Earthbound Light - Book Reviews & Recommendations

Earthbound Light - Nature Photography from the Pacific Northwest and beyond by Bob Johnson

Book Reviews & Recommendations - General

A selection of general photography books of possible interest to nature photographers.

	Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Jim Miotke If you know nothing about photography but have always wanted to learn, this is a good place to start. Jim is owner of BetterPhoto.com.
	An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore, Davis Guggenheim Not strictly about photography, but this documentary does deal with a subject that should be near and dear to the hearts of all outdoor and nature photographers.
	Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature by Andy Goldsworthy This is not a book about photography, but it is a fascinating book about seeing. Seeing things in new ways. Seeing what is already there although you may not have noticed it. Goldsworthy is an artist who "collaborates" with nature to create sculptures out of twigs, snow, ice and other natural materials that ultimately revert back to nature.
	Bird Photography: Pure and Simple by Arthur Morris Arthur Morris is Mr. Bird Photography, and this is great little resource. Also contains an excellent explanation of exposure theory.
	Close Up: Creative Techniques for Successful Macrophotography by John Brackenbury There have been a number of books on close-up and macro released over the last few years, but this is among the best, mainly for the awe-inspiring results Brackenbury is able to achieve. His specialized equipment is not likely to be duplicated by most of us, but the images and text are still highly motivating.
	Color and Light in Nature by David K. Lynch (Author), William Livingston (Author) A fascinating survey of optical marvels that exist in the world we live in. This book is not strictly about photography, but it is about light, and photography is light. Whether the authors are making mundane subjects such as shadows and twilight more fascinating than you ever thought they could be, or whether they are introducing you to more esoteric phenomena such as forwared and backscatter or airglow, this is one interesting book. A great book on learning how to see by learning what their is to see.
	Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography by Brenda Tharp An ambitious attempt to teach creative composition without resorting to rules and dogma. Worth a read even if you are an experienced photographer. Slow down and learn to see more and you're images are likely to benefit.
	Creative Outdoor Photography (DVD) by Frans Lanting, Galen Rowell Finally available on DVD, Frans Lanting and Galen Rowell show how they get such amazing images. Both volumes of the video, together on one DVD.
	Creative Outdoor Photography - Part 1 (VHS) by Frans Lanting, Galen Rowell Like being at a workshop put on by Galen Rowell and Frans Lanting, except you can watch it over and over again.
	Creative Outdoor Photography - Part 2 (VHS) by Frans Lanting, Galen Rowell Volume two of the "Creative Outdoor Photography" set.
	Digital Nature Photography: The Art and the Science by John and Barbara Gerlach This book by John and Barbara Gerlach is an excellent introduction to get you started as a nature photographer in the digital age. They cover all the important points and do so with a very approachable writing style. This ranks up there with the works of John Shaw -- it's that good.
	Digital Photography Expert: Close-Up Photography : The Definitive Guide for Serious Digital Photographers by Michael Freeman (Author) Yet another new book on close-up and macro photography, this one is geared toward digital shooters and includes some coverage of Photoshop and other relevant topics. This "Digital Photography Expert" series is overall quite well done.
	Digital Photography Expert: Nature and Landscape Photography : The Definitive Guide for Serious Digital Photographers by Michael Freeman (Author) A very interesting and well-made collection of tips and techniques for nature and landscape shooters who are shooting digital. particularly if you're new to digital and to photography and are looking to get up to speed, this is a great book.
	Dreamscapes by Andre Gallant An excellent resource for montage and other techniques of combining two photographs to create something beyond the images it is comprised of, something that can only be describes as the title does: Dreamscapes.
	Examples : The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams Perhaps my favorite Ansel Adams work, this book covers a wide range of topics on how to think like a photographer. Some is dated perhaps and relevant only to those who process their own black and white images, but the heart of this book is the dedication to the craft that is conveyed in his writings.
	Fine Art Flower Photography: Creative Techniques And The Art Of Observation by Tony Sweet Another excellent book by Tony Sweet. Get it just for the beautiful flower photographs or get it for the accompanying sidebars on how each shot was made. Either way, it's a great book.
	Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques and the Creative Process by Tony Sweet A beautiful, small book by a twenty-year veteran jazz artist turned nature photographer. It filled with great images, each with an accompanying small jewel of a text describing how the image was made and offering creative advice. At least half of what it takes to get good images is seeing what is in front of you; Tony Sweet knows how to see.
	Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog by Tony Sweet Another great book from Tony Sweet, this one on all things water, ice and fog. Great images and to-the-point instructional tips.
	Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography by Galen A. Rowell, Galen Rowell A collection of his articles originally published in Outdoor Photography, this was Galen's last book before his and Barbara's tragic death in 2002.
	Galen Rowell's Vision: The Art of Adventure Photography by Galen A. Rowell Galen regularly published a column in Outdoor Photography that will be sorely missed. This book, along with his "Inner Game" book collect those articles. Whether you've read them before or not, they're worth reading again.
