Customer Reviews

Living Jewels 2: The Magical Design of Beetles

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have a few books on beetles. Including the first Living Jewel.

I am speechless. The photos make it seam like you are a relative size

to the beetles. All the subtle nuances of texture and pattern captured in the photos is a

true gift from the gods. This is an amazingly beautiful book! Hats off to Poul Beckmann

and Prestel.

The beetles themselves are brilliant and beautiful, no doubt. But this book does not meet the description of nature photography, which is what I was interested in when I ordered it. All photos were taken in a studio on a white background. The results are, as you might expect, very sterile and not at all natural. The photographer could have just as easily been taking photos of automotive parts or teacups. The ONLY natural thing about the photographs are the beetles themselves. While this photographic technique would be perfect for a field guide, the book does not serve that purpose either. Despite the hype, it is simply a coffee table book of studio photographs of beetles. The publisher should enable the feature "search inside the book" so that people can understand what they're getting instead of relying on the mis-representative written description. In the meantime, potential buyers should be aware that the cover is actually very representative of ALL of the photos in the book. Essentially what you are getting is page after page of "beetle on a white background," not exactly what I would consider "the finest examples of nature photography." I am giving it the benefit of a mediocre three stars because it's not that it's necessarily poorly done. For what it IS, it's done fairly well. It's just not at all the nature photography claimed in the product description.

After visiting the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans a while back and seeing their beetles and butterflies exhibit, I just had to have a book with photos of some of these little gems. The book does not disappoint. The photos are exquisite!

Beautiful close photographs of luminous and exotic insects. The way the book is presented the insects do look like exquisite jewels made of expensive metals and gems, but no, they are living creatures. A very unusual view of the insect.

I bought this book as a gift for my brother (he is 18th), and he was fascinated, he loved it!!

this is a spectacular book. i have many coffee table books, but this one is on permanent display. the insect photographs are incredibly beautiful. it's hard to believe that these are un-retouched or -enhanced, or that nature has really created such eye-popping coloration. you will develop an appreciation for these tiny creatures - they are indeed living jewels.

I have his 1st book on scarab beatles. I love the close up pict. with all the detail and color on something moost of us concider ugly little critters...