Not your average coffeetable book, Alberta is a stunning collection of photographs of this Canadian Province that will take your breath away. Benson has an eye for line and colour that makes already extraordinary scenes even more awe-inspiring. If I didn't live in Alberta and hadn't seen many of these locations for myself, I would think there was some technological trickery in the getting of such amazing images, but the magic is entirely the landscape itself as seen through the lens of an incredibly talented photographer.

The book itself is divided into sections by season, beginning with Spring and moving through to Winter. Each section and photograph is gorgeous enough on its own, but Benson also sprinkles the collection with a handful of short anecdotes that serve to enhance the viewing process through a display of quiet, wry humour that compliments the expansive openness present in his artistry. The format of the book lends itself to the overall experience as well, with thick, glossy pages, curling fonts, velvet-bound spine and stunning cover art. It's clear that a great deal of thought has gone into the book's presentation, and it has really paid off.

Benson manages to not only capture light, shadow, colour and scene in almost unearthly beautiful and intriguing images, but he also communicates feeling; more than once, perusing the photos, I was struck by a sense of warmth, of welcoming, or of the clear, cold bite of an early morning in crisp mountain air. I find few "display" books entice me forward under my own power, but Alberta compels you to keep turning the pages, to keep travelling through both Province and season with Benson as your guide. ( )