In the beloved old carol from which the theme for this series of brief reviews was borrowed, the gift of the fifth day -five golden rings – is differs both physically and musically from the rest of the gifts. Thus it was only appropriate that the book chosen for the fifth day of this series be a bit different from the rest as well. To begin with, it is not a single book but three; a non-sequential trilogy of photographic essays about the North American desert southwest which are all united by the extraordinary text of a writer who is a bit different in his own right – Charles Bowden.

Originally written in the heat of his efforts to establish the Sonoran Desert National Monument, Inferno is a portrait of Bowden’s beloved desert in all its glory – both majestic and terrifying. Stark but teeming with too-often overlooked life, hard but delicate beyond most people’s understanding, the desert has been and continues to be many things to many people; most of them limited by their own preconceptions or desires. Bowden and photographer Michael Berman cut through these limited visions and go deep into the desert’s physical and ecological core in search of the truth that such incomplete visions obscure, presenting the desert as it is: unvarnished, often harsh and unforgiving, a reminder to us all that despite what we create or what we think, we are but puny little primates in comparison to forces of nature.

To even begin to consider the contemporary desert southwest without giving due attention to one of the most significant human activities upon it, the migration of people between Mexico and the United States, is to fail utterly in understanding it. More than half a million people each year make the journey across it in search of work, safety, and perhaps a better life for themselves and their families. This movement of people from one nation to another has produced greater political, economic, ecological, and social changes on the region than any other single activity or force. Thus in Exodus / Éxodo Bowden joins his talents with Julián Cardona, one of the most talented and daring photojournalists of our (or perhaps any other) day, to offer a view into the lives and journeys of the people involved in this exodus; who they are, how and why they do it, and what effect it has upon them, the land, and the society of both nations. Some may quibble that such a work is not natural history at all but sociology; yet by engaging in such pedantic divisions we risk deluding ourselves into forgetting that human beings are also constantly acting and acted upon by the natural world; to ignore or marginalize this massive and ongoing migration of people across the landscape is to willfully misunderstand everything about the present, as well as possibly the future, state of this region.

Finally there is Trinity, an overview of the history of mankind’s centuries of more-often-than-not foolish and fool-hardy attempts to control the desert, change it to meet our needs, extract from it without thought to the consequences, or simply use it as a dumping ground. Writing in a voice that combines the careful thoroughness of a historian with the force and authority of an Old Testament prophet, Bowden spreads before the reader the grand tableau of these activities and dares us to look at their long-term repercussions while Berman’s accompanying duotone photographs lay bare the visual evidence for all to see. Those with a particular interest in history will likely find this book the most to their liking of the three as it fills in much of the historical information about the area that was not reasonably within the scope of the other two volumes.

In the opening paragraph, these books were called a “non-sequential trilogy;” a phrase that may be confusing and should thus be explained. While most trilogies must be experienced according to a determined order lest the overall narrative be misunderstood or lost, this particular one may be read either in part or as a whole. The order in which they are presented here is the order in which they were published; however the interested reader may pick any volume with which to begin. Should all three volumes be read (and it is safe to assume, so powerful is the writing and the accompanying photographs, that once the first chosen volume has been concluded, the flame will have been ignited in the reader to seek out the other two) the order in which they were will become insignificant as the content of the three will meld seamlessly together into one coherent and marvelously complex whole – just as is their subject.

Title: Inferno

Author: text by Charles Bowden, photographs by Michael Berman

Series: The Bill and Alice Wright Photography Series

Publisher: The University of Texas Press

Date of Publication: 2006

Format: Clothbound with dustjacket, 176 pp., 66 duotones

ISBN: 978-0-292-71330-7

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Title: Exodus / Éxodo

Author: text by Charles Bowden, photographs by Julián Cardona

Series: The Bill and Alice Wright Photography Series

Publisher: The University of Texas Press

Date of Publication: 2008

Format: Clothbound with dustjacket, 295 pp., 115 duotones in four sections

ISBN: 978-0-292-71814-2

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Title: Trinity

Author: text by Charles Bowden, photographs by Michael Berman

Series: The Bill and Alice Wright Photography Series

Publisher: The University of Texas Press

Date of Publication: 2009

Format: Clothbound with dustjacket, 272 pp., 80 duotones

ISBN: 978-0-292-71986-6

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that the copy of the book read in order to produce this review was provided gratis to the reviewer by the publisher.

