"Mark's enthusiasm for the natural world and photography is contagious! A must read." - Matt in Florida "An easy read filled with valuable bird photography tips and techniques I wish I knew years ago." - Betty in Alabama "The color illustrations and beautiful bird photographs made everything so much easier to understand." - Phil in the UK "I just wanted to say thank you for making photography fun, inspiring and exciting. Your book has helped me capture some great images." Marv down under in Australia Bird photography is a fun, exciting and highly addictive hobby overflowing with magical opportunities just waiting to be captured by anyone holding a camera! It doesn't matter if that camera is an entry level point and shoot, a cell phone or an advanced high megapixel DSLR with a monster zoom lens. With camera in hand, you now have the ability to pause time, take a step back and really see what our incredible world has to offer. Avid birder and wildlife photographer Mark Smith takes you under his wing and shows you how to start capturing your own breathtaking images of birds by explaining everything you need to know about bird photography in an easy to understand conversational tone that makes sense out of the often confusing jargon of the photography world. Filled with personal stories that demonstrate crucial bird photography facts and overflowing with beautiful bird images that not only inspire but also include all relevant camera settings used to capture them. You will soon be wondering why you aren't spending all of your free time putting birds in the viewfinder of your camera. Learn valuable birding information like: locating and approaching birds, why birds provide endless opportunities, birding etiquette, what time of the day is best for bird photography, flyways and migration and how weather can influence your odds of locating more birds. Discover field techniques that take your bird photography to the next level. Learn how to choose the best camera, lenses and tripods for bird photography. Fully understand artistic composition techniques like: Framing the shot, Leading Lines, Depth of Field, Texture, Patterns, The Rule of Thirds, Negative Space, The Golden Ratio and more. Learn how to master your camera by fully understanding priority shooting modes and when to use them. Take control of your photography by knowing exactly how aperture, shutter speed and ISO affect light and your incredible bird photographs. Full color illustrations make these often confusing concepts simple to understand. This bird photography book teaches you all of this information and so much more while at the same time encouraging you to get outside and explore our incredible planet all while having fun. "I created this book for a very simple reason: to share my passion for finding and photographing amazing birds with people from all over the world. It doesn't matter if you want to capture incredible images with a cell phone, an entry level point and shoot camera or a high dollar camera with a massive zoom lens. Bird photography is something anyone can do." - Mark Smith