Galen Rowell facts for kids

Galen Avery Rowell (born August 23, 1940 – died August 11, 2002) was an amazing photographer, writer, and mountaineer. He was famous for taking pictures of wild places and exciting adventures. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.

Galen Rowell: Adventure Photographer

Early Adventures and Learning

Galen loved the outdoors from a very young age. He learned to climb mountains when he was just 16 years old in Yosemite Valley. For the rest of his life, he kept climbing and exploring new landscapes. He started taking photos during his trips to show his friends and family what he saw. After finishing Berkeley High School in 1958, he went to the University of California. But he soon left college to spend more time climbing.

A Career Behind the Lens

In 1972, Galen decided to become a full-time photographer. Just one year later, he got his first big job. His photos were featured on the cover of National Geographic magazine in June 1974. This happened when he helped another photographer, then ended up documenting a climb of Yosemite National Park's Half Dome by himself. National Geographic loved his pictures and decided to create a whole story just for him.

Galen created a new way of taking pictures. He wasn't just watching from far away. He became part of the scene he was photographing. He believed that the landscape was part of the adventure, and the adventure was part of the landscape.

In 1984, Galen won the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography. This award is for photographers who help protect nature. He took many pictures for magazines like Life, National Geographic, and Outdoor Photographer. Galen was also a great writer. He wrote about photography, nature, and mountaineering. He published many articles and eighteen books. His book In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods (1977) is a classic about climbing K2. His 1986 book Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape is one of the most popular how-to photo books. Galen also worked to help protect the environment. He was on the boards of groups like the Committee of 100 for Tibet and the World Wildlife Fund.

Capturing Dynamic Landscapes

Galen especially loved finding and photographing amazing light and weather in nature. He called his landscape photos "dynamic landscapes." This was because light and conditions change quickly. It also showed how much energy he put into finding the best spot to take a picture at the perfect moment. Galen wrote about finding these special images in his books Mountain Light, Galen Rowell's Vision (1993), and Inner Game of Outdoor Photography (2001).

Photography Gear and Tricks

From 1968, Galen mostly used 35mm Nikon cameras and lenses. He liked them because they were strong and easy to carry. He mainly used color slide film. He started with Kodachrome film and later switched to Fuji Velvia when it came out in 1990.

Galen also came up with a special way to capture more detail in his photos. He helped create special graduated neutral density filters. These filters helped photographers take pictures of scenes with both very bright and very dark areas. They became very popular for landscape photographers.

Smart Camera Techniques

Galen was also very good at using a technique called "balanced fill flash." This allowed him to make the darkest parts of his photos a little brighter. This helped his pictures look more natural, especially with the type of film he used.

His Final Journey

Galen Rowell, his wife Barbara Cushman Rowell (who was also a photographer and pilot), pilot Tom Reid, and Reid's friend Carol McAffee died in a plane crash. This happened near Bishop, California, on August 11, 2002. The Rowells were flying home from a photography trip in Alaska.

Amazing Mountain Climbs

Galen was an incredible climber. Here are some of his impressive achievements:

• He made over 100 first ascents (meaning he was the first to climb them) on difficult routes in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
• He was the first person to climb Denali (North America's highest peak) in just one day.
• He was the first person to ski all the way around Denali.
• He was the first person to climb Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest peak) in one day.
• He made the first climb of Great Trango Tower in Pakistan.
• He was the second person to climb the Amne Machin peak in 1981.
• He made the first climb of Cholatse, a major peak in the Everest region.
• He made many first climbs on challenging peaks around the world, including in the Andes, Alaska, Tibet, Nepal, China, and Greenland.
• He was the oldest person to climb Yosemite's El Capitan in one day, at age 57.

Awards and Recognition

Galen Rowell received many awards for his work:

• In 1977, he won the Francis P. Farquhar Mountaineering Award from the Sierra Club.
• In 1984, the Sierra Club gave him the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography.
• He was added to the California Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2002, just before he passed away.
• In 2009, he was honored as an Honorary Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

See Also

• Nature photography
• Wildlife photography