In trying to review this newly expanded version, It has been hard to know where to begin in covering Qt Luong’s multiple award-winning Treasured Lands. This singular work has had many words said about it already. Some of the pre-eminent photographers of our time, many of whom have contributed here at The Luminous Landscape, have praised the work.

In pouring over the imagery and the power of commitment here, one is left digesting a photographic offering with few peers. It is equally difficult to emphasis the depth of view which Qt exposes us to. The imagery allows a window unto land and ecology, best described as sacred. Qt has shown the requisite reverence for just such a subject. We are lucky to be invited to see through his eyes what we must continue to treasure.

Below you can see a small selection of images that suggest the scope of the fabulous testament to photography and nature found in Treasured Lands.

Here is a summary found at the Treasured Lands site :

” QT Luong has updated and expanded his national parks book by adding 24 more pages, 28 new locations, and revising all the maps. Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America’s National Parks pays tribute to the millions of acres of protected wilderness and historical heritage in all our country’s 61 national parks, including the two designated since the award-winning first edition was published in 2016 and became an instant classic.

Luong, who is featured in Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan’s documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, is the most prolific and versatile photographer working in the national parks today and the only one to have made large-format photographs in each of America’s 61 parks. In an odyssey that spanned more than a quarter centery and 300 visits, Luong ventured through each park with cameras at the ready, capturing the majesty and unique beauty of the nation’s preserved habitats. From canyons and deserts to glaciers and reefs, the photographer focused his lenses on spectacular iconic landscapes and rarely seen remote spots, presenting his journey in this sumptuous gallery of more than 500 breathtaking images that are so sharp and have so much detail, they are the next best thing to being there.

Accompanying this collection of scenic masterpieces is a comprehensive guide that includes a map for each park that indicates where the images were shot, as well as extended captions that detail the images’ orientations and lighting, along with pertinent facts on the parks’ geography and natural history. Designed to inspire outdoor adventurers to visit the parks and invite photographers to re-create these landscapes through their own lenses, the guide also provides anecdotal observations that give context to the pictures and convey the sheer scope of Luong’s extraordinary odyssey. The guide is also available as a PDF formatted for use on mobile devices, and owners of the books are offered the option to download it for a nominal fee.

Including an introduction by award-winning author and documentary filmmaker Dayton Duncan, Treasured Lands is a rich visual tour of the US National Parks and an invaluable guide from a photographer who hiked (and sometimes paddled, dived, skied, snowshoed, or climbed) each park, shooting in all kinds of terrain, through all seasons, and at all times of day and night. QT Luong’s timeless gallery of the nation’s most revered landscapes beckons to nature lovers, armchair travelers, and photography enthusiasts alike, keeping America’s natural wonders ever within reach.

1st edition, published by Cameron+Company, October 2016.
2nd edition, published by Terra Galleria Press, August 2019. “

Here is a link to Qt’s Bio: https://www.terragalleria.com/about/

Here is a link to the site: http://www.treasuredlandsbook.com/

Here is a link to Qt’s blog : https://www.terragalleria.com/blog/tag/national-parks/

Printed by the world-class Artron on Heavyweight matte art paper. Besides the glorious images, the book is a compendium of park data making it perfect for the Photographer (or anyone) looking to visit the more than 411 locations profiled. Some of which are among the most well documented while others stray far off the beaten path. Taking more than 23 years to complete, this book is the kind of resource which one can continually look to for enjoyment and knowledge.

I am struck by the process of achieving such a tomb of preservationist information and inspiration. So, I will be following up with an interview with Qt Luong where we can gain some further insight.

In the meantime, I cannot emphasize what a gift this book is and I hope you’ll each give your self the privilege of owning one and revisiting it at leisure for your self.

Josh Reichmann

December 2019