 Of all the popular photographic subjects in nature, few can rival butterflies in terms of color, variety, and charisma; however few subjects also present the photographer with more technical challenges. From their spectacularly colorful wings that can be maddeningly difficult to get into proper focus to their flighty feeding habits that cause them to move to another flower a split second before the shutter release button is depressed, butterfly photography can test photographic skills in ways few other nature subjects can. Therefore if one is to embark upon any serious attempt, be it amateur or professional, artistic or scientific, at digitally recording images of butterflies, the availability of a wise and experienced teacher who has mastered the techniques needed to do sosuccessfully is invaluable. William B. Folsom is such a teacher and his Butterfly Photographer’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Reference for Nature Photographers is just such a collection of wisdom and experience.

As an understanding of one’s photographic subject is essential for any nature photographer, Folsom’s handbook begins with a presentation of the natural history of butterflies, including basic explanations of their anatomy, biology, and the basic groupings within the two butterfly taxonomic superfamilies Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea. (In keeping with the book’s title, discussions of and references to moths are essentially non-existent; a good choice on the part of the author as photography of this larger portion of the Lepidoptera requires a significant number of additional and highly specialized techniques likely to be of little interest or use to any but specialists.)

From this overview of the subjects themselves Folsom transitions into more detailed explanations of the life cycle and daily habits of butterflies, framing the information in reference to the utility of such knowledge to the photographer. He also includes some very useful information on how the photographer should behave around his or her intended subjects – such as explaining effective methods of close approach through the use of the “fright” and “flight” zone structure, and the use of the move and focus technique.

Finally, Folsom covers the various technical aspects of photographing butterflies, including his recommendations for selecting the right equipment for the task. While not formally endorsing Nikon, Folsom is candid as to his personal use of that brand of camera bodies and lenses, thus his references to particular lens configurations are most often given in reference to Nikon models (users of other camera brands should have little trouble translating these references to similar products in their own preferred brand’s product line). One particular equipment recommendation he makes, that of using telephoto zoom lenses over dedicated macro lenses, might initially strike some readers as unusual; however Folsom’s rationale for this choice is well reasoned and explained so effectively that some readers already possessing dedicated macro lenses might find themselves suddenly contemplating the purchase of a new addition to their camera bags.

Even more important that the selection of the right equipment, of course, is the knowledge of how to use it most effectively for the purpose at hand, and in this area Folsom’s experience and wisdom truly shine. From advice on selecting the right settings to use for the best results to instruction on techniques he has discovered to provide the greatest chances for success in the field, most every reader from the novice to the professional is likely to find something here that was previously unknown to them. One particularly useful technique Folsom explains concerns a very handy field method of determining the appropriate ISO settings for the lighting conditions under which the photographic session is taking place. Another concerns finding the best location on which to position the focal point of the image for best results (it’s not necessarily what many people might think).

Just as with any type of nature photography, photographing butterflies can be challenging and guarantees of success are never possible – even for the most experienced of photographers. However the time spent in reading William B. Folsom’s Butterfly Photographer’s Handbook, taking note of what it presents, and practicing the techniques it describes will very likely be found to have been more than worth the while in increasing the photographer’s chances of success in the field – both in regard to increasing the overall number of useable images recorded and in elevating the level of quality to be found in those images themselves.

