Learn the Art of Bird Photography: The Complete Field Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Photographers and Birders

I began my journey in bird photography in 2010. I made many mistakes along the way, and unfortunately, some very expensive ones! I only wish Tim Boyer’s Guide had been written then! I have had the good fortune of attending Tim Boyer’s Photo Workshops and learned first hand some of the tips in this guide. He is one of those rare people that is a passionate advocate for wildlife, a fine art photographer and a fabulous teacher. Now he has taken those skills and produced this definitive guide to bird photography including technical information that took me many years of trial and error to sort out. Still working on it too! Tim writes in an easy to understand manner, provides a wealth of information from the right tools to use, to how to compose a great photo and how to approach birds for the very best opportunity to capture that special photo you want in order to convey a story. I highly recommend this book and you will be glad to have this guide that distills years of field and photographic experience so you wont have to recreate the wheel. The Appendix includes A Year of Bird Photography Locations which is worth the price of the book alone!

I am at best an intermediate photographer, probably more of a long time beginner. I have only recently really become interested in bird photography. I should also say, for full disclosure, that I make my living with words.That said, this book is packed with good instruction and excellent illustrations. On that count it deserves a 5 star rating, and if I could give it 4.5 I would do that. The author does a good job of explaining technical language and even admits where he is still learning (soemthing I always appreciate, especially from experts).It looses half to a full star for the deplorable editing. I understand the author is a photographer and not, necessarily, a writer. If this were a self-published, Kindle only book, I might give it a buy. But it is in physical print, and whoever was responsible for editing it should definitely be fired. Be prepared to read some sentences multiple times to figure out what they mean, and, in some cases, to just move on without resolution. In most cases, however, it does not impact understanding the main points. It is just super annoying and unnecessary.All said, I would definitely recommend the book to anyone interested in learning how to photograph birds, and, honestly, probably anything else.

When people see my photos used by groups like the National Audubon Society and BirdNote, they often ask how I managed to get such great shots. More times than not, the answer is Tim Boyer. Tim is not only an amazing bird photographer and tour leader, he is also an excellent teacher. In this, his first book, I can see he has tried to put in writing everything he knows about bird photography. He covers how to choose the right camera and I was happy to see he includes everything from point and shoot to DSLRs. He explains how to find the best light and how to use flash when the light is lacking. Some of the other subjects he covers include composition and backgrounds, perfecting Point of View, getting sharp images, and setting up your camera for bird photography. (He uses Canon equipment, so those with other brands will have to try to translate to their gear.) Tim has been my mentor since 2015 and, for me, this book will serve as a fabulous reference that I'll be referring to over the years when I need a refresher on one his subjects. Although I agree with some of the other reviewers who felt a better job of editing would have helped, I recommend this book for anyone who wishes to take up bird photography or to raise their photography to another level. The photos that I've included in this review were taken with Tim's help using the concepts he writes about in this book.

This book is fantastic for any bird photographer. Tim is an exceptional photographer and instructor and he explains how to take photographs in easy steps in order to get the most beautiful photographs. He also makes sure to talk about and promote ethical bird photography which is very important for raptor and owl photography. The images in the book are stunning and the instructions very easy to follow. Definitely a book that every bird photographer should have in their collection and a great gift to any birders and bird photographers out there! This is a great value for what it's worth considering you are getting valuable info he gives on his exceptional workshops which I also highly recommend.

This a good book full of useful information written in an easy to understand manner. The only problem is the Author is ether A Cannon Camera fanatic or has been subsidized by Cannon. Reading this book with his constant references to cannon options and setting leaves a reader who does not use a Cannon Camera, constantly having to refer to camera manuals and reference book to see if the options and settings on a camera not Cannon can actually used. This makes using this book a bit tedious if you do not own A Cannon camera. if you happen to own a Cannon Camera This would be a very good book to add to your library

This is an excellent book for those wanting to learn how to do bird photography whether you are a beginner or an intermediate. Tim explains everything in a clear and precise manner and has diagrams and photos to help with the explanations. He also gives you accurate camera settings and lays out how to acquire the best photos. I have been on several of his workshops and highly recommend them as well as he gives you one on one guidance and I have always come away with great shots due to his patience. I would most definitely recommend this book.