Category Archives: Books We Recommend

Books and magazines are a valuable resource when it comes to learning more about photography, travel, birds, animals, life on the road, and more. We have sorted out a wide variety of books that have served us well and that we highly recommend to help you learn more about nature photography and travel.

When we find new books or collections, we’ll let you know here, helping you to expand your library of books on nature photography, travel, wildlife, travel photography, bird photography, and the study of all things natural, and occassionally “unnatural”.

Learning to travel light, we have now expanded our library to include books in digital form and we will be reviewing and discussing these, as well.

Amelia Takes a Road Trip

Posted on July 8, 2006 by Lorelle VanFossen

Amelia Hits the Road, by Marissa Moss (and YEEHAW – Amelia!), is a fantastic book for children, introducing them to travel and life on the road.

This is my new travel notebook. Mom bought it for me so I wouldn’t be bored on the long driving part of this trip. She said if I’m busy writing, I won’t be busy fighting with Clea. I don’t fight with Cleo. She fights with me.

…Mom says we should enjoy this togetherness. It seems like TOO much togetherness, if you ask me. Especially when Cleo gets carsick. Then the last thing in the world I want is to be together with her!

….We sand every song we could think of – “Found a Peanut”, “On Top of Old Smoky”, “Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky”, “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”, “Goofy Grimy Gopher Guts” – until Mom screamed at us to STOP!

Then Cleo started reading every sign we passed until I hit her to shut her up and she him me back so I hit her again and Mom yelled at us some more.

I asked Mom is she was enjoying all this togetherness. She just glared at me.
Amelia Hits the Road, by Marissa Moss (and YEEHAW – Amelia!)

Does this sound like every road trip you ever took as a child! FINALLY, someone is telling the truth about travel as a child and travel with a child.

The book is a delight. It is colorful, filled with activities and suggestions for things to do. It isn’t a “things to do on a trip” book, but more of a guide which inspires the child or children towards activity, such as the list of songs to sing shown as an example of what Amelia and her sister did. Notice that it also shows the consequences of when it gets out of control.

The graphics and pictures are wonderful, designed to amuse the young and the old. It’s an adventure and practical guide for a traveling children, helping them to understand that, yes, long drives suck and are boring, so expect it and get over it, and that there are still many things to do to amuse yourself on long travel days.

One unexpected aspect of Amelia Hits the Road is the journaling. The book is written as if it is a real journal, with hand drawn pictures, doodles, graphics, and even notes in the margin. Pictures replace words sometimes, and postcards and pictures appear to be stuck onto the pages alongside stamps and other memorabilia traditionally collected as you travel.

By setting the book in journal form, the child is encouraged to create their own journal of the trip, copying the techniques and preserving memories of the family trip. They are encouraged to write, learning how to write and express an idea and concept, as well as storytelling techniques.

I can see the child, 30 years from now, coming across their journal and a copy of the book in some dusty box and being instantly transported back in time to when their brother kept hitting her in the backseat and calling her names, and the glory and delight when he got carsick and puked up all over the door before the window could be opened. As gory as it is, for a child now grown up, it’s a brilliant example of the cosmic forces of the universe exacting a precious moment of revenge.

The book’s journal goes from California to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley, and then back through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mono Lake and Yosemite National Park, one of the most popular travel routes for many Americans, as well as international travelers. Amelia is introduced to a diverse range of educational information, but it isn’t hammered in, it’s experienced.

Highlights of her adventures include understanding tourist gimmicks (“The truly mysterious place was the gift shop, where there was an astonishing display of junk. I couldn’t believe anyone would buy that stuff.”), geology (“Mom says the Grand Canyon is the Earth’s old age wrinkles, like the lines on her forehead.”), astronomy (“I love to think that people saw and named those same stars thousands of years ago!”), discovery and exploration (“I can’t imagine being the first person who saw all this.”), international and cultural exchange (“I met a boy. His name is Mako. We hiked together the whole way. Mako is from Japan, and he’s really nice.”), change and evolution and differences in generation values and experiences (“Mom says sometimes when things change, they get worse, not better. But she’s not always right. She only likes old music.”), archeology (“I thought I would find some treasure or old coins, but I didn’t. Cleo found a bone. She said it was from a dead miner. Mom said it was a chicken bone…”), and the unpleasant business of war (“…we were in a place called Manaznar, where 10,000 Japanese-Americans lived during World War II…”).

For the family traveling through the California-Arizona triangle tour, this is a wonderful guide to what the family and children will be experiencing along the way, with some well-thought out and expressed perspectives.

