A guide book aimed at getting YOU to take great photos
How and Where to Photograph Birds in Southern Africa is the all-you-need-to-know guide book to instruct both beginner and advanced bird photographers on how to capture stunning photos and how to improve their bird photography.
The guide covers everything from what equipment to buy, explaining the technical concepts of photography, what settings to use for bird photography specifically, how to judge light and the artistic elements of photography, and where the bird photography hotspots are in Southern Africa. There has never been such a comprehensive guide book on the market before!
It is aimed at getting everyone to take great photos, whether you are interested in taking up bird photography and need to know what to buy, or if you already own a camera but you need to know what settings to use for bird photography. This book is also for you if you’re a seasoned photographer that wants to learn a few tips and tricks to improve your bird photography. The guide is written is such a way that it includes a detailed description of the concepts of bird photography for anyone interested in understanding every detail of this art form. For the photographers that want to get the great shots now before mastering the technical and creative elements, the guide includes a summary of camera settings to use in every chapter. These key points, as well as the cheat cards at the back of the book, are simple enough for any beginner photographer to follow so that they can take great photos.
The guide includes an impressive 250+ spectacular bird photos in full colour that not only serve as inspiration but to provide technical references with the settings of each photo included. The advanced photographer has the option to look past the key points and focus on the detailed descriptions and accompanying diagrams that explain the concepts of the bird photography to take their photography to the next level.
It’s in the detail
This guide book features a detailed description of the equipment, technical aspects, light, techniques and places to do bird photography in Southern Africa. This is aimed at photographers that want to learn in detail about these concepts. For this purpose it not only features simple-to-understand instructions and well structured text, but also many visual diagrams to make these concepts as easy to grasp as possible.
Who should buy this book?
This guide is for anyone interested in bird photography, whether they are only starting the hobby, or someone that is already a good photographer and wants to learn the techniques of advanced bird photography, as well as someone interested in reading about new places to do bird photography. Although the locations featured are in Southern Africa, the concepts shared can be applied globally, in all locations. The guide teaches you what to buy and how to use your equipment to create beautiful images of birds that can be photographed anywhere. The guide then suggests places in Southern Africa where you can take photos of birds which is exactly the information someone from outside Africa would love to know when they plan a photography trip to Southern Africa.
Key points
For the photographer that only wants to “get the shot” without having to read the detailed explanations, there is a KEY POINTS section at the beginning of each chapter. These key points summarise the important concepts and settings for your camera as described in each chapter. The summary is easy to understand and the camera settings simple enough to copy for anyone. By following these key points you will give yourself the best chance of taking amazing photos!
What makes this book unique?
Bird photography is the most popular genre of wildlife photography and one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world. Everyone wants to know how to take their own beautiful photos and this guide will tell you what to buy, how to use the equipment and where to go! There is currently no such guide on the market.
Tips
Along with the detailed descriptions of all the concepts of bird photography, the diagrams and samples, Isak has included special “tips” relevant to the topic at hand. These tips are Isak’s personal tricks of the trade learnt from his experience of photographing birds. Most of the tips include a photo to show how it is applicable in the field. There are a total of 61 of Isak’s tips throughout this guide book.
Isak is a bird photographer
Isak was born to be a photographer, but before he discovered this, he became an engineer. Once he picked up a camera, his engineering career came to an end. Isak was considered one of the top bird photographers in Southern Africa, but his recent success as winner of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year for Bird Behaviour in 2013 established him as one of the best in the world. Today, Isak is a sought-after specialist wildlife photographic guide and full-time professional wildlife photographer.
Cheat cards
There are 20 cheat cards to highlight the important camera settings for achieving specific shots. These easy-to follow cards are designed to make sure you get the shot you want! They show an example photo and highlights the two most important settings for that specific shot. Without having to understand the technical aspects of photography, these settings can be copied to give yourself the best chance of capturing the perfect photo under the specific conditions. The reference cards are simple to follow and easy to understand.
250+ full colour photos
The bird photos in this guide book are a technical reference with the location, species and camera settings included on each one. The photos either illustrate a concept or how beautiful birds can appear in a photograph with the careful consideration of light, angle and background.
