Playground of the Gods

Ryan Libre has created a book of photos of Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan mountains, known to the indigenous Ainu people as Kamui Mintara, Playground of the Gods. Ryan is the photographer who will accompany me on next month’s expedition to the forgotten Cambodian coast. We’ve shared many a leaky tent on beaches and cliffs across Hokkaido, but the Cambodia expedition will be our first intensive creative collaboration.

Ryan’s book is a labor of love, the result, as he says on his website, of thousands of hours hiking in the backcountry and editing at the screen of his tiny laptop. At the moment, there is only one copy of the book in existence, but a publishing deal appears to be in the works, and with luck and persistence it will be widely available before long. For now, you can see an overview of the book at Ryan’s website, along with other stunning photos, travel guides and helpful tips on serious photography.

Ryan lives closer to his principles than anyone I have encountered. Not coincidentally, is one of the happiest and most successful people I know. His first book will be a collectors item before long, so if you want to own a limited first edition copy, contact Ryan via his website.