Photographing Wild Birds [Paperback]

Watson-Guptill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

An expert bird photographer shares his secrets. Includes enthralling case studies detailing the various methods necessary for photographing birds in the wild, as well as over 200 stunning photos.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris Gomersall was a staff photographer at the RSPB for 14 years, and for the last 9 years of that time was also their photographic manager. He is now a freelance photographer, represented internationally by Bruce Coleman, RSPB Images, the BBC Natural History Unit Picture Library and Wildlife GmbH in Germany. His work is published regularly in magazines and calendars and his photographs have been highly commended at the Abbeville Festival de L'Oiseau in France. Chris lives in Pottor Bedfordshire. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Amphoto Books (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817464166
• ISBN-13: 978-0817464165
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,587,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life in a Hide, July 1, 2002

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Photographing Wild Birds (Paperback)

"Photographing Wild Birds" fills in a space that's been almost empty. This book concentrates on how to position yourself to take good bird pictures, with lengthy discussions of such things as composition and the building and use of blinds (or, as the English prefer, hides). This may reflect its author's European orientation where it appears getting close to birds may be much harder than in the U.S. Many of the top American bird photographers, like Arthur Morris and Moose Peterson seem to prefer the unconcealed approach. On the other hand, that unconcealed approach leads these same photographers to suggest that 600 mm lenses with 2X teleconverters are essential to good pictures. The bird photographer without $10,000 to spend on big glass may prefer to consider Gomersall's techniques. And even the owners of extra-long telephoto lenses may find the techniques suggested by Gomersall useful to get that really difficult bird.

After his discussion of field craft, the author discusses several different assignments that he's had and how he approached them. While interesting, this just supplements the meat that he's provided earlier in the book. Finally Gomersall discusses post-production problems like cataloging and marketing.

Throughout the book there are cameos by other bird photographers like Niall Benvie, but these seem more like interesting garnish than helpful hints. If you are interested in hints from Benvie you'd be better off reading his "The Art of Nature Photography", a good work in its own right.

I'd be remiss if I didn't compare this book to the bible of bird photographers, Arthur Morris' "The Art of Bird Photography". The Morris book devotes more of its pages to the technical aspects of bird photography like film and exposure compensation. And while Gomersall's pictures are excellent, Morris' pictures are breathtaking. But both books are tops in what they teach.

This book may discourage you from bird photography, or at least help you in a realistic appraisal of success. The author talks of arriving in his hide before dawn and leaving after dusk, and of spending days without what he considered a successful picture. These tales of endurance led me to spend several hours in a hide, and I must confess that the pictures I captured were better than my run-of-the-mill shots. But I'm not certain my devotion runs to fourteen hours in a small cramped tent.

But as a bird photographer, I would not want to be without either of these books.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nikon User's Guide to Bird Photography, September 24, 2005

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Darwin's Bulldog (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Photographing Wild Birds (Paperback)

Similar in scope to Art Morris's book, but by a Nikon user. Of course, neither _really_ depends upon using a Nikon or Canon, essnetially the same lenses are available from both manufacturers. The techniqe is the thing. But here they differ somewhat as well. Art Morris likes to 'stalk' birds; Chris Gomersall prefers a hide (blind). Perhaps both methods should be studied!