	How to Photograph Close-ups in Nature by Nancy Rotenberg, Michael Lustbader Definitely one of the better books in Stackpole's "How to Photograph" series, Nancy explores macro as a means to explore esthetics and the beauty of the world around us. This brief volume is well worth reading for both new and experienced shooters.
	John Shaw's Closeups in Nature by John Shaw Another excellent book by John Shaw and perhaps his best since there's so little else available on macro work that's worth reading. This book is actually written by someone who knows what he's talking about because he's done it.
	John Shaw's Focus on Nature by John Shaw This one is somewhat different than John Shaw's other books in that it focuses on seeing what to take a picture of and not so much on equipment and field techniques. One of the critical skills needed to take good pictures is seeing what is sometimes right in front of your face. There are good pictures all over, and the first step towards capturing it on film is to be able to see it.
	John Shaw's Landscape Photography by John Shaw OK, so I like John Shaw's books. So shoot me. Like his others, this one does an excellent job of illustrating useful techniques, this time for landscapes. While there is some degree of overlap between all of John's books, you're gonna want to read them all several times over anyway. No harm done in having a slightly different take on some of the same topics.
	John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide: Revised edition of The Nature Photographer's Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques by John Shaw The revised version of the classic. The original 1984 edition was great (I still have my well-used copy along with the new one), but it's even better now that it's been updated. Probably THE best single book for a nature photographer.
	Landscape Within: Insights And Inspirations For Photographers by David Ward, Joe Cornish (Foreword) Yes, there are some great images in this book, but its strength is in how it dares to address the creative side of photography through Cornish's essays. Worth a read if you already know how to use your camera and are looking for inspiration.
	Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson Another recently updated Bryan Peterson classic, this time on composition. A good book on learning to create stronger compositions. No, you don't have to be born with it.
	Lee Frost's Panoramic Photography by Lee Frost This book primarily covers "traditional" panoramic photography rather than the process for digitally stitching images together in Photoshop to create panos after the fact. If you've been eager to learn how to use a Hasselblad X-Pan or similar, or are just wanting to look at some great panoramic images, check it out.
	Light - Science and Magic, Second Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting by Fil Hunter, Paul Fuqua Learn photographic lighting starting from basic principles. Considered by some to be indispensable. Well worth a read and even a re-read.
	Macrophotography: Learning from a Master by Gilles Martin, Ronan Loaec If you've read John Shaw's Close-ups in Nature so often your copy is starting to get dog-eared, do yourself a favor and get this book. With over 300 excellent color photos and the text to explain everything quite well, this is an excellent book on macro. Techniques covered range from simple to much more elaborate so there's something here for everyone.
	Mastering Landscape Photography: The Luminous-Landscape Essays by Alain Briot Consists of thirteen pasionate essays on landscape photography by photographer Alain Briot together with his images. Alain is a columnist on the popular "Luminous Landscape" website.
	Moose Peterson's Guide to Wildlife Photography : Conventional and Digital Techniques by B. Moose Peterson (Author) This is a completely revised Moose's "Nikon Guide to Wildlife Photography" published back in 1993. Even if you have the earlier book though (I do), get the new one. One of the most up-to-date books available for wildlife photographers.
	National Audubon Society Guide to Landscape Photography by Tim Fitzharris (Photographer) Tim Fitzharris is turning into a prolific author, and this is one of his best, Filled with great images and good advice. If you are interested in landscape photography, this is a great book.
	Nature Photography Close Up: Macro Techniques in the Field by Paul Harcourt Davies, Peter Parks Paul Harcourt Davies' other macro book is good, but this one is better. Well laid out and well written. Notable also for it's coverage of digital close-up techniques. And he shoots Nikon too!
	Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color by Leatrice Eiseman After light itself, one of the most basic subjects to understand as a photographer is color (at least for color photography). A great book for exploring the meaning and phychology of colors and color combinations. Geared towards the graphic designer, but still quite useful to the photographer.
	Perception & Imaging by Richard D. Zakia Not strictly about photography per se, but rather about the process of human perception. Everything you could ever want to know about human psychology and how it relates to how we view photographic images. A fascinating book.
	Photographing the Landscape: The Art of Seeing by John Fielder A workshop with John Fielder in a book. Read it to learn the techniques he teaches, or read it simply for the joy of the beautiful images he captures; either way the book is a winner.
	Photographing the World Around You: A Visual Design Workshop by Freeman Patterson One of those classic books that can change the way you see things. Freeman is very passionate about what he does. If you have the occasion to see him some time, I recommend it.
	Photographing Weather by Storm Dunlop Written by the appropriately named Storm Dunlop, this book on weather photography covers a topic not usually given enough attention in the world of outdoor photography. Often, one of the main differences between an ordinary photo of some location and an extraordinary one is a dramatic sky.
