Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge: 48 Hours of Flight

Rating:
Summary: Artful Primer
Review: Jim Jamieson's book chronicles the life of birds over 4 days of daylight (the 48 hours referred to in the title). The book consists mostly of photographs of birds with the sparest of remarks about each picture. As a pleasant surprise there are none of the usual essays preaching the virtues of conservation. The author lets the pictures speak for themselves.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico is on everyone's list of the ten best birdwatching sites in North America. Every year hundreds of thousands of Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes make Bosque their winter home, and thousands of bird photographers flock there for the chance to capture exciting photographs.

Most of Jamieson's pictures were taken in the early-morning and late-afternoon reddish light that photographers call the magic hours. Jamieson fills the frame with pictures of individual birds and presents crowds of flying geese that seem to spill over into the margins. Many pictures are of birds silhouetted against the morning or evening light.

Twenty years ago, this book would have been awesome, but photographers like Arthur Morris and his friends have raised the bar in recent years. Today's bird photographers emphasize the importance of separating the subject from the background so that the bird really stands out. They do this by a variety of techniques, like reducing depth of field, getting low to the subject and making sure the birds are not close to the background. In many of Jamieson's pictures, particularly of side and front-lit Sandhill cranes, the birds blend into the background, particularly in the magic hours light when everything is bathed by the low sun in the same ruddy glow. The better bird photographers saturate their pictures with color. This book's range of light seems particularly small. Moreover, even though there are exceptions to the rule, bird pictures look more attractive when the natural light reveals a bird's face, rather than lighting its rump and leaving its face in shadow.

Another problem with the book is the sameness of the pictures. After a dozen shots of front-lit snow geese or back-lit cranes, the pictures get repetitious. Although the book presents about a dozen different bird species, Bosque has dozens on hand that the author has not presented to us.

Perhaps some of these problems are due to the equipment that the photographer used, although no technical data is presented to help us know. Or maybe the problem is that the author only allowed himself four days to photograph a place that other photographers return to time and again, to explore its full potentialities.

As a souvenir of a great bird-watching hot spot, this book has a useful place, but it falls short of being an example of the vision that great bird photography can present.

Rating:
Summary: Under the Bar
Review: Jim Jamieson's book chronicles the life of birds over 4 days of daylight (the 48 hours referred to in the title). The book consists mostly of photographs of birds with the sparest of remarks about each picture. As a pleasant surprise there are none of the usual essays preaching the virtues of conservation. The author lets the pictures speak for themselves.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico is on everyone's list of the ten best birdwatching sites in North America. Every year hundreds of thousands of Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes make Bosque their winter home, and thousands of bird photographers flock there for the chance to capture exciting photographs.

Most of Jamieson's pictures were taken in the early-morning and late-afternoon reddish light that photographers call the magic hours. Jamieson fills the frame with pictures of individual birds and presents crowds of flying geese that seem to spill over into the margins. Many pictures are of birds silhouetted against the morning or evening light.

Twenty years ago, this book would have been awesome, but photographers like Arthur Morris and his friends have raised the bar in recent years. Today's bird photographers emphasize the importance of separating the subject from the background so that the bird really stands out. They do this by a variety of techniques, like reducing depth of field, getting low to the subject and making sure the birds are not close to the background. In many of Jamieson's pictures, particularly of side and front-lit Sandhill cranes, the birds blend into the background, particularly in the magic hours light when everything is bathed by the low sun in the same ruddy glow. The better bird photographers saturate their pictures with color. This book's range of light seems particularly small. Moreover, even though there are exceptions to the rule, bird pictures look more attractive when the natural light reveals a bird's face, rather than lighting its rump and leaving its face in shadow.

Another problem with the book is the sameness of the pictures. After a dozen shots of front-lit snow geese or back-lit cranes, the pictures get repetitious. Although the book presents about a dozen different bird species, Bosque has dozens on hand that the author has not presented to us.

Perhaps some of these problems are due to the equipment that the photographer used, although no technical data is presented to help us know. Or maybe the problem is that the author only allowed himself four days to photograph a place that other photographers return to time and again, to explore its full potentialities.

As a souvenir of a great bird-watching hot spot, this book has a useful place, but it falls short of being an example of the vision that great bird photography can present.

Rating:
Summary: A visually captivating photographic gallery
Review: Jim Jamieson's Bosque Del Apache National Wildife Refuge: 48 Hours Of Flight is a visually captivating photographic gallery showcasing snow geese, sandhill cranes, raptors, and a host of other avian wildlife that winter in the 13,000 acres of marsh and flatlands of New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The uplifting photographs, with brief descriptive captions, make Bosque Del Apache National Wildife Refuge: 48 Hours Of Flight a superb giftbook for birding enthusiasts and nature lovers.

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking Photography
Review: Some of the best photography ever taken of this special place. A must have for all birders. This is an awesome piece of work that really captures the essence of birds in flight. Made me feel like I was flying with the birds!

Rating:
Summary: Real Outdoor Life.....
Review: This book is a fascinating book for bird lovers, both from
a Subject standpoint and a Technical standpoint. The photos
of the Bosque Del Apache birds of all types are outstanding
and the colors are terrific. Next trip West, I know one of
the places where we will be sure to stop. Thanks for a great
book, they made terrific Christmas gifts. Not a single negative
remark from all recipients....

Rating:
Summary: Real Outdoor Life.....
Review: This book is a fascinating book for bird lovers, both from
a Subject standpoint and a Technical standpoint. The photos
of the Bosque Del Apache birds of all types are outstanding
and the colors are terrific. Next trip West, I know one of
the places where we will be sure to stop. Thanks for a great
book, they made terrific Christmas gifts. Not a single negative
remark from all recipients....

Rating:
Summary: Artful Primer
Review: This is an amazing book blending colorful photography with artful composition. The author does a superb job of capturing the natural rhythms of the refuge against the vivid New Mexico skies. If you have never been to refuge, this is a great primer.