The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nature Photography

• #41 in Best Photography Books

30 Reviews

Sort by: Most Helpful ▲ Date Rating

This is just my opinion, but, I was sorely disappointed. The people who wrote it are wonderful photographers. However, the book is only for people who have very little experience taking pictures. Not in depth enough with helpful technical details. Nice pics though.

Having personally known Richard Bernabe, one of the co authors of this fine "How To" book, I had high expectations. The book not only met my expectations but greatly exceeded them. The information is well written and even someone that is just starting to do digital photography will learn a lot about taking better photographs. Everything is covered from composition to lighting; from lenses to filters and everything in between!

Value!!!
You could pay hundreds of dollars for this kind of instruction!
But why pay all that when this very affordable book can jump start your desires to take better digital photographs for very little money?
I'll be sure to use this book as a reference for taking better photos even though I've won awards myself, been published and am making a small business from my photos. My fiance who is just starting to learn something about photography will also find it very helpful.

Definitely all nature photographers will find this book an excellent resource!!!

As a photographer that is just starting out I've found this book to be of extreme value. There are so many things discussed that I didn't know or think of that have helped me learn how to capture "those moments".

This book contains many tips and techniques for a variety of environments. I know I'll be referencing this book several times as I venture out on trips with specific ideas in mind. However, something else that was pointed out in this book was how to use a scene to your advantage. So you ventured to a location with an idea in mind of what image you wanted to capture. Since "nature" is just that, it doesn't necessarily comply to your wishes. In this situation, look for other opportunities or ways to shoot the same scene and not to be afraid of being creative.

This book emphasizes studying and learning about the environments before you head out to photograph them and to learn from others that have been there before you.

It explains how to interpret what the camera information is actually telling you and not just relying on the result that appears in the display after taking the shot. It also goes into detail about what format to shoot in and their pros and cons.

One thing that I really appreciate being in this book is the discussion of the best times of year and locations for getting great nature photographs. This provides a jump start on where to photograph and when.

I recommend this book to anyone that has a desire to capture nature photographs and to do so in a way that you'll be proud of and are eager to share.

As a fine art photographer for many years I have read many many books in this area. If you are an advanced photographer looking for in-depth sophisticated advice, skip this book. It does have a few pointers and the images are lovely - best part of the book. Otherwise, spend your money elsewhere - look to someone like George DeWolf or Stephen Johnson. I am selling my copy!

This is less of an ultimate guide and more of a superficial survey of basic nature photography principles. I can't imagine anyone awarding this guide more than 2 or 3 stars.

Certainly the photos are remarkable -- as you would expect in a photography book -- and the basic information is helpful to beginning and intermediate photographers. The book offers plenty of brief theoretical explanations and general nature photography guidelines. But if you're looking for step-by-step instructions or any kind of topical depth, it falls short of "ultimate." It barely reaches "adequate."

A dozen "Scene Tutorials" appear at the end of the book, but they are not tutorials at all. They are enumerated lists of helpful pointers for shooting different sorts of photos. You can find better tutorials in a few minutes of Googling.

Some topics in this book are inexplicably short. For example, I'm quite interested in macro photography, which the authors awarded 11 paragraphs (less than 2 pages of text). I think it's safe to guess that most nature photographers shoot in macro from time to time and would appreciate a little more coverage of the topic in an ultimate guide. The topic of landscapes comes in with a whopping 15 paragraphs plus a sidebar. But who's counting. The point is, there's no meat in this book. I can't recommend it.

I love this book. It teaches me new concepts and photographic styles. I like how this teach you how to shoot landscapes. I also like how they show you the samples. The photos are really good. This is a good buy especially for those who is just starting with landscape and nature photography. This is a highly recommended book.

Great images but for beginners only, not for experienced shooters. I own about 40 photography books, this definitely not stand out from others. The authors remind you that your camera does not take photos but you do, they only tell you how to control your cameras but not teach you how to visualize the scenes that is the core of great images. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS BOOK.

Very well done and presented. I would recommend this book to any level of photographer.

I really like the results from this group effort. The authors, all accomplished professional photographers, have put together a very good reference guide with well thought out concepts and outstanding photographs. I would think that 99% of everyone interested in nature photography will learn something valuable from this guide that will improve their images. This book has quickly become one of my favorite guides on nature photography. A great value for the low cost.

