Customer Reviews

National Audubon Society Guide to Photographing America's National Parks: Digital Edition

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's get the bad news out of the way first. There is little about this book that justifies calling it a "Digital Edition." A preliminary section on "Photography Essentials" provides a cursory description of digital point-and-shoot cameras vs. digital SLRs, and there's a reminder to check your histogram. That's about it for digital.

On the other hand, there are numerous references to film in the discussions of the parks (eg., on p. 62, "Fine-grained, saturated films such as Fujichrome Velvia will produce the highest quality results..."). Not exactly what a digital shooter wants to know. It appears that the park descriptions may have been taken from an earlier edition without editing out references to film and incorporating tips for digital photographers. If that's the case, shame on all involved for such laziness.

Now for the good news. If you are interested in learning the best places to photograph in the 21 national parks featured, this is a fine place to start. Even if you're just trying to decide which parks to visit without photographic ambitions, the excellent photos in this book will help you decide. Or maybe not -- they all look enticing in Fitzharris's images.

Each park is given 6-8 pages with several photography "hot spots" described and located on small maps. The author also tells you which season is best for a visit and the best time of day to shoot at the various locations. In the case of several parks, "excursions" are described to other photographic locations in the region. For example, Bryce Canyon is briefly described as an excursion in the section on Zion National Park. Those who have been to Bryce might argue it merits its own section, but this book is not trying for inclusiveness.

In short, this book is fine as a guide to photo locations in the parks included, but falls rather short in the digital department.

You will not find a better advertisement for the US National Parks than this book. The photos are outstanding and alone worth the price. From scenic landscapes, to close up macro shots, to wildlife, the photos provide a great example of what to expect at each of the 21 featured US National Parks.

In addition to the gorgeous photos, there are detailed overviews of every featured National Park, including photographic hot spots (scenic and wildlife viewing areas and what time of day is best for each spot), seasonal information (When are the flowers blooming? When are the elk or bison rutting? What time of year are the parks least busy but still offer the best photographic opportunities?), and useful logistical information (such as typical road openings/closures, basic lodging information and an overview map of the park).

All of this is written from the perspective of an experienced photographer. Obviously there's not room for everything or every National Park, but there is sufficient depth on each featured National Park that this book is useful for everyone and not just photographers. But for photographers, it's especially useful, and will definitely have you looking at the calendar and planning your next vacation.

I love our National Parks, and have visited seven of them so far. I wish I'd had this book before I started. It has coffee-table book quality images, providing the views that we all aspire to. There's good photography tips in here, as well. You'll enjoy looking through this book even if you've never stepped foot in any of these parks -- but I'll bet after reading it, you'll schedule your own trips, post haste.

Excellent book. A great guide to the Parks and great photographs. Good source for photographic tips.

I have yet to be dissapointed by any of Tim Fitharris's books, and I own a lot of them. As usual this one is full of gorgeous photography and sage advise. In addition Tim supplies some Park specific information and shooting tips. I am always amazed by Tim's openess and willingness to share his vast experience. And he has such an elegant, yet simple, way of explaining his methods. The mark of a true master! If there is any shortcoming in this book it is that we are firmly esconced in the digital age and Tim makes many referrences to film. Not a problem for knowledgable photographers, but possibly a bit confusing for beginners (who may have trouble relating the film specs to digital imaging). I certainly would not let that bother me, but Tim should definitely bring a book with a 2009 release date, up-to-date. Don't let this small technicality have any affect on your desire to own and read this great book by a great master. It's worth the price for the photographs alone!

I have an older version of this book and just purchased the updated one. It has been one of the most useful photography books that I own. The author is concise and spot-on with the locations that he suggests at the parks. His photographs are also an inspiration. I would highly recommend this book to anyone traveling to the national parks with an interest in photography.

This book has great photos of several of the national parks and is easy to read. Would be nice if future editions would include the f-stop and shutter speed used in the caption for each photo.

This book does a pretty good job of giving the photographer an idea of what to expect and where to find things in our great NP system . His images are sometimes iconic , but often very unique from a visitors standpoint . One would have to leave the normal visitors' centers and overlooks to get the images Tim has shared with the reader . He is good at giving a general overview of what the represented parks offer the photographer and includes maps of the park and indications of where the images were taken . The photography is beautiful and well chosen for each park represented . I get the feeling that Fitzharris is trying to give the reader an idea of what is available aside from the obvious visitor center hot spots for scenery . This is a good thing from a photographer's perspective and does the reader a service in doing so .

This review would have been 5 star , but for two glaring issues . Many of the photos are garish and have too much PS red and yellow enhancement and the book format is only 8.5 inches tall instead of the usual 11 inches . The problem with this is that the pictures are too small and don't do the scenery any justice . Look at any Amphoto book as opposed to an Audubon and you will see what I mean . Does this change things ? If you use your personal library to inspire as well as brush up on some things that have become rusty through lack of use and time , then the answer may be yes .