Title: Butterfly Photographer’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Reference for Nature Photographers

Author: William B. Folsom

Publisher: Amherst Media

Format: paperback, 125 pages

ISBN: 9781584282471

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that the copy of the book read in order to produce this review was provided gratis to the reviewer by the publisher.

Renowned photographer and author of the critically acclaimed book Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers Alan L. Detrick is the subject of an on-going six part podcast interview by Timber Press. Two (part 1, part 2) of the six sections of the interview have thus far been released and true to form, Mr. Detrick has been both engaging as well as insightful in his discussions of macro and close-up nature photography. As Mr. Detrick’s book was the first title reviewed here on The Well-read Naturalist, it is a particular pleasure to hear him discourse on the subjects that he explained so exceptionally well in print. Both experienced macro and close-up nature photographers, as well as those new to or even unfamiliar with the practice, will find the time spent listening to Mr. Detrick sharing his vast knowledge of the subject enjoyable indeed.

The decision to review the recently published National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography (National Geographic Photography Field Guides) in The Well-read Naturalist was not one made lightly. After all, WRN is explicitly dedicated to books pertaining directly to the study of natural history in all its myriad forms. Would a book providing advice and instruction in how to be a better photographer, particularly as understood from the perspective of a traveler, or a photojournalist assigned to document the sights to be seen and experiences to be had in a specific geographic place, be of use or interest to naturalists? However after having read it and discovering that the information, advice, and inspiration it provided began almost immediately to influence my own field photographic work on natural history subjects for the better, I could not but help to record my impressions of the book here for the benefit of all.

Written by National Geographic Traveler’s senior editor Scott S. Stuckey and with considerable contributions from fifteen of that publication’s finest photographers, the National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography begins with something all too many books on photographic subjects for a widely diverse audience neglect – a brief but effective overview of the important concepts and skills needed to understand and employ the techniques that will be presented later in the book. Such a beginning may seem redundant to some; however to the beginner still working to master many of the elementary concept of good photographic practice such an overview is both helpful as well as instructive, and to the more experienced photographer, who may have worked him or herself into a personal technique rut, it is a reminder not to neglect a different way of capturing an image that might be outside of an established comfort zone. To this reviewer, it spoke clearly of the author’s commitment to the idea that the book’s primary purpose was as a vehicle for instruction; that he genuinely wanted to help all who read it to improve their respective photography skills.

As might be expected from an institution that has become world famous for its ability to convey unforgettable stories using both words and pictures, immediately following the overview of the “core concepts,” Mr. Stuckey and his collaborators address the importance of narrative in any collection of photographs. This perhaps may be the single most overlooked idea among amateur photographers who think most commonly in terms of the individual subject in each individual photograph but fail to connect the subject to its background (and vice versa) or to develop a connection between a group of photographs. While the emphasis is placed squarely on, and the examples given drawn from, travel photography, its applicability of the information presented to most every aspect of nature or landscape photography is astonishing.

Following these two topics, the book advances into more specific areas, beginning with the importance of, quest for, and discovery of authentic photographic subjects, to how to photograph in the challenging lighting conditions of cities (the parallels of which to natural environments, especially canyons and forests, are easily drawn and wholly appropriate), rural and countryside photographic subjects, and concluding the section with a chapter exclusively dedicated to nature-oriented subjects. Each of these chapters is not only a didactic presentation, but is also liberally interwoven with the advice and experiences of the fifteen photographers whose expertise Mr. Stuckey drew upon for the creation of the book.

Ultimately concluding in a similar vein to that in which it began, with advice on (this time) more advanced technical and work-flow topics such as image management and a two page series of notes titled “Useful Information” (and indeed it is), the National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography well proves itself to be far more than well worth the time spent reading it. The information and advice it contains is so well presented and immediately applicable to most everyone who uses a camera out-of-doors or on “on the road” that it should be considered as a “must read” for all concerned. Furthermore, the inspiration it is capable of providing goes well beyond the objective sum of the techniques its author presents in its pages. The encouragement to see every photograph as a puzzle to be solved, to view everyday scenes in their potential to be organized into a image that conveys not only momentary visual pleasure but an entire story, is a significant element of the mind of a great photographer. For this more than perhaps all else, the reader of this book will profoundly thank Mr. Stuckey, National Geographic, and all who contributed to it with each improvement they notice in their own future photographic work.