	Photography by Bruce Warren One of the better textbooks on photography. It can be convenient having a book like this on hand sometimes for reference.
	Photography for the Joy of It by Freeman Patterson One of the better books to get for the serious ameteur, not so much for it's coverage of techniques (although it does cover them), but rather for the joy of photographing that it conveys. It lives up to its title.
	Photography Outdoors: A Field Guide for Travel and Adventure Photographers by Art Wolfe, Mark Gardner The second edition of this small classic is even better than the first edition was. Now in full color throughout, and completely updated, it's one of the better all-round guides to photographing outdoors. It does not provide the depth of coverage that other resources do, but it nonetheless is distinguished both for the breadth of its coverage as well as for the experience conveyed by its authors.
	Photos That Inspire: Photo Workshop by Lynne Eodice An interesting and inspiring collections by and for the aspiring amateur photographer put together by participants in Photoworkshop.com. Each image includes shooting data and comments from the photographer.
	Seeing Landscapes : The Creative Process Behind Great Photographs by Charlie Waite Concentrating on the creative side of landscape photography, this book shows you lots of example of good photographs with commentary by the photographer. A good book for learning better composition.
	Take Your Photography to the Next Level: From Inspiration to Image by George Barr Based on a series of essays first published on the Luminous Landscape website, this book covers an interesting selection of topics aimed at making you a better photographer. Rather than covering exposure, metering and similar subjects covered by most such books though, it delves into more elusive areas such as creativity, creating a mood, making stronger images, dealing with failure and becoming self-aware.
	The Art of Bird Photography: The Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques by Arthur Morris Arthur Morris is synonymous with bird photography. Coming in paperback in May of 2003 (currently available in hardcover), this is the book to get if you have an interest in the subject.
	The Art of Outdoor Photography: Techniques for the Advanced Amateur and Professional by Boyd Norton An excellent photo technique book for the outdoor photographer, for when you want to go beyond point and shoot.
	The Art of Photographing Nature by Art Wolfe (Photographer), Martha Hill By using his own photos as examples, Art Wolf shows how to visualize the scene and how to capture it on film. Each photo has commentary by Art and Martha Hill, a photo editor for Audubon Magazine. Two perspectives on what makes a photo a good photo - the photographer himself and the photo buyer.
	The Backpacker's Photography Handbook by Charles Campbell Most well known for his "ChromaZone" exposure system (I prefer John Shaw's approach to exposure), Charles is also an accomplished photographer and backpacker. Among other good ideas in this book, he advocates what he calls the "golden light blitzkrieg" approach of hiking to your destination in the dark to be there at dawn (or hiking back to your car in the dark after sunset).
	The Complete Guide to Close Up & Macro Photography by Paul Harcourt Davies A good general coverage of close-up and macro photography. I prefer his new book "Nature Photography Close Up" though.
	The Complete Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography by Lee Frost Don't put your camera away when it starts to get dark, get out a flashlight and read this book. Seriously, read it ahead of time so you can keep shooting into the evening. There's no substitute for your own experience, but this should at least give you some place to start.
	The Master Guide for Wildlife Photographers by Bill Silliker, Jr. Bill Silliker was a mater wildlife photographer who died not too many years back, but not before writing this excellent introduction to the craft.
	The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography : How to Get Close and Capture Animals on Film by Joe McDonald Probably the best book on wildlife photography I have, this book shows you the techniques needed to get close enough to capture good wildlife shots. I don't do a lot of wildlife photography for the simple reason that the darned things keep moving (mountains and waterfalls don't), but this book has proven helpful.
	The Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing by Philippe L. Gross, S.I. Shapiro This is a book on letting go and allowing the photograph to find you. It is definitely not on how to use your camera or lenses, but it may well improve your photography anyway. Avoid the similarly titled book by Tom Ang.
	The World's Top Photographers and the Stories Behind Their Greatest Images: Landscape by Terry Hope This book and its Wildlife companion volume are filled with some truly inspiring images by some of the world's best nature photographers. Well put together and quite well printed, this book will show you what can be done by true masters.
	The Worlds Top Photographers and the Stories Behind Their Greatest Images: Wildlife by Terry Hope Like Terry Hope's Landscape companion volume, this book is filled with some of the best images from some of the best nature photographers the world over. If you're looking for ideas and inspiration, both books are highly recommended.
	Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson Am easy to read reference on exposure theory, now updated to be even more complete. Recommended if you are struggling with getting good exposure.
	Visual Rhythm: The Art and Business of Nature Photography by Tony Sweet (DVD) by Tony Sweet (Photographer), Jacqueline Greff (Director) By the author of the excellent book "Fine Art Nature Photography," this DVD covers a lot of territory. Although somewhat uneven in production value, it includes interviews with Sweet, discussions of the business of nature photography and interactions with students in the field. Worth a watch.

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