In this book, Bob Krist defines four characteristics that capture the spirit of a place: interesting composition, great light, a sense of moment and good color or range of gray tones. He goes on to explain that the challenge is in producing images that integrate all four of these characteristics and making pictures without getting bogged down or overwhelmed by travel logistics or the "strangeness" of a place. The people and place have to be the central attraction despite all these factors.

By the time one finishes reading the book, Krist aims to convert sightseeing photographers to travel photographers. The key advice in this book is how to "be there" or, how to become engaged with local people and culture in order to produce intimate pictures that capture the spirit of a place. He does discuss the basic "rules" of composition but photography technique is not the primary focus of this book.

Some key images in a photo story are the establishing shot (wide angle overview), medium shot (closer view than establishing shot), closeup shot (storytelling details) and point of view shot (from the angle of a participant). The photo story entitled "Sublime Venice" captures the essence of this book by providing a fresh view from a familiar place, with all the key elements including people, that conveys the spirit of Venice.

One overlooked aspect of travel photography - people photography - is given prominent coverage in this book. Krist also talks about how important it is to control the quality of light in order to produce pleasing images. He gives examples of selecting a scene based on the lighting, or modifying the lighting using filters or auxillary lighting. Even a mundane scene looks flattering under the right lighting conditions.

It is unmistakable that this book is writen by a well seasoned travel photographer. Who else will consider paying attention to practical issues and offering solutions for sartorial selections suitable to travel assignments?

Gardens are one of the most easily accessible photographic subjects, next to family and pets. The vast majority of people have their own garden or live close to a public garden. This probably explains their popularity as photographic subjects. Successfully photographing them requires an appreciation of garden subjects and being a successful garden photographer further requires an understanding of the marketplace. Derek Fell explains all of these in his book "Flower and Garden Photography".

He starts off with a discussion of the pros and cons of various photographic equipment that could be employed in a garden. Next follows the description of three different views that will provide good coverage of any garden. Advice such as "take every path" and "look for an elevated viewpoint" are invaluable, if one refers to this checklist while photographing a garden. After all, it is far too easy to become so mesmerised by a garden that one fails to fully explore all the possibilities.

The business side of garden photography is covered throughout the book. As a very successful garden photographer, Derek Fell offers quite a bit of detailed advice on the plants whose pictures are in greater demand than others. Also described are potential markets, how to sell and how to track submissions.

I feel this book will appeal to anybody that is curious about garden photography or is contemplating work in this area. Experienced garden photographers might find Derek Fell's insights on the business side valuable. After reading this book and admiring the wonderful photographs, one will surely start seeing gardens in a whole new light, figuratively and literally.