of his work showcases national parks and destinations around the world. Some of his most notable work was taken at Yosemite National Park, where he refined his skills in nature and landscape photography.
Rowell attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1958. He attended UC Berkeley to study physics but dropped out to pursue his passion for mountain climbing.
Rowell did not pursue a career in photography until after he sold his automotive business in 1972. His early and later work in photography comprises many photos taken in California with its unique landscapes. He is known for his contributions to photography, humanitarian and environmental issues, and the publication of 16 books of photographs in his lifetime.
Rowell never received formal training in photography. Rowell became a full-time photographer later in his life as an adult. Less than a year after becoming a full-time photographer, he received his first photojournalism assignment from National Geographic. His early mountain climbing photographs drew the attention of photography enthusiasts, but it was his landscape photography that put him on the map with other famous landscape photographers, including Ansel Adams.
Haunts:
- High Sierra Mountains. Some of Rowell’s earliest inspirations were drawn from his mountain climbing experiences as a child in the High Sierras. He spent a lot of his childhood exploring the Sierras, giving him a unique perspective on its landscapes, natural lighting, contrast, and composition. Due to his close connection to nature and the amount of time spent there, his perspectives on nature catapulted his career across the world, and these perspectives continued to fuel his career as a photographer.
- Yosemite National Park. Given his proximity to Yosemite and childhood experiences mountain climbing, Rowell captured many landscape photographs from a vantage point that many photographers are not able to capture. Some photography critics say that his best work came out of Yosemite. Beyond photography, Rowell completed his first rope climb at Yosemite at the age of 16 and returned to the site numerous times up until his death.
- Berkeley, CA. Rowell was raised in Berkeley, California and attended Berkeley High School (1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704) before considering a career in photography. While much of his photographic work was taken well past his teen years, his passion for exploration and adventure was at its height during this time. His passion for the outdoors during his teen years subsequently led to a career in photography.
~ by Vy D. Hunyh ~
External Links:
Mountain Light Galen and Barbara Rowell – http://www.mountainlight.com/
Widewalls – https://www.widewalls.ch/artist/galen-rowell/
Britannica – https://www.britannica.com/biography/Galen-Rowell