Title: National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography (National Geographic Photography Field Guides)

Author: Scott S. Stuckey

Publisher: National Geographic

Format: paperback; 160 pages

ISBN-10: 1426205163

ISBN-13: 978-1426205163

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that the copy of the book read in order to produce this review was provided gratis to the reviewer by the publisher.

Let’s face it – natural history enthusiasts can sometimes be a tough lot for whom to buy gifts; especially if you don’t personally share, or even know much about, their particular interests. Alternatively, even if you do share a common interest with the gift-worthy person or people in your life, you might be at a bit of a loss as to just which of the superb collection of recently released titles from which to choose. For that reason, we present The Well-read Naturalist list of holiday gift book picks to help with your gift-giving needs. Some have already been previously reviewed on this site while others are still awaiting a full and complete published review; however even those titles appearing in this list that have not yet received a formal review here have been nevertheless been critically examined and deemed worthy of detailed published comment in the very near future.

Dry Storeroom No. 1

Quite possibly one of the finest natural histories of natural history museums yet written, Dry Storeroom No. 1 is an essential read for all natural history as well as museum enthusiasts. Explore the main galleries and labyrinthine back-rooms of London’s famed Natural History Museum with Prof. Richard Fortey FRS who, with both exceptional erudition and a superb wit as dry as one of James Bond’s martinis, regales the reader with fascinating explanations of aspects of the natural world often little known by the general public but extensively studied by the scholars of the museum, as well as tidbits of the natural history of those very scholars themselves and the culture in which they work.

Birdscapes: Birds in Our Imagination and Experience

Of all those who have intellectually delved into the myriad ways, from science to symbolism, in which birds have played a role in human society, Jeremy Mynott, former chief executive of Cambridge University Press, is certainly among the most eloquent and expansive of mind. From the passions that drive birders in their never-ending quest to enlarge theirlife  lists through the inspiration birds have provided to artists, and into the scientific developments illuminating the lives of birds as well as those in which birds have allowed us to learn something about ourselves, Birdscapes is a veritable smorgasbord of food for thought.

Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers

The visual discoveries to be made by getting very, very close to a flower or insect through the use of a magnified lens are satisfying on a level far beyond what might be commonly imagined. In Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers, Renowned nature photographer Alan Detrick brings what was once an exotic and difficult-to-learn sub-specialty of photography easily within the reach and practice of even the most beginning of photographers. In addition to being an exceptionally well-written explanation of how to get started in macro photography and how to further develop additional skills once the activity has been begun, Mr. Detrick additionally provides inspiration to more advanced photographers in the type if images that can be captured in both the areas of close-up and true macro photography. (full review)

Mammals of North America

Getting to know the four hundred sixty-two mammals found in North America north of the U.S. Mexico border has never been so easy as it is now thanks to the recent release of the second edition of Princeton Field Guides’ Mammals of North America. Expertly researched, lavishly illustrated, and containing many helpful physiologic as well as geographic details to help everyone from beginner amateur naturalists to professional biologists quickly identify mammals in the field (particularly useful to field naturalists are the appendices containing identification images of select carnivore and herbivore scat as well as the integrated illustrations of many small mammal bones that might be found in owl pellets), Mammals of North America will be a superb addition to any naturalist’s library or field pack.

