Photofocus

One of the greatest photography how-to books of all time is back. “The Art of Bird Photography” by Arthur Morris has been out of print for some time. But Artie got the rights to print the book himself and it’s available for sale through his Birdsasart.com website.

If you are a photographer, you should buy this book, whether or not you are interested in bird photography. Arthur Morris knows more about the combination of birds and bird photography than almost anyone. An ex-school teacher, he spends 300 days a year photographing birds or teaching others.

To say that Morris is the Ansel Adams of bird photography is an understatement. The name of his web site, http://www.birdsasart.com, says it all. Morris turns bird photos into art. And more amazing than that, he teaches readers of his book how to do the same. This book is destined to take its place among the great classics of nature photography. It is one of the most comprehensive books I have ever read on any subject. It contains more than 200 spectacular color photos and more importantly, the secrets you need to know to make your own.

The reason I think this book will be valuable to anyone, even if they are not into wildlife photography, is that Morris demystifies exposure theory. He has a detailed explanation of how to use your in-camera meter with exposure compensation so that you can consistently come up with the correct exposure quickly, easily, and accurately. If you are having trouble mastering exposure, read this book, and you will know exposure and exposure compensation as well as you know your own name. I love Morris’ writing style and he held my attention on every page of the book. It is one of the few books I have ever read that I didn’t want to end.