Art and Science of Butterfly Photography [Paperback]

William Folsom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000

Butterflies are a favorite subject of nature photographers, but capturing them on film requires skill, special equipment, and an understanding of their behavior. Starting with a basic discussion of butterfly anatomy, this book delves into the details of their habits and habitats-including where and how they live and where and when to look for specific breeds. This information helps photographers find butterflies and lure them in front of the camera. An equally thorough discussion of technique-including using auto or manual focus, exposure compensation, picking a lens, using multipliers, extension rings, filter, and flash, coping with movement, and controlling the background and light-covers everything essential to making a great shot.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Folsom is a professional photographer whose stock nature shots appear in books, calendars, ads, and on postcards worldwide. He lives in McLean, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584280190
• ISBN-13: 978-1584280194
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,860,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Art and Science of Butterfly Photography, April 10, 2000

By 

Arlen B. LeRoy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art and Science of Butterfly Photography (Paperback)

Art and Science of Butterfly Photography by WilliamFolsom

Disapointed! Disapointing! Disapointment! And just to makemyself clear, a very great letdown. Mr. Folsom takes a lepidopteristapproach to photography rather than a photographers approach to butterfly shooting. And there is absolutly nothing wrong with this, since the result is a book that does not create the technophobia that glazes so many current readers eyes. It is in fact a very good effort by Mr. Folsom, which appears not to have been taken seriously by the publisher (Oh, heresy!). How on earth Amherst Media could have allowed a book on butterfly shooting to be published in BLACK AND WHITE simply baffles me. Naturally cost containment was the Holy Grail of this edition, but full bleed color photographs were certainly warranted. Of the almost 90 butterfly photographs contained in the book, ONLY EIGHT WERE IN COLOR! Adding insult to injury, many of the black and white photos were poorly reproduced, leaving the (false) impression that Mr. Folsom was incapable of taking a decent photograph. Admitedly, butterfly photography is a sometimes art that results in many fuzzy photos and much shaky focusing. Mr. Folsom readily expounds on much of the difficulty in obtaining crisp, clean renderings of these magnificent critters. However, as a naturalist, Mr. Folsom would never submit photograph upon photograph of the mediocre quality as reproduced in this book. And therein lies the sin of the black and white renditions of color photos. They are simply not reproduced at the same quality level at which they were taken. END

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth your money, September 18, 2000

By 

Laurie Sand (Vienna, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art and Science of Butterfly Photography (Paperback)

I own two copies of this book. I share my extra copy with other photographers who are interested in photographing butterflies. It is an particularly good resource for any serious novice or intermediate photographer. The book reviews and reinforces basic photography concepts with a distinct emphasis on mastering depth of field. The book is well organized, well written and easy to understand. It is full of useful tips and much of the material is transferable to other photographic subjects. The tips on photographing butterflies, i.e., where to find them, insect behavior, equipment and technique is very solid information.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent manual for butterfly photography, May 30, 2000

By 

Ruth Happel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art and Science of Butterfly Photography (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. It was helpful in both the scientific aspects of how to predict butterfly behavior, and the photographic aspects of capturing them on film. I found it an excellent balance between, as the title implies, art and science. The butterfly is one of the most beautiful, but elusive, of nature subjects. I have been photographing nature for years, but the tips I found in the book immediately improved my photos. The photos were helpful, as were the references at the back, to books and online resources. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone even thinking of photographing butterflies. The advice is also widely applicable to capturing other wary nature subjects.