For the parent, there is enough in this book to keep any child amused on road trip. There are things to do, games to play, assignments, and examples. At the least, the parent could ask the kid to write down everything they want to do on the trip from suggestions in the book. And then check them off each time the family or child does them.

If you are traveling with a child on a driving trip across the country or even across the state, I highly recommend Amelia Hits the Road as a wonderful aid to your traveling family adventures.

Impressed with this book on Amelia’s adventures, I also recommend the whole creative series of Amelia books.

Jim Zuckerman – Nature Photography Books

Posted on September 7, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

Jim Zuckerman, contributing editor to Petersen’s Photographic Magazine, is a master of all forms of photography, especially nature photography, though he loves pushing the limits with digital and studio manipulation. He has published many articles and books on his work, helping others learn various photographic techniques. As fans of his work for a very long time, we’ve singled out a few of his best books to help you build your photography library with some of the best work.

Zuckerman’s work is always outstanding and he tackles some core elements of nature photography technique as well as expands your perspective on nature photography in his latest books.

Often two photographs of teh same location can appear dramatically different even when taken only forty-five minutes apart…At dawn, when the color temperature is high (about 12,000 Kelvin), the scene is rendered in deep blue and purple tones…As soon as the sun breaks the horizon, the whole scene changes dramatically. The color temperature drops immediately from 12,000 Kelvin to perhaps 3,500 degrees Kelvin, bathing the landscape in a warm light.
Techniques of Natural Light Photography by Jim Zuckerman

“Techniques of Natural Light Photography”, in easy to understand language necessary for anyone interested in nature photography, opens up your mind to the wonders and variety of natural light. Understanding how the colors and intensity and “nature” of light impacts the photograph is critical to successful photography.

In “Perfect Exposure”, again, Zuckerman tackles the simple but introduces it in a new way so you see beyond the simple essense of exposure in photography to understand the importance it really plays in the art form. He concentrates on working with a hand held meter to backup your in-camera meter, but also shows you how to do both.

With “Secrets of Color Photography”, Zuckerman again tackles an area that has been done before but moves beyond the “Kodak how to” to really help the nature photographer understand the role color plays in photography, understanding film, exposure, light, and how they all impact the image with color. Fascinating and very well done.

And as if we haven’t gotten enough from his beautiful and powerful technical books, in “Capturing the Drama of Nature Photography”, Zuckerman takes us inside the complexity and magic of nature and wildlife to show us how to bring the “drama” to the image. How to understand your subject, the lighting, and its environment to time and plan your photographic opportunities not just grab it as it comes.

Shooting and Selling Your Photographs

Once you have a clear understanding of the process, Zuckerman’s book on “Shooting & Selling Your Photos: The Complete Guide to Making Money With Your Photography” and his other business book, “The Professional Photographer’s Guide to Shooting and Selling Nature and Wildlife Photos” takes you into the basics that helped him become a successful nature photographer whose work is seen in magazines, books, posters, and more all over the world. It’s nice when a serious pro takes time out to share his or her path to fame, giving others a boost up. I call it “setting a higher standard” that all of us need to attain.

Zuckerman doesn’t limit his imagination or photographic work to strictly nature. With the rise in digital photography, he has gone in “whole hog” as they say in the South. His articles and books on digitial photography and digital imaging take you beyond the possible for amazing special effects and techniques for creating photographs for the new century. In “Digital Effects” and “Outstanding Special Effects Photography”, much of the work he does is with a medium format camera, but the same effects can be done with 35mm and a computer. Maybe it’s time for you to explore beyond the limits of film?

Photographer’s Rights

Posted on September 5, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

If you are a photographer in the UK, there is now a UK Photographers Rights Document available in PDF form to guide you through the ins and outs of the laws and restrictions of photography in England.

The UK Photographers Rights PDF is intended to provide a short UK guide to the main legal restrictions on the right to take photographs and the right to publish photographs that have been taken.

The guide was written by Linda Macpherson LL.B, Dip.L.P., LL.M, who is a lecturer in law at Heriot Watt University, with particular experience in Information Technology Law, Intellectual Property Law and Media Law.

I was curious to see if there was such a document for USA photographers. And there is. Now, it isn’t a legal document but a “guide” with information about the laws. The PDF downloadable can be found at Krages.com – Photographers Rights in PDF and Palm handheld computer book format.

We wrote an article for Outdoor and Nature Photography magazine a few years ago about the conflicts in natural parks with nature photographers, resulting in many nature photographers carrying a letter from the head of the National Park Service to a representative of NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service policy explaining that general photography even for commercial purposes is not the same as a what the policy is meant to restrict, which is the entry of a commerical film or movie crew coming in with tons of equipment and potentially damaging the park habitat and interfering with park activities. A person with a camera became a target of rangers until the new policies were properly disseminated.

