I just spent a few moments glancing through the many dozens of photography books that I bought from the late 1970s though the late 1990s.  I know what you’re saying.  I thought you told us you know everything about photography!  Well no I have never said that. I have however  mentioned that despite the fact I have bought many books, I have rarely learned anything new from them.  I was ahead of what most of those books were teaching.  I bought all of those books because I love looking at and studying pictures, and reading what photographers have to say about their own imagery.  Just a couple of thoughts about those books.

Please note that I am not endorsing any books. I am only telling you what books in general, and  in some cases specifically, did I or did I not find value.  All comments are only my opinion.

Only a few of those books were funded (including distribution) by the photographer. The photographer did incur some expenses but the publisher paid to produce and distribute the book, and shared the profits with the photographer.

John Shaw was the greatest teacher of the technical aspects of photography ever.  He also taught basic composition and use of light better than any other single photographer.  If that’s not enough he taught the business better than others as well.  In the end there was maybe one item in each book that brought something new to me.  I consider that to be good. Still I loved looking at the pictures and reading his words.  They are the best-selling photography books ever produced.

Galen Rowell’s Mountain Light changed a lot for me. His unique format of beautiful images with the story behind the photo alongside, and then all the tech and artistic info of every picture in the back of the book, was way ahead of its time.  He aided me in how to “see the light” and he opened my eyes to the fact that adventure is an art.  You don’t have to do the incredible things that Galen did, you can find adventure and practice it’s art, right in your own backyard. One of photography’s most profound thinkers.

Gary Braasch and Freeman Patterson did “clear” my vision on a few things.

Gary’s Photographing The Patterns in Nature did something I didn’t think could be done for me.  He showed me that I was missing much in nature. There are God given (my words not his) designs in nature that are far beyond the obvious.  He was never a favorite photographer of mine, but he still opened up my eyes.

Freeman Patterson’s Photography and The Art of Seeing brought simplicity to seemingly complicated abstracts.  They are as simple as those patterns in nature that I mentioned above.  When you “see” in terms of line, shape, form, color and light, those abstracts will always be there waiting for you.  I have not looked at Freeman’s work in years.  That is because my fear is that he took the usual road of abstract artists and began recreating is imagery with software, when his artistic ability to create out of what was really there, at the moment of conception, was supreme.  He showed me that “thinking sideways” could be perfectly straightforward.

Pat O’Hara’s Wilderness Scenario will always be my favorite book.  It is one of many hard cover coffee table high quality books that I bought.  If he did not show his brilliant photographs in this book, and you handed me only his written word, I would still keep the book forever.  His amazingly eloquent words, are forever powerful.  The way he expresses his discovery of each bit of visual art that passes his lens, is even beyond what Rowell did.

I have written much over the past 15 years, but have no doubt about what I feel are the most important qualities of a nature photographer.  It is not capturing that bird at just the right moment, or composing that landscape just perfectly.  It is developing your own personal vision through the discovery that there is indeed an “art of seeing”, and then sharing the glory of your subject and your vision, with others.

Art Wolfe, Bryan Peterson, George Lepp, Boyd Norton, Larry West and on and on and on, I have most of their books.  They allowed me to view some wonderful imagery and travel the world.  I thank that whole generation of photographers for bringing to me in-depth, and with richness, what is now brought to me rather abruptly and cheaply, on this thing we call the internet.  It’s just not the same.

Season 4 of Doug Gardner’s Wild Photo Adventures should be coming to a PBS station near you.  With Art Wolfe’s Travels To The Edge now gone, this gives photographers, a chance to have something that is “for us” on television.  Thanks to Phil for that info!

I have tried to share with you the websites of many of the best nature photographers in the world, whether they are well-known or not.  I was about to take a rest from this and then I counted the number of clicks those website links have been getting.  I now realize they are a popular feature.

Today’s link does not belong to a true nature photographer.  In the past I have brought you cowboy photographers and today we have a cityscape photographer.  I might include commercial/architectural and sports photographers in the near future.  Andrew Prokos Photography.

Appearing in a backyard near you.   Common Grackle, Blue Jay and male House Finch

Just a thought about social media.  If you are an aspiring photographer who follows other photographers who fit into the category of being a well-known pro,  be discerning in who you choose to pay attention to.  You have a right to expect nature photographers to not only be polite, but to act like the ordinary people that they really are. There are never more than one or two nature photographers in the world who are truly famous, and they are less so than other “famous people”.  Do those that you follow ever comment on or “like” other people’s work?  Do they at least try to answer questions?  I am not talking about answering questions of people who are spending money on workshops, prints, books, etc.  Do they acknowledge or thank you for your kind compliments to their images?  Even nature photographers need to subscribe to the social norms of politeness.  Everybody does not have the privilege of having had a good up bringing, but everyone can still learn to act with a little class.  I am writing about a minority of photographers, but there are still too many.

Have a special day,                                                                                                                               Wayne