Bringing Nature Home

As more people become increasingly concerned about the state of the environment and determine to take a personal role in helping to restore it to a more healthy state, interest has substantially risen in discovering what can be done right around the home to make the world a more ecologically vibrant place. Bringing Nature Home provides precisely the type of information needed for both the average person as well as the experienced gardener or naturalist better to understand the role and importance of native plants and insects in creating a healthy domestic landscape, as well as how both of these classes of life provide the groundwork for attracting a much wider variety of other wildlife to the home and its environs.

Prairie Spring

When Pete and Linda Dunne stepped out their back door into the cold New Jersey pre-dawn of New Year’s Day, 1989, they were taking the first step into a year-long birding journey that would take them across North America, reach its conclusion on the prairie in Baldwin City, Kansas, and be chronicled in one of Dunne’s most well known and beloved books – The Feather Quest: a North American Birder’s Year. Eighteen years later, we meet the Dunnes once again on the American prairie, this time on the Pawnee National Grasslands near Briggsdale, Colorado. It’s Groundhog Day and they are just beginning a journey that will be chronicled in Prairie Spring: A Journey Into the Heart of a Season – a work that, while confined to a shorter frame of time, exceeds The Feather Quest in both depth and aspiration, and should justly be regarded as one of Dunne’s finest works to date. (full review)

Gathering Moss

Mosses – too small to be seen in detail without a strong hand lens and existing in a layer of atmosphere surrounding all terrestrial objects that is too subtle for our crude senses to perceive, they flourish throughout the world playing roles in the global ecosystem that we are only beginning to understand. By most people they are scarcely noticed at best; simply acknowledged as that fuzzy green stuff filling in sidewalk cracks and clinging to the bark of trees. At worst they are reckoned, often by home-owners, as the bane of house roof longevity and well-groomed lawns; something to be killed and removed whenever possible. Yet to those who would stop, even if only briefly to consider them, mosses are as fascinating as they are ancient. These last messages, along with a solid, introductory account of their natural history, are what Robin Wall Kimmerer seeks to convey to the reader in her book Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. In this she succeeds marvelously in ways that are not only scientific but philosophical and poetic as well. (full review)

Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of North America

Published in honor of the centennial of his birth, this most recent update to Roger Tory Peterson’s classic and ground-breaking original field guide combines the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds into a single, larger format volume that allows for greatly enhanced imagery and maps to be at the finger tips of all seeking to identify any bird species found in North America north of the U.S. – Mexico border. Carrying on the great tradition of innovation Peterson designed into his very first field guide, this latest edition includes forty entirely new paintings, digital updates and enhancements to many of the existing plates to reflect recent discoveries and techniques of species identification, and even a URL to take the reader to an on-line library containing nearly three hours of video podcasts that superbly explain Peterson, his work, and birdwatching in general.

The Bird Watching Answer Book

Those familiar with Laura Erickson will recall that in her previously published 101 Ways to Help Birds she provided bird watchers with an invaluable reference for bird conservation activities that were presented in an easily accessible format which could be either read straight through or casually browsed. To The Bird Watching Answer Book she has brought a similarly user-friendly format and infuses it with both her vast ornithological expertise as well as her enthusiastic writing style that helps impart to bird watchers of all levels of experience valuable information on everything from bird watching field craft to the multi-faceted subject of bird biology. (full review)

The Darwin Experience

As a reviewer I am frequently given the opportunity to examine many fine and exemplary books; books that, due to the author’s style and effectiveness, the subject’s ability to hold the reader’s attention, or even the publisher’s manner of presentation, rise above mere common informational tomes to become something truly memorable. Yet even amongst all these, The Darwin Experience stands almost in a category by itself. Drawing upon not only Dr. van Wyhe’s extensive knowledge of his subject, and National Geographic’s editorial and publishing expertise, The Darwin Experience additionally draws upon the museum curator’s art in presenting a collection of information, imagery, and artifacts (reproduced, of course) to lead the reader through the story of not only Charles Darwin and the world in which he lived, but of the history previous to and the lasting effects of his work as well. (full review)

The Voyage of the Beagle: Anniversary Edition

Despite being one of the most famous (and in some circles, infamous) of all naturalists as well as one of the most influential writers of the English language, most people have never read much more than selected passages – if even that much – from any of his four major works. Now, thanks to the bicentennial of his birth, National Geographic has published this remarkable anniversary edition of his most accessible of books. In The Voyage of the Beagle, the reader is taken along on the five year voyage the great naturalist took on the H.M.S Beagle from which eventually emerged many of the discoveries that would form the foundation for his most important theories about the world, its myriad life forms, and how they came to be what they are today.