So it’s imporant to know your rights as a photographer, as well as your limits.

The right to take photographs is under assault now more than ever. People are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated into handing over their personal property simply because they were taking photographs of subjects that made other people uncomfortable. Recent examples have included photographing industrial plants, bridges, and bus stations. For the most part, attempts to restrict photography are based on misguided fears about the supposed dangers that unrestricted photography presents to society.

Ironically, unrestricted photography by private citizens has played an integral role in protecting the freedom, security, and well-being of all Americans. Photography in the United States has contributed to improvements in civil rights, curbed abusive child labor practices, and provided important information in investigating crimes. These images have not always been pretty and often have offended the sensibilities of governmental and commercial interests who had vested interests in a status quo that was adverse to most other people.

The best book for much of these guidelines and information is Legal Handbook for Photographersâ€”The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images.. It tackles all the issues photographers need to know, no matter what your level of expertise or business.

For more information on books we recommend for the business of photography and nature photography, see Books on Selling and Marketing Nature Photography Images.

Best Nature Photographers Books

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

Inspiration comes from anywhere. When it comes to inspiring us with natural images, these are the books that leap from our shelves.

We have now made it easier for you to get these wonderful books through Amazon.com. If you don’t see the link or picture of the book, hit your REFRESH button or the F5 key to reload the page. If you have a comment or recommendation to us, please let us know in the comment section below.

Freeman Patterson
Few people have influenced nature photography more than Freeman Patterson. His book, “The Art of Seeing”, revolutionized the thinking process behind the images and within the photographer. A tremendous bestseller, he continues to produce phenomenal books that life the level of artistry regarding nature photography to unbelievable heights. While these books are designed for the photographer who already has a basic level of technical understanding, everyone can learn from these books, developing your artistry into fine art. Excellent for all artists, no matter what your medium.

William Neill
William Neill’s books inspire, but they also educate. His images, often combined with the text of other writers, represent some of the finest “art work” in nature photography. Having studied with Ansel Adams, and continuing to work with Adam’s gallery as an artist and teacher, Neill’s work actually surpasses Adams’ in many ways. What Adams was to black and white, Neill is to color. But both share a unique vision of nature exhibited well by their photographic images. One of our absolute favorite “text books” is “By Nature’s Design”. If you have even the slightest interest in the patterns and textures of nature, this is a must-have book. It explains the mathematics and theories behind the most common patterns and shapes found in nature. The writing is charming while educational, and I promise you will learn to spot these details in nature better than ever before, changing your perception.

Galen Rowell
With an unique ability to push himself beyond his own physical limits and beyond the photographic “norms”, Galen Rowell climbed the highest mountains in search of that “special light” and to some of the most harsh environments to capture the “magic moment”. Even if he was photographing things tamer and closer to home, this determination to go beyond, to rasie the bar, led him to create images that bely the hardship behind the image, allowing the viewer to just “be there” in the moment with awe instead of sweat. We lost an amazing talent a year ago, but his work sings on. Put Rowell’s books on your list if you are looking for a mentor.

John Shaw
Few nature photographers can compare with the work and determination to succeed in this industry than John Shaw. In many ways, he is the “father” of all nature photographers. Determined to produce a book that taught the basics of nature photography to the general public in a clear and simple way, not a dull and boring text book filled with dusty exposure charts and the Sunny 16 Rule, he wrote the book that eventually became “The Nature Photographer’s Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques”, a title bestowed by a publisher with a sorry sense of humor. Desperate to have the book published after showing it around for ages to many publishers, Shaw learned to live with the title, and in spite of it, word of mouth spread, making it one of the best selling books in photography EVER. We use this book as our “text book” when we teach any of our photography programs. Shaw knew he had hit a niche, so he continued with the same clear and concise theme to create his incredibly popular “Close-ups in Nature”, “Focus on Nature”, and….. Eventually, his first book was updated and re-issued with a more concise title, and it continues to be a best seller. It is complimented by one of the best books on the business of nature photography, “”. If you want to excel in any shape or form in nature photography, memorize these books.

Bryan Peterson
Another “father” of nature photography, though a brilliant commercial photographer, Bryan Peterson’s books are still a perfect compliment to photographic studies and incentives. “Understanding Exposure” helps the photographer at any level really get a qualified handle on how the camera reads exposure and understands the colors and color tones of a subject. This is not a dry text book, but a colorful, easy-to-read and put-into-practice delight. “Learning to See Creatively” is a great compliment to the work of Freeman Patterson, though completely different. Peterson expands his perspective from his early nature photography to include some of his commercial images, helping the reader learn more about the various ways to “see” a subject through the camera. No matter how serious a nature photographer you are, people will jump into your viewfinder from time to time, even if only during vacations and holiday seasons. If you are a travel photographers, then people will be a consistent subject. It doesn’t matter. The book, “People in Focus” will help you develop some great techniques for getting the most out of your “people” pictures.

