There are certain people whose work is simply inspirational. One such is an American called Arthur (Artie) Morris. I bought his book The Art of Bird Photography: The Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques, fell in love with his images and learned a lot about wildlife photography and, perhaps more importantly, a great deal more about exposure. He wrote this book, however, before he 'went digital'. Even more importantly he has made available for the modest cost of $20 a file he calls Digital Basics. This explains, in easily understood steps, how he processes his images. Anyone who has taught themselves to use Photoshop will know just how hard it is to learn how to effectively use this enormously complex software and Artie has done an amazingly good job of this. He also provides free bulletins and a blog describing his latest assignments. Not only are his images outstanding, but the way in which he shares his considerable expertise is outstanding. There are few people around who do what he does for nothing. I have used Artie to order digital display cleaning systems, compact flash cards and other files and have found him to be utterly trustworthy. Chambal Safari Lodge, Northern India In November 2008 we visited one of the great wildlife locations in the world. Set in rural India there is something for everyone: culture at the Bateshwar temples on the River Yamuna, where we were the only two europeans, some of the best food we have eaten anywhere in India and, of course, absolutely fantastic wildlife. If you want to get really close up and personal with sarus cranes, Gangetic dolphins and gharials, or merely enjoy a different slant on an India many tourists never see, this is the place for you. An experience to savour and not to be missed. The Pete Cooper tiger experience in India is unrivalled and when we travelled with him to Bandhavgarh in November 2008 we had an incredible 28 sightings in 10 days, some from point blank range. He has an amazing team of drivers who fully understand just where to position the jeeps for the best photographs and their ability to guess where the tigers are likely to appear next is uncanny. Link this trip to the Chambal experience and it will just blow you away! The Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) This is a county focal point on all birding matters, including an excellent News & Recent Sightings page. This is a great site for all matters concerning butterflies and moths in Sussex. A great new resource for all things dragonfly. Dorian is a fellow member of the Sussex Ornithological Society and his web site features many bird images. |