An excellent beginning book, not the ultimate guide for someone with moderate experience. I did pick up a few valuable pointers.

While I have an extensive background in 35mm and medium format photography; I am a newcomer to the Digital Image world and was looking for a book that would add to my knowledge of the subject and hopefully make me a better photographer in the process. "The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nature Photography" has provided exactly what I was looking for in an easy-going, non-threatening style. If you are new to Landscape/Nature Digital Photography; the section on camera choice and equipment suggestions alone is worth the cost. The book covers areas that are the exclusive realm of digital format imaging such as HDR (High Dynamic Range)imaging and the ability of newer DSLR cameras to create photos in extremely low light conditions. This book covers a wide gamut of knowledge and the reader will benefit from what is presented. It has encouraged me to pursue a more in-depth analysis of some sections of the book by additional research. I have rated this book a five-star! I found it to be well written and informative.

John Vaughan
John Vaughan Photography

very informative and would recommend it to anybody interested in learning the elements of photography.

I will not repeat what other 5 star reviewers have said just confirm the superbly edited and styled book. I cannot believe how much useful tips are included in this book and how richly illustrated it is.

Worth every penny. Great job to the multiple authors.

Beautiful photography. Very informative. Will recommend to any beginner or professional. A must have for budding photographer.

Hype notwithstanding, I did find this to be the best guide I've seen to Nature photography. The illustrations are beautiful, the advice is impeccable, and you'll find tips in here that you can use regardless of your level of expertise.

This is a great guide for all levels, written in a friendly and casual way. The images are beautiful and inspiring. Two great features in the appendix are a photo calendar suggesting different destinations and the best time of year to go, and scene tutorials with tips on capturing the best images from sunrises to birds in flight. I would highly recommend it to any photographer or nature lover!

"...if this book has one common theme, it is to encourage you to go way beyond the play-it-safe zone" (page 124). The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nature Photography is, without question, one of the best books on photography I've ever read and I've been reading photography books for a long, long time. No question, the book will help push you into a much higher level of photography. Simple writing styles with stunning images make the process of learning easy. You will have to take the time to read this book carefully, because it does contain a lot of information. Hat's off to Ian Plant, Jim Clark, and Joe Rossbach (who I know) and to the others in the mountain Trail press who organized and published this book.

If you are interested in nature photography I would definitely recommend this book. It really is "the ultimate guide to digital nature photography". It was put together by 10 of the top pros in nature photography today and offers some great advice. I've read numerous other guides which have been good but this one blows them out of the water. This book would be worth the money even if it was just a photo book and not a guide because of the spectacular images in it.

No guide can ever tell you everything there is to know about nature photography but they can give you some good advice on improving your photos and this book does just that. It starts out with the basics such as equipment and how to operate it for beginners. Then moves on to talk about composition and lighting for those intermediate photographers who have learned how to use their equipment. Then it moves on to some more advanced tips with their special effects chapter and the one I found most useful as a fairly advanced photographer the chapter "making magical images". One thing I really liked was the "pro pointers" where one of the pros who helped to author the book would write a section with advice relating to the current chapter.

It is written in a very clear manner that is understandable for beginner photographers but offers advice that will be useful even to advanced nature photographers. I consider myself a somewhat advanced nature photographer and already know about equipment and how to operate it, I also have an understanding of composition and what lighting is best for each situation but I still learned from this book. This book even had some good advice for me in the sections where I thought I already knew what I was doing. Reading over the chapter on composition was a good reminder that sometimes I don't take the time to get it right and I need to slow down and make sure I get the perfect composition.

This book has lots and lots of images that not only highlight teaching points but are well worth the price of the book in itself. To me, several strong points of the book included: not indulging in too much "techy" talk about equipment; photo calendar; scene tutorials; and over 1/3 of the 140+ pages speak to compositional issues (the challenge of nature photography for me). I also found useful the sections on compositional workflow and compositon "roundup".

Over the years, I've participated in several of Richard Bernabe's digital photography workshops and have long wished that he would produce a book to augment his very fine workshop instruction. Now, with the release of "The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nature Photography", he has not only fulfilled that modest wish, but has done such an excellent job that I doubt that I'll need any reference book but this one.

In addition to Richard's 15-plus years of experience, the book draws heavily on the expertise of numerous other very talented photographers. The photos are stunning and provide inspiration, while the crisp, clear text offer top-notch instruction.

Nicely done, Richard - and thanks!