Darwin in Galápagos: Footsteps to a New World

K. Thalia Grant and Gregory B. Estes’ narrative reconstruction of Charles Darwin’s 1835 exploration of the islands that are perhaps more than any other single geographic location most closely associated with his name is a remarkable work that expertly rejoins the man and the place, and adds to them both the results of recent scientific discoveries arising from his work to bring to readers one of the most intricate portraits of this pivotal moment in natural history yet written. Whether read on its own or in conjunction with The Voyage of the Beagle, Darwin in Galápagos should be considered an essential book by anyone hoping better to understand the man, his work, and his continuing influence upon the scientific world today. (In addition to its interest and value to naturalists and historians of science, this would also make an excellent gift for lovers of travel literature.)

Illustrated Birds of North America Folio Edition

Enlarged to 150% of their original size, Jonathan Alderfer’s superbly illustrated plates from the classic National Geographic field guide bring to mind Audubon’s landmark folio edition of his own famous Birds of America. Effective both as a field guide as well as a marvelous “browsing album,” The Illustrated Birds of North America Folio Edition is a work that would be a most welcome gift to any bird or wildlife enthusiast as well as to those who appreciate the intricate art of wildlife illustration. Truly a great gift idea for that birdwatcher or naturalist on your list who has been extra good this past year.

For the Young and Young-at-Heart

Those Darn Squirrels!

Written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, Those Darn Squirrels! recounts the age-old struggle of man versus squirrel. Man, in this book played by the grumpy Old Man Fookwire, is a dedicated feeder of birds; however the local squirrels are generally the beneficiaries of his efforts. Try as he might, he is unable to thwart them in their never-ending attempts to purloin the seed he leaves out for his feathered friends. But when his familiar birds migrate south for the winter, Old Man Fookwire is left alone and depressed. Fortunately, the squirrels are not truly as malicious as Old Man Fookwire had assumed them to be.

Oscar and Olive Osprey

Janie Suss’ photo illustrated tale of an osprey pair who made their home on a nesting platform she and her family built near their home on the shore of Maryland’s Chesapeake is a remarkably accessible look into the life cycle of these remarkable birds. From nest building through the fledging of the young and on into the cycle of migration and return, Mr. Suss’ anthropomorphic portrayal of the lives and challenges of these beautiful birds is one that will grab and hold the interest of both young and old alike.

The Young Birder’s Guide to the Bird of Eastern North America

Despite it’s title, The Young Birder’s Guide is applicable to all “young” bird watchers regardless of age. It is such as a result of Thompson’s superb understanding of the mental processes of both the chronologically young who are still discovering many of their cognative skills as well as the adult beginner to bird watching. The similarities between the two are indeed profound, especially the danger of being overloaded with information in a greater quantity than can be readily put to use. In both cases, the process is one of perpetual advancement from commencement of an activity to competence and onward toward mastery. Regardless of at what age anyone begins watching birds, the initial years are a time of learning and discovery in which a masterful teacher is needed to help establish, refine, and improve developing skills. Fortunately for the young birders (of all ages) of the world, Thompson has incorporated his understanding of these matters into The Young Birder’s Guide. (full review)

Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth

Young Elizabeth Angier lives a happy and carefree life with her family on their organic farm in upstate New York – at least she did until the summer after fourth grade. Suddenly faced with having to confront the possible loss of not only her best friend but her family’s loss of their farm as well, Elizabeth discovers that she can tap into an ancient and deep power that will help her not only through this present difficult time but which could also lead to adventures beyond her wildest dreams. The first volume of what is planned as a long-running multi-volume series, Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth is a wonderful adventure that not only entertains readers but also presents them with many important concepts of ecology and conservation.

