The stunning new book of words and photographs, Sierra, comes from James Martin, one of America's best known mountain photographers. The Seattle-based Martin has produced 16 books in 13 years on subjects relating to the natural world. None are more intriguing for climbers and outdoor enthusiasts than his series of three "mountain" books produced over the past three years: The North Cascades Crest, Mount Rainier, and now, Sierra, Notes and Images from the Range of Light. These books are part of series produced for Sasquatch Press in Seattle.

Martin, a climber and photographer who primarily shoots subjects from the natural world, stocks his images through Tony Stone International, a global photographic agency. His images have appeared in Outside magazine, Smithsonian, Geo, and other national publications, and cover subjects as diverse as ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies to the exotic animals of Africa.

In this interview, Martin addresses some questions about mountain photography and offers some tips to aspiring outdoor photo buffs.

MZ: What it is about the Sierra that motivated you to do a book?
The Sierra were my home mountains. When I was growing up, I would hitchhike to Yosemite for the weekends and spend my summers hiking the high country. I logged about 500 miles before high school graduation. Even after decades in the Cascades, the Rockies, the Alaska range, and other mountains around the world, the Sierra still attract me with their clean, bright rock scrubbed bare by glaciers and the relatively easy cross-country travel.

MZ: What are some memorable experiences that you have had in the range?

	Photo Gallery Mount Whitney

Nothing is more memorable than almost getting killed. On one of my early trips, I scrambled to the top of a 14,000-foot peak in the Palisades as a storm approached. On the descent, as my partner hiked 100 feet ahead of me, lightning struck between us. I could feel the hair on my arm rise and started to sink to the ground when the air erupted in light and I felt a soft pressure push me over.

On a more positive note, I hiked for a few days with the poet Gary Snyder after meeting him and his party on their way to the Evolution region. I like to think that serendipitous meeting altered the trajectory of my life.

— Peter Potterfield, MountainZone.com Staff