I'm a fine art photographer that like to collect books of nature photography. When I received my copy of this book, I was immediately impressived with the extraordinary images and easy to follow chapters. It is full of step by step instructions and excellent techniques.

I highly recommend this book for beginners and intermediate photographers.

Good work!

I've only read through about 70 pages so far & have already picked up new ideas and techniques, as well as reminders of what I'm supposed to be doing in the field. This is a fabulous resource. The photos alone are worth the price of the book. The well written text is a super bonus. I would recommend this book to anyone considering or involved in nature photography.

This book is a must for anyone interested in taking their nature photography to the next level. I have been keeping tabs on the latest nature photography resources for many years to read for myself and to recommend to others and this book is now at the top of that list.

From cover to cover you will find outstanding nature photos from some of the top nature photographers in the country. The book also helpfully outlines all of the basics a photographer needs to get started and then goes into great detail to helpfully explain how great nature photos are created.

You will not regret your purchase of this excellent resource.

[...]

I picked this up last week and after much anticipation, it arrived earlier today. I cannot put it down!! The photography is simply amazing and so easy to read. This was very well thought out by a bunch of talented photographers and instructors. Everything to make you a GREAT photographer - other books will make you a good photographer!! This is a MUST for all nature/landscape enthusiasts!

Great book! Worth every penny!
I would rate this as one of the top 5 photo books I have read or purchased. Gives you some great knowledge to carry into the field in easy to understand terminalogy.
I happen to be lucky enough to have taken a class taught by Richard Bernabee and his enthusiasm shows both in class and this book.

Well worth the money!

As someone only 3 or 4 years into nature photography, I've read more than my share of "guidebooks" on the subject. I have to say this one might be the most well written, carefully edited, well organized, and easy to understand that I've come across. Aside from the remarkable illustrative photographs that could stand on their own as a coffee table book. the information is amazingly clear and helpful. Save yourself some money and buy this one. You won't need any others! It provides the technical information as well as the visual inspiration to go out and take fabulous pictures!

This "Ultimate guide" is like all the best nature photography workshops sandwiched between the covers of a book. It addresses all aspects involved with producing and enjoying nature photography. Produced by some of the leading nature photographers working today and written in plain, understandable language. No kidding, a must have book for nature photographers of all skill levels.

This really is an ULTIMATE guide to digital photography. What better way to learn than by seeing photos taken by the best of the best! The book is so easy to understand, and the photos compliment all the content for learning. I bought this for my teenage son who is into photography, and he has hardly put it down. I am so excited for him!

Just got my copy yesterday. Wow! I'm extremely impressed. Definitely one of the better photo books I've come across. The beautiful imagery, and the diversity of the imagery from multiple talented photographers, is what makes this book a step above some others. I hope to learn a lot from this book as well as to be inspired every time I pick it up.

It is organized in a typical fashion (chapters on: equipment, composition, light, etc.). Each chapter has wonderful instructions, which are complemented by amazing photographs. Seeing Marc Adamus' photos in the composition chapter really send the messages home. All of these guys are extremely talented and it is nice to see a diverse set of images in a photography book rather than just one photographer's shots.

My only wish is that there was more detail in the post-processing chapter. After all, this is the Ultimate Guide to DIGITAL Nature Photography. However, there are plenty of other good books on this subject and I would still highly recommend purchasing this book. The photos alone are worth the price.

In November of 2008 Richard Bernabe showed me a sample chapter to a new nature book project which was being developed through a collaboration with the photographers on the Mountain Trail Photography staff and [...] staff.

From the first page of this pdf I knew I had to have this book. The chapter was on composition; while the content was excellent what really blew me away was the photography.

After waiting six months I finally have my hands on "my copy". Let me tell you, the photography in this book is incredible. I couldn't read a word until I had flipped through the pages admiring each image. I find myself flipping through the pages thinking these are some of the best nature photographs I have seen.

The design and layout of this book is more like a book of fine art prints as opposed to the typical learning photography books I have hundreds of. You can't help but think "Is that image big enough to cut out, frame and hang on my wall?" ;-)

The text is extremely readable; almost like a conversation. You can tell these guys do a lot of teaching workshops because reading the narrative is like standing next to them in the field hearing an explanation of these concepts.

I have read hundreds of books on photography and I can say this book is one of the finest.

Kudos to all those involved.

Ed Cooley
[...]