"Illinois has a landscape that is as subtle as prairie grass and wildflowers, as bold as endless fields of corn and the rising Chicago skyline. The photographer and the author have approached this complex tapestry from four points of view: natural landscape, rural landscape, crossroads, and Chicago. Using standard and panoramic cameras, Irving has captured the essence and texture of the state. The natural landscape yields delicate patterns of prairie grasses, woodlands budding out in early spring leaves, a riot of autumn colors in Shawnee National Forest, and spectacular views from the Garden of the Gods State Park"