Books

How and Where to Photograph Birds in Southern Africa

A guide book aimed at getting YOU to take great photos​​

A great gift for nature-lovers and photographers

Written by world-recognised and award-winning wildlife photographer, Isak Pretorius, this photography guide book will instruct both beginner and advanced bird photographers.  

The guide covers everything from what equipment to buy, explaining the technical concepts of photography, what settings to use for bird photography specifically, how to judge light and the artistic elements of photography, and where the bird photography hotspots are in Southern Africa. It is the perfect guide to help you capture stunning photos and improve your bird photography. 

For the photographers who want to get the great shots now before mastering the technical and creative elements, the guide includes a summary of camera settings to use in every chapter. There has never been such a comprehensive guide book on the market before!

“There’s a row of photography books on a shelf in our study, but none as good as Isak Pretorius’ “How and where to photograph birds in southern Africa”. This book is an absolute must have for anyone interested in bird photography!”
Mark Anderson
Birdlife South Africa
“I was at your book launch and thoroughly enjoyed you talk. I bought the book and while I am an fairly experienced photographer the bird genre is new to me. I’ve started reading your book and it is user friendly, very informative and easy to follow. Well done!”
Laetitia Wolhuter Kenny
Photographic Society of South Africa
“Your book is so much more than just a ‘bird book’, it’s a ton of information! We are quite flabbergasted by the photographic detail which is certainly not limited to bird photography but photography in general. I see your guide going absolutely everywhere with us.“
Ayesha Cantor
“My signed copy of the new book by Isak Pretorius about bird photography. Couldn’t ask for a more humble and gifted author than someone that won the bird section of last years BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Get your copy, excellent book.”
Johann Mader

A PREVIEW OF WHAT'S INSIDE

A FEW REASONS TO BUY THIS BOOK

It’s in the detail

Key points

Cheat cards

Isak’s tips

Key points summary section

For the photographer that only wants to “get the shot” without having to read the detailed explanations, there is a KEY POINTS section at the beginning of each chapter. These key points summarise the important concepts and settings for your camera as described in each chapter. By following these key points you will give yourself the best chance of taking amazing photos!

It’s in the detail

For the photographer who wants to become an expert, the book features detailed information about the equipment, technical aspects, light, techniques and places to do bird photography in Southern Africa. While it covers a lot of important detail, the book features simple-to-understand instructions and well structured text, and many visual diagrams to make these concepts as easy to grasp as possible.

20 Easy-to-follow camera setting cheat cards

The cheat cards demonstrate the important camera settings for achieving specific shots. They show an example photo and highlights the two most important settings for that specific shot. Without having to understand the technical aspects of photography, these settings can be copied to give yourself the best chance of capturing the perfect photo under the specific conditions.

Learn Isak's tips and tricks for each category

Along with the detailed descriptions of all the concepts of bird photography, the diagrams and samples, Isak has included special “tips” relevant to the topic at hand. These tips are Isak’s personal tricks of the trade learnt from his experience of photographing birds. Most of the tips include a photo to show how it is applicable in the field. There are a total of 61 of Isak’s tips throughout this guide book.

250+ full colour photos

The book is filled with visual elements to clearly illustrate the concepts discussed. The bird photos in this guide book are a technical reference with the location, species and camera settings included on each one. The photos either illustrate a concept or how beautiful birds can appear in a photograph with the careful consideration of light, angle and background.

A book for all levels of experience

This guide is for anyone interested in bird photography, whether they are only starting the hobby, or someone that is already a good photographer and wants to learn the techniques of advanced bird photography, as well as someone interested in reading about new places to do bird photography. Although the locations featured are in Southern Africa, the concepts shared can be applied globally, in all locations.​

About the author and photographer

Isak Pretorius is a specialist wildlife photographic guide from South Africa. His discovery of nature’s special moments at a young age shaped his aspirations of today: to showcase the beauty of his continent’s natural wonders in a creative way. His bird and wildlife images have won multiple awards and been celebrated nationally and internationally in many publications. His preferred genre of fine art bird photography is easily recognisable by their authentic style, simplistic design and technical skill. Isak’s passion for nature is fuelled by the reminiscence of a classic Africa and his aim is to create conservation awareness for his continent’s natural wonders.

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