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that copies of some of the books read in order to produce these reviews were provided gratis to the reviewer by the publisher while others were purchased by the reviewer.

Of all the different styles of modern photography, the one that seems to elicit the most reticence from both amateurs and professionals alike is that of macro photography. This is indeed quite unfortunate, for it is through the practice of macro photography that so much of the ordinarily unseen details in our world become discoverable. Add to this the increasingly common availability to the average amateur photographer of at least “close-up” if not actually true macro photographic capability in even the most affordable of digital cameras and there is no reason whatsoever that everyone, particularly naturalists, possessing a recent model digital camera, a healthy sense of curiosity, and a copy of Alan L. Detrick’s Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers should not feel themselves entirely capable of exploring the minute yet endlessly fascinating corners of the natural world.

Mr. Detrick, himself a renowned garden, landscape, and nature photographer, brings to the readers of this remarkably accessible guide a straight-forward and easy-to-understand explanation of what both close-up and macro photography are, how they differ from conventional photography, and the methods anyone interested in the craft can use to become a competent macro photographer. Moreover, Mr. Detrick avoids the prime pitfall of all too many authors of guides to photography: wrapping every explanation given in multiple layers of technical jargon and photographic shorthand. Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers is refreshingly free from such obscuring language, allowing everyone form beginners to advanced photographers the opportunity to benefit from Mr. Detrick’s sage advice.

As anyone who has ever switched a digital camera into “macro” mode has likely discovered, close-up and macro photography is not simply a matter of getting very close to the subject and pressing the shutter release. While the techniques that can lead to successful macro photography are not particularly difficult to learn (their mastery, of course, requires much additional practice), many are counter-intuitive and the guidance of such a teacher as Mr. Detrick is invaluable in order to save considerable time as well as frustration. Conventional photographers may not immediately consider the astonishing importance of exposure compensation or the most effective methods for obtaining appropriate depths of field in photographing subjects at such close distances. Consequently, even those not intending to practice macro photography on a frequent basis will still benefit from the expansion of their understanding as to just what is possible with their cameras and how to achieve it to realize their vision in their own work – regardless of the subject or style.

Profusely illustrated with images depicting not only the topics explained in the book, but as additional sidebar and even full page tangential discussions as well, the reader is never at a lost for a visual image that well depicts the specific camera setting, light management method, subject selection, or any of other important elements of macro photography that Mr. Detrick presents. Indeed, the illustrations themselves are eye-opening to the potential discoveries that this style of photographic exploration renders possible. Readers having finished an initial reading of the book may likely find themselves returning to it for inspiration as to their own future photographs.

In addition to the techniques pertaining directly to macro photography itself, Mr. Detrick also includes a very helpful selection of information, also presented clearly and in a widely intelligible style, pertinent to all digital photography practitioners. From digital work flow to how to calibrate a computer monitor to ensure it presents the images displayed upon it accurately, many of the important elements that make up good digital photographic practice (yet all- too-often neglected by many, particularly those early in their practice of the craft) are concisely presented here. Considered as a whole, Mr. Detrick’s book is indeed a valuable resource not only to those seeking to view into the very small corners of the world, but those seeking to enlarge their understanding of photography’s vast potential as well.

Title: Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers; The Essential Guide to Digital Techniques

Author: Alan L. Detrick (website, blog)

Publisher: Timber Press

Format: Paperback

Pages: 176 pp.

ISBN-13: 9780881928907

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that the copy of the book read in order to produce this review was provided gratis to the reviewer by the publisher.