Review: The New Art of Photographing Nature by Art Wolfe and Martha Hill with Tim Grey

Front and back cover of The New Art of Photographing Nature by Art Wolfe

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Art Wolfe's book, The New Art of Photographing Nature, is a great addition to any nature photographer’s library. The subtitle of the book is An Updated Guide to Composing Stunning Images of Animals, Nature, and Landscapes. This is an updated and expanded version of the classic, The Art of Photographing Nature. The book contains photographs created by Art Wolfe and text written by Art Wolfe, Martha Hill, and Tim Grey.

All the strengths I mentioned in my review of The Art of Photographing Nature still apply to this edition. It is still a book about seeing, learning how to see, learning ways to interpret a scene and to capture that scene as a photograph. The book provides examples, using Art’s photos, of the various elements that lead to strong compositions and powerful, meaningful photographs.

Defining Your Perspective: Showing how different focal lengths can transform a scene.

As with the previous edition, the book is broken into topics, each of which uses several of Art’s photos to demonstrate the topic. Art talks about the photos from his perspective, in some cases explaining why he feels one image is stronger than another, in other cases just talking about the differences.

Martha Hill then talks about the images from a photo editors perspective. She worked as the picture editor of Audubon magazine for 14 years, and shares her experience on what is publishable and why. Art and Martha’s different perspectives can sometimes lead to different opinions about a photo, which can be very insightful.

The Elements of Design: Examples of moving the position of the horizon within the photo.

With this edition we also have sections written by Tim Grey, covering various topics specific to digital photography. These short sections are spread throughout the book. They are useful for making the reader aware of important topics they can get more details on elsewhere.

The New Art of Photographing Nature consists of the same nine chapters as the previous edition, with an extra 10th chapter written by Tim Grey:

1. Isolating the Subject

2. Composing the Picture

3. Defining Your Perspective

4. The Power of Color

5. The Elements of Design

6. Reading the Light

7. Creative Options

8. In the Field with Art Wolfe

9. An Editor’s View

10. Tim’s Top Tips for Digital Photographers

Reading the Light: Examples of how the direction of light can affect the look of a photograph.

Each of the chapters covers multiple sections related to the topic of the chapter. For example, in chapter 6, Reading the Light, the sections include:

• Quality of Light: Time of Day

• Understanding Color Temperature

• Direct Sun vs. Overcast Light

• Overcast Light

• Direction of Light

• Frontlighting

• Sidelighting

• Backlighting

• Reflected Light

• Spotlighting

• Low-Contrast vs. High-Contrast Lighting

• Finding the 18 Percent Gray

• Expose to the Right

In the Field with Art Wolfe: Demonstrating how atmospheric conditions can create some amazing images.

Each section usually has from one to several photographs to illustrate the topic, along with a writeup from both Art and Martha talking about the topic. The biggest strength of this book is not just the great examples, but the dual perspectives of both Art and Martha.

The only drawback to this edition versus the previous edition is the print quality of some of the older photographs. Some of them seem darker and less sharp than the previous edition. If you don’t have both versions you may never notice, but having both side by side it did stand out.

An Editor's View: Talking about how to tell a story visually.

Overall, though, I’m very pleased with this book. And I strongly suspect I will go back to it repeatedly over time, as I did with the previous edition. I like to revisit these types of books, reading over sections again, refreshing my memory, relearning topics, and just appreciating the beautiful photography of Art Wolfe.

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If you don’t already have a copy of the previous edition then I can strongly recommend The New Art of Photographing Nature. It is a fantastic book for learning some of the skills that can help improve your nature and wildlife photography.

If you do already have the previous edition it’s a more difficult decision. There is new content, but not a huge amount. Some of the example photographs have been changed, and the layout has been updated, so the book does feel fresh. If you read carefully you can find updates that may reflect changes in how Art approaches photography now compared to how he approached it back when the previous edition came out. But this may not be enough to warrant purchasing this new edition in addition to the previous one. I did purchase them both. But whether you should is a decision I’ll have to leave to you.

Check out my Resources page for additional books and classes I own or have read or watched.

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Bill Cunningham New York

BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK poster. A film by Richard Press. A Zeitgeist Films release. Photo credit: First Thought Films / Zeitgeist Films

I recently watched the documentary, Bill Cunningham New York, a film by Richard Press. At the time of the documentary (2011) Bill was a photographer for The New York Times. He had 2 columns:

• In Evening Hours he photographed and reported on charities and charity events, touching on the social, philanthropic, and political world in New York.

