About James Kaiser
James Kaiser is an award-winning travel writer and photographer. Believing behind-the-scenes information leads to successful, thoughtful travel, James is dedicated to giving travelers the tools they need to make every moment of their vacations count.
The journey that led James to “the best job in the world” started 12 years ago when he was a recent college graduate with no job and no job prospects. Drawing on his love of Acadia National Park in his native Maine, he decided to write, photograph and publish a guidebook about the state’s most popular destination. With its beautiful photography and insider tips, the Acadia guidebook was a hit. It also set the stage for a series of successful national park guidebooks focused on in-depth research, informed nature writing and real life experiences. James’ guidebooks benefit from the integrated perspective of a writer who is also a skilled photographer – a rarity in the guidebook field, where books are often developed by a team of writers and photographers working separately.
James’ books include Acadia: The Complete Guide, Joshua Tree: The Complete Guide, Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide (winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Full-Color Travel Guide and the Independent Publisher Award for Best Travel Guide), and Yosemite: The Complete Guide. In 2010, the Acadia, Joshua Tree and Yosemite guides were all ranked as the number one best-selling guidebooks for their respective national parks by Nielsen Bookscan.
In 2011, James launched www.yosemitefirefall.com, which showcases photos and information about Yosemite National Park’s famous Firefall. The website also features a 10-day blog chronicling James’ attempts to photograph the Firefall.
When James is not trotting the globe documenting his adventures or sharing tips with travelers, he can be found teaching photography workshops. Currently living in Costa Rica, James is submersing himself in the local culture as he works on his first travel guidebook outside of the United States, which is slated to be in stores in late 2012.
Watch James talk about Acadia: The Complete Guide on the TV show 207
