America from 500 Feet!

by Bill Fortney and Charles F. Stanley

Book Overview

A collection of nature photography by Bill Fortney, who took to the air to capture America's most remarkable scenery from just 500 feet off the ground. With room for only one person in the ultralight... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1559717858
• ISBN13: 9781559717854
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Northword Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 11.2" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A truly beautiful book of photographs

This is a lovely book that I find I can only express my enjoyment in somewhat paradoxical criticisms: I wish there had been more and I wish it had been slightly larger. That is to say, the photographs were so striking that I wanted more and I wanted them larger. As other reviewers have noted, the book consists of low-level aerial photographs of various wilderness and wooded spots in the United States taken from an ultra light aircraft. Not every area of the country is represented, but I'm not sure that that makes very much difference. Even areas that I know looked completely fresh to me. This really is America as you've never seen it before. If you enjoy nature photography or "from the air" books, you should definitely check this one out.

Great Book...but you missed Oregon!

I was given your great book for Christmas this year. It is a terrific concept and even better execution! However, as a confirmed and dedicated Westerner, I have to tell you that you need to study up on your geography. Your first book section is the beautiful West, and most of you second section (mislabeled Central) is of the beautiful West. Credit needs to go where it is due, and there is no place on earth to match the American West. Your other obvious mistake is missing Oregon. It has more variety of land forms and natural beauty than any of the other 50 states. And I'm not prejudiced! From the rugged coast to the Cascades to the Columbia Gorge to the great high desert and ponderosa forests of eastern Oregon, it is unbeatable. About my outdoor life in Oregon, I'll excerpt your quote on p 59 of the book. "all my days...each one holds its surprises and I have seen almost more beauty than I can bear." In my Oregon experience that beauty has been a pigmy owl, a black bear at 20 yards, an eastern Oregon rainstorm that swept by us raining 20 feet away while we were dry, elk feeding along a forested slope with the herd bull bulging, the majesty of Steens Mountain and its 5000 foot eastern drop-off, a flock of 300 swans migrating south over the Blue Mountains, a pair of great horned owls high up in an old ranch barn along the edge of a high desert miles long lake, the multi-colored layered rock of the John Day Fossil Beds Monument--for miles and miles. You gotta come to Oregon where you can do a book just on this great state! Thanks for your book...really. Lee Findley

Exquisite, Surreal Imagery, a New Benchmark in Presentation

I have collected many works in the genre over the years. This particular one by Fortney I find especially compelling. I gasped in abject wonder at the first facing photograph when turning the page following the author's introduction. Extraordinary imagery. Captivating perspectives, rich in composition. Handsomely reproduced so the printing effectively achieves resonance. Definitely one for the coffee table. If you've had the opportunity to drink in aerial vantage points when flying commercial airliners, you will be in for a treat because of the immediacy inherent within most shots. Thoughtful commentary into the context of certain photographs enhances the overall appreciation for what ultimately contributed to the finished product. I truly hope more works of this stunning artform emerge. What's next, Mr. Fortney?

Fortney Book is An Uplifting Father/Son Experience

Bill Glenn & Wesley Fortney's book America At 500 Feet contains superb photography (one could only expect that from Bill Fortney)but contains an equally important sub-story--one of a unique father/son relationship. Every father who views this book will be jealous of the unique adventure that Bill and Wesley shared. Here is a son who was willing to quit his job to pursue a new identity and, in the process, becomes an accomplished photographer. Bill's reward is deep seated in strengthening the bond with a father's most precious possession--his son.The pilot's logs personalize this book and bring the adventure into your living room. I don't know when I have enjoyed a book like this so much! This is must for anyone interested in outstanding landscape photography and a story of a unique father/son adventure of the highest level!

Wonderful, magical journey and fantastic photographs!

What a great time to appreciate America and what better way than to see it all from a different perspective! Many books offer images of our beautiful country but seeing it from the air is breathtaking. As an amature photographer, I have visited and photographed many of the places in this book but I feel like I'm seeing them for the first time all over again.I met Bill Fortney on one of his Great American Photography Workshops and have never forgotten him. He is one of the most special people I have ever met and his passion for photography is infectious. You'll see that passion in the photographs in this book.