Ian Coristine was not a typical photographer accepting random assignments. Only two subjects motivated him to get behind his camera: the 1000 Islands and, later, Provence, France, where he and his wife, Lyne, owned a small home for more than six years.
His discovery of and love affair with “the River” began during a random flight in 1992. Three years later, he found an island — literally one in a thousand — with a unique natural harbour that could protect his plane from marauding storms.
During his former career distributing Challenger ultralight aircraft across Canada, Ian learned the craft of air-to-air photography. Living “in the assignment,” with his float plane providing a privileged view of an extraordinary place, he began shooting low from above.
It was a perspective that allowed Ian to show the 1000 Islands as few had seen them before. His photographs captured not only the beauty of the River, but the character of life within it.
The Books
Ian’s first photography book, The 1000 Islands, was an astonishing success. It sold out three large printings, becoming the most successful book about the region ever published and, today, a sought-after collectible.
It was followed by vol. II, Water, Wind and Sky in 2005, vol. III The Thousand Islands, in 2006 and the booklet 1000 Islands in 2007 (vol. IV), which received an international Benjamin Franklin (Benny) Award in the graphic arts industry’s prestigious worldwide printing competition. In 2010, The Very Best of Ian Coristine’s 1000 Islands became his fifth bestseller and the second of his books to receive a Benny Award.
Ian also shared his story in One in a Thousand, an award-winning interactive memoir co-written with Donna Walsh Inglehart. Combining photography, video, music and an interactive map, it received five-star ratings and a 2012 MarCom Award. Changes to Apple’s technology later made the app unusable, but it remained one of Ian’s proudest achievements.
Five years and 20,000 images later, Ian Coristine’s 1000 Islands (vol. VII) was released, becoming his sixth bestseller. It included a detailed map locating each photograph—a reflection of Ian’s desire to help people not only see the River, but explore and understand it.
Altogether, Ian’s six books in print sold more than 120,000 copies within the 30-mile 1000 Islands corridor.
Recognition and Accomplishments
Over the course of his career:
- Ian's six books in print became bestsellers, selling more than 120,000 copies within the 1000 Islands corridor.
- Two of his books received international Benjamin Franklin Awards.
- His interactive memoir, One in a Thousand, received a 2012 MarCom Award.
- His photographs appeared in magazines and books around the world, including Parks Canada's 125th-anniversary tribute, Canada's National Parks: A Celebration.
- His work was widely credited with having a positive impact on tourism throughout the 1000 Islands.
- His photography was presented in several solo exhibitions, including at the Brockville Arts Centre in Ontario.
- In New York, his work was exhibited at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse and the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery in Canton.
- DxO Labs of Paris selected Ian from professionals around the world as one of its founding Image Masters.
His Legacy
Ian passed away peacefully on February 15, 2020, surrounded by his family at home in Brockville, after a brief but intense battle with pancreatic and liver cancer.
Ian died as he lived: on his own terms, with an unwavering appreciation of all that life has to offer.
Today, Lyne continues to care for the remarkable body of work he left behind, preserving his photographs and sharing them with those who know and love the River — and with those who are just beginning to discover it.