• In On the Street he documented trends in street fashion, showing how people dressed in New York. He would ride his bicycle around the streets of New York all day looking for any clothing that caught his eye.

I know this has little if anything to do with outdoor, landscape, or wildlife photography. But I think it’s valuable to learn about other forms of photography, or other forms of art, and about the artists who practice them. So I read books and watch documentaries about other artists and photographers. And I think this documentary is worth watching, even if you have no interest in New York or street fashion. Bill Cunningham was a fascinating person, a very kind, and good natured person, who seemed able to smile through almost anything. I loved watching his work ethic. Photographing street style in New York was his life, it’s all he did, all he wanted to do.

Bill Cunningham photographing in the street, in BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK. A film by Richard Press. A Zeitgeist Films release. Photo credit: First Thought Films / Zeitgeist Films

Bill was so humble he didn’t consider what he did photography. Referring to himself, he said, “It’s not photography. I mean any real photographer would say he’s a fraud. Well they’re right. I’m just about capturing what I see and documenting what I see.” He was over 80 years old and still working for The New York Times, riding his bicycle, photographing fashion. He was a perfect example of the saying, “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And Bill Cunningham considered what he did fun. He was playing, not working.

He was a very down to earth person, both in personality and in what he photographed. He preferred street style, clothing people actually wore on the street. If he was at a fashion show and saw a model wearing something only a model could wear, he would put down his camera and not photograph that outfit.

Bill Cunningham photographing Vogue editor Anna Wintour, in BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK. A film by Richard Press. A Zeitgeist Films release. Photo credit: First Thought Films / Zeitgeist Films

Bill was also more interested in photographing the clothing than the person wearing the clothing. Most of those he photographed were just normal people he found on the street. And yet, he did photograph and get to know some very well known people, some of whom appear in the documentary:

• Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine

• Annette de la Renta, philanthropist and socialite, widow of fashion designer Oscar de la Renta

• Iris Apfel, New York style icon

• Annie Flanders, founding editor of Details magazine

• Anna Piaggi, fashion columnist for Italian Vogue

Bill Cunningham photographing in the street, in BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK. A film by Richard Press. A Zeitgeist Films release. Photo credit: First Thought Films / Zeitgeist Films

Fashion was Bill’s life, and yet you would never know it by looking at what he wore, what he “drove”, what or where he ate, or where he lived. Bill liked very utilitarian clothing, almost always wearing a blue worker’s jacket because it was cheap, had plenty of useful pockets, and was easy to replace. He didn’t own a car, but got around town on his bicycle, which had been given to him when his previous bicycle was stolen. He loved inexpensive meals in down to earth eateries. He lived cheaply in a very small studio above Carnegie Hall. His room was filled with filing cabinets containing all his old negatives. He hung his clothes from the handles on the filing cabinets, and slept on a small cot in front of a row of filing cabinets. His studio was his home, and it didn’t even have its own bathroom; he had to share the bathroom in the hallway.

During the documentary he visits some of the other artists who were still residing in the Carnegie Hall Studios. Editta Sherman, 96 years old at the time of filming, had lived there for over 60 years and was good friends with Bill. But they all had to contemplate finding new places to live when the landlords decided it would be best to convert the old artist studios to more modern business offices. Even during this time Bill seemed to keep his smile and good nature.

Bill Cunningham at his desk at The New York Times, in BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK. A film by Richard Press. A Zeitgeist Films release. Photo credit: First Thought Films / Zeitgeist Films

Bill liked to periodically go back to Paris, France. He felt it was a center of world fashion and a great place to re-educate the eye. He felt Fashion Week in Paris was exceptional. And it would appear Paris thought the same of him. Didier Grumbach, the President of the French Federation of Couture, on behalf of the Minister of Culture, decorated Bill an Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters, an honor meant to recognize contributors to the arts and literature. Examples of other Officers of the Order include Elton John, Shahrukh Khan, Tim Burton, Faye Dunaway, and Michael Keaton, among others.

Grumbach said of Bill, “He doesn’t want to be honored. He doesn’t want anything. And I’m amazed he accepted tonight. […] Very deeply I think he doesn’t believe he deserves it. That’s why he deserves it.”

There are so many potential takeaways from this documentary:

• Find a way to do what you enjoy, or find a way to enjoy what you do. Life is too short, we should all be able to find a little joy in it.

• Stay humble. If you manage to find success don’t let it go to your head. Stay grounded.

• Continue to practice. It doesn’t matter how good you become at what you do there’s always more to learn and room for growth. Be a life-long learner.

• Treat people well. There’s no need to put people down or ridicule their sense of style, personality, art or vision. Accept people for who they are and treat them as equals.

