A renowned photographer in the Thousand Islands has published a unique interactive eBook exploring this picturesque region – including the story of his own charming private island.
(One in a Thousand eBook for the iPad)
For photographer Ian Coristine, capturing the essence of the Thousand Islands region has become his life’s passion; inspired, no doubt, by having lived on a Thousand Isle of his own for 17 years. The quiet life on his little Raleigh Island is quite a departure from his previous incarnations as a Formula race car driver, high-tech entrepreneur, and ultra-light aircraft pilot. Now, the tale of how he discovered his island and the immeasurable beauty of the region is available in a ground-breaking interactive eBook, One in a Thousand.
Owning an island was not, however, a long-held dream of Ian’s, but that all changed in 1992. “In truth, my childhood dream had not been to own an island, but a private lake! For many years, a schoolmate’s family retreat in the Laurentian Mountains had seemed the perfect place. My dream changed suddenly when I took a random flight in my floatplane in 1992. I stumbled across a stunning region I had not previously known – The Thousand Islands – and fell in love. A few years later, I purchased Raleigh Island and began to restore its hundred-year old cottage.”
Upon seeing Ian’s striking images of his island, it’s easy to see why he was compelled to become, as he says, the “island’s steward.” A pretty piece of ancient granite with a patch of forest and a secluded cottage, it’s the quintessential portrait of a Thousand Island. In finding it, Ian said he was confident in having made the right decision. “Raleigh offers privacy without seclusion and ready access to friends and neighbors that a private lake could not,” he said. “Its views are infinitely interesting, with the ever-changing moods of sky and water, different every day as one season moves into the next.”
(Photographer and Author Ian Coristine)
Now, people from across the globe can see the island for themselves through Ian’s eyes. As a multi-sensory experience that aims to envelop its readers, the creation of such a unique eBook posed many challenges, but the results have placed One in a Thousand firmly at the vanguard of mixed-media publications. “I was very fortunate to have found so many talented people to work with to help create something far better than I could have accomplished alone,” said Ian. A project that was very close to his heart, the story of his island was eight years in the making, but well worth the wait.
One particular challenge was finding the right technical partner to make the eBook easily accessible, especially to iPad users. After months of futile discussions with international app developers, Ian finally made contact with a firm that was prepared to take an innovative new approach to One in a Thousand: McLellan Interactive Publishing. Surprisingly, the company’s CEO, Doug McLellan, was a Thousand Islander himself. Together with his wife and collaborator Caroline Yung, Doug wove a tapestry of music, imagery, video and interactive media to bring Ian’s story to life.
The amalgam of disparate media in One in a Thousand blended into a captivating story that has garnered rave reviews. The engaging narrative was co-written by novelist and teacher Donna Walsh Inglehart, who came to Ian’s attention with her 2010 historical novel, Grindstone, a finely-wrought account of Thousand Islands life in the years after the American Civil War. The instrumental music featured in the eBook is courtesy of the award-winning Canadian folk/rock band Great Lake Swimmers, who first met Ian when he found locations for them to record their acclaimed 2009 album Lost Channels in famous spots around the Thousand Islands.
(Singer Castle on the St. Lawrence River)
One in a Thousand has now been downloaded in 29 countries, a feat that would have been strategically impossible for a small-run publication before the eBook revolution. Users of iPads across the globe now have access to his stunning photography and fascinating stories; while he had previously published five best-selling books on the Thousand Islands, advances in technology have provided a much broader distribution, and, perhaps most importantly, allow for creative new ways of telling stories. The book is available directly from the iPad App Store, rather than through the iBook store or iPad book store.
Ian’s love for his island paradise remains strong, and his is an inspiring story of how following your dreams, no matter how unlikely they may seem, can bring lasting happiness. “Although I have lived on Raleigh for seventeen years and know every inch of the island, I can’t imagine growing tired of this place,” said Ian.” I fall asleep and wake to the sound of the loons, birds and waves; there is something otherworldly about island life. The challenges can sometimes be daunting, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
One in a Thousand can be purchased here through the iPad App Store: Link
Visit Ian Coristine’s photography website: 1000 Islands Photo Art
Read the reviews of One in a Thousand Islands: eBook Reviews
