Professional Nature Photography. - Softcover

Hicks, Nigel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0240515218 ISBN 13: 9780240515212

Publisher: Routledge, 1999

Synopsis

Packed with hints, tips and essential information, this is a practical guide to getting started as a professional nature photographer. Its focus is on how the industry works, recognizing that success in this profession does not rely entirely on your skills of photography, but also on how you organize and market those talents.

Based on the author's own experience of running a successful nature photography business, Professional Nature Photography offers a unique insight into the essential tools and techniques: from the equipment you need, to researching and finding new clients, negotiating contracts, managing finance, working to a brief and an understanding of professional ethics.

Features include:
· stunning colour photographs
· suggested approaches to typical assignments
· realistic, practical advice for professional business practice
· an appendix with addresses for agencies, societies and conservation organisations

The book also includes an overview of specialist skills, such as how to read difficult lighting conditions, shooting from a hide, stalking animals, photographing captive animals, photographing plants and underwater photography. The author sets the subject in context and includes a discussion of the impact of digital imaging, the role of nature photography in society and environmental matters.

Whether you are just starting out as a professional, or wishing to brush up on knowledge and skill, Professional Nature Photography is both an inspirational guide and an essential reference tool for hands-on information.

Nigel Hicks ABIPP, FRGS has a PhD in Biology and runs a successful nature photography business. He has lived and worked extensively abroad as a self-employed photographer and writer, including long periods in Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong. His photographs are to be found in many publications and he has undertaken many challenging publishing assignments abroad, such as documenting the diverse range of wildlife in China and the Philippines. He writes regularly for the photographic press and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an associate of the British Institute of Professional Photography and a member of the Scientific Exploration Society.

About this title

Review

'The book comprises an array of colourful photos plus technique tips. It also advises on the essential tools for the job, from finding new clients to negotiating contracts and matching your photography to the market...This book gives the reader some crucial advice for the competitive world of nature photography - and then some.'
Amateur Photographer Magazine

From the Author

Turning photo techniques into a livelihood.
Several years ago when I first started to make the leap from amateur to professional photographer there seemed to be little help available from the shelves of any bookshop I cared to look in. There were plenty of photographic books displaying wonderful photographs, many of them describing the techniques needed to capture such images yourself. But on the question of how to turn those pictures into a livelihood there was a total void.

Somehow I found my way, not just surviving but eventually prospering in the jungle of nature photography. And when Focal Press asked me to write a book about the business of nature photography I was more than pleased to oblige. The result is 'Professional Nature Photography', a book that is not about techniques - I've assumed that anyone reaching for this book has a reasonable grasp of those - but about how to go about making a living from nature photography: understanding your photography, organizing your office, approaching potential clients, planning and making photographic trips, dealing with legal matters, and so on.

The book is a compilation of my own experiences and more or less covers the way I handle my work. Undoubtedly, some of my colleagues will disagree with a few of my conclusions, but like I say, what lies between the covers of this book comes as a result of my own experiments, failures and successes. I cannot guarantee success for anyone following my route, but the book does light the way, and I wish you all success!

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0240515218
• ISBN 13: 9780240515212
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 182