• Have integrity. Don’t cave in to things that go against your sense of ethics or morality.

What else did you get from watching the film?

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Watch the trailer for Bill Cunningham New York:

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After watching the documentary I learned Bill Cunningham died in Manhattan on June 25, 2016. He was 87 years old. In an article about Bill Cunningham in The New York Times I learned the city thought well enough of him that in 2009 he was designated a living landmark.

If you have the opportunity, go pick up a copy, or see if it’s available on any of the services you belong to. Watch Bill Cunningham New York and let me know what you think of it.

Book Review - Genesis by Sebastiao Salgado

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. This is at no extra cost to you.

Front and back cover of Genesis by Sebastiao Salgado

Genesis, by photographer Sebastiao Salgado, is a remarkable collection of black and white photography from all over the world. Salgado, along with his wife Lelia Wanick Salgado, began the Genesis project after having seen some of the worst of humanity while working on previous projects. He says he lost faith in humanity after constantly being exposed to such brutality and violence. But later, after returning to his family’s property in Brazil he and his wife set about restoring the property, regrowing forest that once grew there, and watched as over time wildlife also returned. They began to see the resilience of nature, how it can restore itself and thrive. Eventually this land was turned into a national park. This helped them overcome their loss of faith and provided the impetus for the Genesis project.

“We understood the absurdity of the idea that nature and humanity can somehow be separated.”

— Sebastiao Salgado

Genesis was an opportunity for them to travel the world and find places not yet ravished by modern human hands, places that still retained a natural vitality and grandeur. They visited peoples who still cling to older customs, though some have already begun to adopt aspects of modern society. They wanted to record what they could of these people before they had lost their traditional customs and way of living. They found wildlife and landscapes we imagine still exist but don’t often have the opportunity to see or experience. They captured all these things through photography to share with the world and show there is still beauty out there and things worth protecting and preserving.

“Our mission was to seek out the land and seascapes, the animals and ancient communities that have escaped the long — and often destructive — arm of modern man.”

— Sebastiao Salgado

Salgado’s work is very striking, and very uniquely his own. The images are often full of contrast with very bold blacks and whites. The lighting is beautiful. He photographs both huge, wide angle, sweeping landscapes full of amazing detail and pattern, and also more intimate portraits of people and wildlife. He really brings to life the peoples, places, and wildlife he photographs, and the Genesis project allowed him a huge range of subjects and environments.

“I wanted to examine how humanity and nature have long coexisted in what we now call ecological balance.”

— Sebastiao Salgado

The book is split into 5 sections covering different regions of the world. Each section begins with a few pages describing their experiences in that part of the world, and some of the peoples, places, and wildlife they encountered. Following the text are a large number of images. Some are single page images, some span over both pages. And there are pages that fold out to show a larger number of smaller images from that region.

The book is broken into the following sections:

1. Planet South (page 15) covers regions around Antarctica, “the coldest, driest, and windiest of the world’s five continents.”

2. Sanctuaries (page 117) covers isolated islands such as the Galapagos, Madagascar, Siberut, and New Guinea.

3. Africa (page 217) covers the tribes, wildlife, and landscapes of the African continent.

4. Northern Spaces (page 319) covers the Arctic regions and northern continents.

5. Amazonia and Pantanal (page 419) covers the Amazon and Pantanal regions of South America.

Genesis is a large and heavy hardcover book published by Taschen. It is around 520 pages long, most of which are images with a small number of pages of text at the beginning and between each section. It measures about 9 3/4” x 14” and is about 1 5/8” thick. It is taller than it is wide. This works well for portrait (vertical) oriented images, but means that landscape (horizontal) oriented images span over 2 pages and have a seam down the center. I do wish the book were wider to show an entire landscape image on a single page, but that would likely have created a much larger and more expensive book. The quality of the images more than make up for any distraction caused by the book layout. The paper is a nice smooth semi-gloss paper that really helps the images pop. Included with the book is a smaller booklet with information about all of the images. This is nice because it gives them more room to provide information than would be possible if they included it beside each image in the main book. It lets the main book remain almost completely images, with no distractions.

If you’re unfamiliar with Sebastiao Salgado’s work, go check it out. His work provides a source of inspiration for me with my photography, and hopefully can provide some inspiration to you, as well, whether in photographic pursuits or just remembering there are still wild and wonderful places left in the world. I’m very pleased to have Genesis in my collection of photography books.

“In Genesis, I followed a romantic dream to find and share a pristine world that all too often is beyond our eyes and reach.”

— Sebastiao Salgado

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