Why don't my pictures turn out like that?" People ask me variations on that question several times a day when I show may photography at arts and crafts fairs. The question is, of course, rhetorical. But a general answer is not all that complicated. When most people try their hand at nature photography, they usually just take grabshots; they see something interesting, grab a camera, and shoot. Not surprisingly, the results are often unimpressive.

Most people could dramatically improve their photography by simply taking a little more time setting up their shots, using a tripod, and learning the basics of composition, exposure, and other aspects of photography.

In this book, I shall attempt to give interested amateurs the little nudge necessary to take them beyond the grabshot, and into the realm of quality nature photography. I'll cover the basics of exposure, light, and lenses. The core of the book is the composition section, where I'll put my own spin on traditional compositional guides, such as the Rule of Thirds, and make up some "rules" of my own. Later, I'll share some tips and techniques for the field. Framing these more technical sections, I'll include some of my thoughts on developing your own creative vision. The "vision thing" chapters are pretty brief; ultimately your personal style must come from your own experience, aesthetics, and spiritually. What this book attempts to do is help you develop the tools of self expression.

Throughout the book, I assume that the reader is using a 35mm single lens reflex camera with some degree of manual control of exposure and focus. Hopefully, you can also change focal lengths, either with a zoom lens or with multiple lenses. Many parts of this book, especially the composition section, are applicable to other camera types, but to do serious nature photography, you'll need to be able to control your exposure and focus.

I try to avoid using brand names whenever possible, since I'm not getting paid by any of the manufacturers to plug their products. Not only that, but it would be a daunting task to compile a fair survey of available photo goodies. The major exception to my brand name ban is when I discuss film; there's just no way to discuss film without discussing specific film brands and emulsions. The major photo magazines regularly have features comparing the merits of different films, cameras, etc. I suggest you check out a few of them if you're in the market for a particular item.

This book is littered with curious diversions which I call Dr. Garth's Prescriptions for Improving Your Photography and Dangerous Dichotomies. The prescriptions are the distilled essence of the most important lessons in the book. They are the quick and (usually) painless ways to make the leap beyond the grabshot and into the exalted realm of wonderful photography.

The dichotomies are a little more complicated. They are false dichotomies, where people have an unfortunate tendency to cling to extreme positions, rather than find the healthy middle ground. The Dangerous Dichotomies are traps; if you cling tenaciously to extreme positions on these questions, you condemn yourself to the cage of myopic mediocrity. For example, some shooters see a great schism between technique and artistic vision; but the two cannot be mutually exclusive if one is going to produce images worth looking at. Technique without art is boring; art without technique is poop.