Posted by Colin Smale on October 22, 2009 at 1:41 PM
So many, which one ?
Just realised the last book I bought was still for film, do you have a favourite bird photography book that has abandoned film for the digital age?
Posted by James Shadle on October 22, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Arthur Morris' Birds as Art II
https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=19
Birds as Art updated for the digital age!
James
Posted by Colin Smale on October 23, 2009 at 3:50 AM
Hmmm, just had a look, looks like it's only on CD and considering how much cheaper it is to produce compared to a book, $40 seems a lot ? I might have considered it had it been a book, thanx James.
Posted by John Tobias on October 23, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Dear Colin, I have both the book and CD, it is worth it.
Posted by Bill Brennan on October 23, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Colin, Art Morris is an invaluable resource. You may not need a book as you can Google "Bird Photography" and find plenty of info, photos and metadata for reference.
Bill Brennan
Posted by Cliff Beittel on October 24, 2009 at 9:51 AM
"Just realised the last book I bought was still for film, do you have a favourite bird photography book that has abandoned film for the digital age? . . .
Hmmm, just had a look, looks like it's only on CD and considering how much cheaper it is to produce compared to a book, $40 seems a lot ? I might have considered it had it been a book . . . "
Colin,
So you want digital-age instruction, but only in analog form?
I've only seen a sample chapter of Birds as Art II, but I can't imagine you will find a more thorough treatment of bird photography anywhere else. The price of the CD, like the price of many things, has nothing to do with production costs. If you pay $40 and get $400 worth of information, why would you care about production costs?
Your other choice would be to get the digital info from any number of other sources that aren't also dedicated to bird photography--after all, digital technique and subject choice are independent of each other. For example, if you're using Photoshop and Adobe Camera RAW, then the Camera RAW book by Fraser and Schewe will be helpful.
Posted by Colin Smale on October 24, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Hi Cliff
Yes, Art Morris' web site is always very interesting with lots of hints and tips, mostly only available for a fee, nothing wrong with that I guess, he's got to earn a living but as I said, I wish he would present his Birds as Art II in book form, I just prefer a book rather than a screen, I think most of us are like that aren't we?
His various digital techniques, hints and tips would be interesting to read, there's bound to be something there for everyone no matter how many years we have been in the business and I have been in it for well over 40 years, well used to film techniques of course but just making sure my old grey cells can keep up in this digital age, so far so good haha. Surely there must be someone else out there as good as Arthur who has produced a book ?
Posted by Cliff Beittel on October 24, 2009 at 3:55 PM
"Surely there must be someone else out there as good as Arthur who has produced a book ?"
Colin,
A quick search at Amazon found at least two books with "digital" in the title by nature photographers whose work I know: David Tipling and John and Barbara Gerlach. Neither is specifically about birds, though there are birds on both covers. Who knows how much coverage they give to digital technique as opposed to everything else, but you might have a look if you can find them at a large bookstore. Another choice might be Tim Grey's books, where the emphasis is on digital rather than the rest of photography, but again they aren't specifically about bird photography.
By the way, lots of people are going the CD book route, including John Shaw and Tim Grey. I share your preference for the printed page, but from a photographer's perspective, why shouldn't more of the money go to the author instead of a middleman?
Posted by Colin Smale on October 24, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Hi Cliff, you're right about Tim Grey, I just checked, I have one of his books, it's superb; "Photoshop for Nature Photographers" hadn't realised he had written so many others, will have to have a look at some of those.
I have several of John Shaw's books, what a really excellent writer/photographer he is, I will check and see if he has written anything digital lately. Who knows, I might finish up with Arthur's CD yet !!
All we need now is for Richard Ettlinger to reveal his secrets in a book and we will all be happy eh. I have his "On Feathered Wings" book, great pics in there.
Heck, the more I think about it the more good photographers I can think of, how many of them write though ! We are all too busy taking pics
Posted by Cliff Beittel on October 24, 2009 at 5:40 PM
Colin,
Shaw does have out a new e-book on Lightroom and an older e-book on Photoshop. A revised version of his Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques is also available, though I have no idea how much space it devotes to digital.
Discussion
9 repliesJust realised the last book I bought was still for film, do you have a favourite bird photography book that has abandoned film for the digital age?
https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=19
Birds as Art updated for the digital age!
James
Bill Brennan
Hmmm, just had a look, looks like it's only on CD and considering how much cheaper it is to produce compared to a book, $40 seems a lot ? I might have considered it had it been a book . . . "
Colin,
So you want digital-age instruction, but only in analog form?
I've only seen a sample chapter of Birds as Art II, but I can't imagine you will find a more thorough treatment of bird photography anywhere else. The price of the CD, like the price of many things, has nothing to do with production costs. If you pay $40 and get $400 worth of information, why would you care about production costs?
Your other choice would be to get the digital info from any number of other sources that aren't also dedicated to bird photography--after all, digital technique and subject choice are independent of each other. For example, if you're using Photoshop and Adobe Camera RAW, then the Camera RAW book by Fraser and Schewe will be helpful.
Yes, Art Morris' web site is always very interesting with lots of hints and tips, mostly only available for a fee, nothing wrong with that I guess, he's got to earn a living but as I said, I wish he would present his Birds as Art II in book form, I just prefer a book rather than a screen, I think most of us are like that aren't we?
His various digital techniques, hints and tips would be interesting to read, there's bound to be something there for everyone no matter how many years we have been in the business and I have been in it for well over 40 years, well used to film techniques of course but just making sure my old grey cells can keep up in this digital age, so far so good haha. Surely there must be someone else out there as good as Arthur who has produced a book ?
Colin,
A quick search at Amazon found at least two books with "digital" in the title by nature photographers whose work I know: David Tipling and John and Barbara Gerlach. Neither is specifically about birds, though there are birds on both covers. Who knows how much coverage they give to digital technique as opposed to everything else, but you might have a look if you can find them at a large bookstore. Another choice might be Tim Grey's books, where the emphasis is on digital rather than the rest of photography, but again they aren't specifically about bird photography.
By the way, lots of people are going the CD book route, including John Shaw and Tim Grey. I share your preference for the printed page, but from a photographer's perspective, why shouldn't more of the money go to the author instead of a middleman?
I have several of John Shaw's books, what a really excellent writer/photographer he is, I will check and see if he has written anything digital lately. Who knows, I might finish up with Arthur's CD yet !!
All we need now is for Richard Ettlinger to reveal his secrets in a book and we will all be happy eh. I have his "On Feathered Wings" book, great pics in there.
Heck, the more I think about it the more good photographers I can think of, how many of them write though ! We are all too busy taking pics
Shaw does have out a new e-book on Lightroom and an older e-book on Photoshop. A revised version of his Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques is also available, though I have no idea how much space it devotes to digital.