When I was planning to visit the Canadian Rockies in the fall of 2007, I found it surprisingly difficult to find all the information I needed on the locations I wanted to visit and photograph.

That is, until I found Darwin Wiggett‘s aptly-named booklet called “How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies”. In this book, Darwin, one of the premiere landscape photographers of the Great White North (and just all-around nice dude), has literally put together the bible for anyone serious about a photographic adventure in the Rockies. The book was nothing short of perfect.

Or so I thought! As the book is now no longer in print, Darwin has decided to put together and even better and bigger version in electronic form. Now instead of having only one book, Darwin has expanded the range of information provided to now offer an astounding 5-ebooks, covering the major parks and multiple seasons (2 more are scheduled later this year).

Here is the short version of the review: Darwin only stops short of carrying your gear to amazing locations and setting it up for you. In all seriousness these ebooks pack a mind-boggling amount of detailed information that put you in the perfect position to bring home some serious winners; these are the results of years and years and years (he’s that old!) of hard work and dedication.

What these books give you is access to a jaw-dropping number of locations, each more stunning than the last one. What you get, is a logically organised series of ebooks, where Darwin essentially follows the main roadways and marks all the noteworthy stops. He tells you, where to go, when to go and what to look for. You get detailed location information (down to the GPS coordinates!); whether a location looks at its best in October or February or August, whether it’s better in the morning or the afternoon, in direct sunlight or shade. In essence what you get is a download of Darwin’s brain and experience into a format that we can all consume, and without having to spend 20 years compiling the info! I know I sound like I am gushing about these books, but they are really worth all the hype. Believe me, I know. I have used them myself. For real.  If that wasn’t not enough for you, the books are sprinkled with a generous amount of Darwin’s stunning photography as well as tips and tricks to improve your photography.

So if you are planning to go to the Canadian Rockies, or have never heard of the Canadian Rockies (but really should) and are looking for an incredible place to spend your vacations, I really urge you take a look at these books.