Art Wolfe
Light on the Land by Art Wolfe
No other photographer in any genre has produced more books than Art Wolfe. Admittedly not a writer, he has worked with a variety of writers from all over the world to create an amazingly diverse range of books all dealing with nature, travel, tribal, and cultural photography. A determined “tree-hugger”, Wolfe will go anywhere in the world under the most desperate conditions to bring out the “nature” of his subjects. His books on the last “tribes” left in the world have changed the world’s perseption of their struggle as well as shedding new light on our human history. His books have also led to the protection of fragile lands and increased awareness of the plight of nature struggling to survive against the “hand of man”. No matter how “political” the indent behind his work, his artistic nature explodes off the page. Wolfe has a unique eye when it comes to capturing the “light”. His book, “Light on the Land”, is a prime example of his sensitivity to natural light, but it is visible in all his work. Again, if you are looking for a mentor, add Art Wolfe to the top of your list.

Over ten years ago, Wolfe produced an amazing coffee table book called “Light on the Land”. It was a true work of art and changed the world’s perspective on scenic photography, melting fine art with nature photography. This year, his complementary book, “Edge of the Earth, Corner of the Sky” is getting rave reviews and surpasses the extraordinary work of “Light on the Land”. It is one of the best selling books at Amazon.com, and truly a work of inspirational art.

One book of particular interest to those who want to “rise” in their studies and industry, “The Art of Photographing Nature” with Art Wolfe and Martha Hill takes a wonderful look at why photographs are chosen by photo editors and the artistry behind the images.

Joe McDonald
Few photographers have gone to the lengths that Joe McDonald has to “get the picture”. He has a unique affinity with wildlife of all shapes and sizes, studying how they behave, their habitat, and analyzing what it will take technically to not injure the creature but to get it to cooperate for the camera. He shares that amazing skill and technique in his various books on wildlife photography. If you are into photographing animals, reptiles or large mammals, you must study his work and techniques to get the best quality images.

Ansel Adams
The grandfather of nature photography, Adams revolutionized the photographic printing process, and set a high standard of quality when it came to the art of photographing nature. His work helped change the world’s perception regarding the protection of natural areas as well. His work continues to impress and inspire photographers. His work on developing the “Zone” system for exposure continues to be the media standard.

David Attenborough
For years, David Attenborough has brought nature into people’s living rooms around the world. His animal documentaries, specials, and investigations have helped millions understand why wildlife is so important in the world and why it is worth protecting. His series, “The Life of Mammals” is an award-winning treasure to have at home. It comes as a complete set or in four volumes.

Nature Photography and Photography Magazines

Posted on August 26, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

Photography and specialized nature photography magazines serve to provide us with information and inspiration. We are always studying, learning, reading, and researching, learning from stories and photographs. We study how a story and images are combined to create an overall picture of a place or animal. We learn to see what other photographers see and when we are photographing the same subject or place, we work hard to see it differently.

Magazines on nature, photography, and nature help us to expand our knowledge and abilities and bring us a constant stream of information to help us stay motivated and inspired. These are some of the photography magazines, especially nature oriented magazines, that we continually refer to and read. And some we’ve been published in, so that shows you they know a good thing when they see it. ;-) Enjoy.

Nature Photography Magazines

We are always learning to see “what the others are up to”. We learn by studying the work, writing, and photography of others. We watch trends in styles and stories and are always on the lookout for a new idea or story resource. These magazines help us keep up with our specific nature photography industry and interest.

Nature-oriented Magazines

As nature photographers, we are constantly learning about nature and natural subjects. This helps us to improve our photography and understand behaviors. The more we know about our subject, the better our chances of finding them and capturing great photographic images.

General Photography Magazines

Whether you are buying a camera or just want to stay on top of what is going on in photography, these magazines will keep you up-to-date on the latest, hottest, and bestest information on photography in general.

Regional Travel and Wildlife Guide Books

Posted on August 25, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

Traveling and writing about our travels, we’ve found some amazing books about various regions, the wildlife, habitat, and natural environment for our nature photography. Many of these books help you find the wildlife and understand how to get close for nature and wildlife photography, while others give you indepth views of the natural areas of these places. This is just the tip of the ice berg on regional travel books and we’ll be adding more as we go. Enjoy!