A few years ago, one of the students in our Digital Complete Nature Photo Course was, we discovered, an avid expert on the songs of katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers, and a real lover and expert on these species. He had compiled and marketed a CD of the songs of these insects, and now, he's done himself one step better, for Wil Hershberger, in conjunction with his co-author Lang Elliott, have produced a fabulous book aptly titled, The Songs of Insects.
There are a couple of reasons why I'm raving about this book. One, I like insects, and I like to photograph them. Large, colorful, conspicuous insects are among the most fun to shoot, but the dilemna in doing so is it is often difficult to identify the species. Presently I use several guides, including the Kaufman Field Guide I mentioned earlier, as well as field guide books on butterflies, dragonflies, and miscellaneous general guides. One of these is a field guide devoted to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the US, which I felt was handy (and is) for identification. However, in comparing that book with The Songs of Insects I found that there three common species of Trigs - while only two were shown in the Field Guide. So, what's a Trig? I'd seen, and filmed, my first one just last year, and I only suspected it was some type of cricket, which it is, and which Wil's book so handsomely illustrates.
The images in the book are simply outstanding. Last year, Wil won a Highly Commended (really, a Third Place) in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition (there are nearly 20,000 entries, and about 80 winners), and the photos by he and Elliott are wonderful - good behavior, SHARP, and well lighted. I've done this type of work, and I just can't imagine concentrating on these subjects -- it is so tough. Additionally, though, many of the species are illustrated against a pure white background, clearly illuminating every aspect of the insect. For identification, you just can't beat that style.
While the book claims to illustrate only the common singing
insects, I felt like an idiot as I learned that there are twelve
species of what I've always lumped as 'annual' cicadas, and 17
species of Katydid types - I've struggled to identify a handful.
As an identification assist, the book will be invaluable, and
as an inspiration for taking better insect photographs, well,
as the commercial goes, it's priceless.
Fully illustrated, and I mean fully, complete with a great CD
of songs, and wonderfully indexed, this 228 page book is a steal
at its cover price of $19.95. It's available at bookstores, Amazon,
and at www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com. You might be able to get
an autographed copy, too, by contacting Wil direct at wil@natureimagesandsounds.commailto:natureimagesandsounds.com
You'll love it.
Photoshop CS3 Upgrade
Framing with a Telephoto Against a Desert Sunrise
Adobe
Photoshop LIGHTROOM
Workflow
and Workload - You Can Keep Ahead
Bring
along a Point N Shoot
Backing Up Your
Digital Files - you'll need more than you think
Action
Wildlife Photography Camera Settings
HELICON FOCUS
Filter maximizing depth of field digitally
Capture 1's Most
Useful Features
DIGITAL
Photographing scenes with extreme exposure values
Effective
Cloning in Adobe CS2
Watch Your Backgrounds
- The potential of composites or shooting in RAW format
DIGITAL
-Shoot for the Future
DIGITAL-Shoot
for the Future, Part II
The
Helicon Focus Filter Revisited
A
Great Insect Field Guide
Action
Wildlife Photography Camera Settings
The
Pond-A Must-See shooting Location in southern Arizona
Don't
take in baby wild animals
Seize the Moment!
Take a
Workshop First
Luck, what is it?
At the Pulse of
Life by Fritz Polking
Carry-on
Luggage for small commuter flights
New
Lens Covers for Long Lenses
The
Best All-Around Lens
Keep Your Head Up
Save Your Equipment from Crashing!
The L-Bracket,
the ultimate camera bumper
Visual
Echos Tele-Flash for the 580EX Flash
Testing
your Flash's Aim
The Ultimate
Flash Bracket
Using
TTL flash with Hummingbirds
Specular
highlights and the flashing frog
Geared Focusing Rail for
Macro Work
Shooting
in Inclement Weather
Low
level tripod work
Sighting in a very, very long
lens
Padding
Your WimberleyTripod Head
Using The Wimberley Gimbal
head with a camera body
Wimberley 400
and 600mm IS plate
How
do we protect our gear from dust, and carry our gear when on safari
How do you
shoot the Moon?
If
you see it, it's too late -- a lesson in anticipation
Protecting
your long lens from SAND, the pleasures of beach photography
Maximum
Depth of Field and Hyperfocal Distance - they're not the same
thing!
A
great depth of field guide
Carry Your Gear!
Custom Function 4-1 for
Nikon and Canon shooters
Sigma's 120-300 f2.8 APO
zoom telephoto lens
A Car Tip that
could Save Your Life
A Great Website for Information
- the Singapore Nature Photography Society
Airline Carry-On
Luggage -Let your concerns be heard!
Ask Questions Before You Go
Liquids
in your Levels - TSA Warnings!
Disconnect
-- travel precautions
Photograph America
Newsletter
Obey
the Rules
Wildlife
Portraiture
Drying out boots
with newspaper
Removing Cactus
Spines
The
Ti Chi Stalk
Photographing
Critically Endangered Sites
The Sibley Bird
Guides