An Essential Guide to Bird Photography [Paperback]

Steve Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2001

Capture the beauty of birds on film--whether they're in flight, feeding, bathing, or even mating. One of the world's top bird photographers, whose work has appeared in Birdwatch and Outdoor Photography, offers enthusiasts a comprehensive introduction to this exacting but satisfying art. He covers all aspects of shooting, from setting up a hide in your garden to finding rarities. The invaluable advice includes tips on:
* Choosing the right camera, lenses, film, and accessories for the job
* Selecting the best location and approach
* Taking great photos even in difficult situations
* Improving your technique immeasurably.
A "surgery" section demonstrates how to learn from mistakes, trouble shoot, archive your pictures, and submit work to publications. It's the finest photographic handbook of its kind--and a most delightful account of one patient artist's passion for birds and their continuing protection in the wild.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Birds can be among the most difficult wildlife subjects to photograph, because they tend to be small, fast, and elusive. However, they are also beautiful and immensely photogenic. Young, one of the most published bird photographers in England, here provides both an excellent primer for the novice and advanced tips for the experienced photographer. Two excellent chapters introduce the equipment needed to photograph birds, explaining the uses of various lenses, teleconverters, and types of film. The meat of the book is in the third chapter, where photographic techniques are discussed. Young is a master at dryly telling funny stories about some of his past mistakes and using these stories to illustrate what he should have done. He gives numerous hints about finding places to photograph birds, using the equipment, and utilizing blinds. Chapters on selling the resulting photographs and learning from one's mistakes complete this extremely useful book. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861081936
• ISBN-13: 978-1861081933
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid advice for novice and expert alike, June 8, 2004

By 

Gwyneth Calvetti (West Salem, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Essential Guide to Bird Photography (Paperback)

This book offers some ideas and techniques I hadn't really encountered elsewhere. For instance, Mr. Young suggests and even encourages new bird photographers to spend lots of time photographing common or even tame birds at parks. For most of us who become serious about bird photography, we have come to it as birders, and you know how *they* can get! If not, read The Big Year, and you'll find out. Point being, as birders we seek the unusual, and when we become photographers, we will do the same. Mr. Young elegantly makes his case for the birds in the park, suggesting that learning tricks of exposure, flight shots and all the standards can be learned with a bit less waste of film.

He also gives some good advice for equipment that might be less costly for those of us without the income to support supertelephoto lens habits. I had not heard of the photoadapter setup he shows, but will probably explore this option.

Most of all, he gives excellent advice on all aspects of bird photography; equipment and film selection, location and approaches, and various techniques. I found his liberal use of side by side photos showing the same bird shot with different techniques and approaches to be very helpful. Mr. Young is not afraid to share his mistakes as a teaching tool. He also includes a chapter on archiving, so that one can begin to learn from mistakes made.

All in all, I have gained much from this book and highly recommend it. For me, the one downside is that he is based in the UK, so he is talking about birds and locations there, but this added a bit of fun, as he discusses shooting such rarities as the American robin!