The Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Masters of Nature Photography - Tapa dura

Hearing the call of the wild and capturing it on camera are two very different things, as the 10 photographers featured in the new book The Masters of Nature Photography can attest. They sometimes spent months tracking their subjects or stood waist-deep in lakes for hours. Still, nature photography is an underappreciated art, says the book's editor, Rosamund Kidman Cox. Because wildlife photography has historically been used mainly to record animals rather than to create art, the job was left to scientists who weren't trying to take something beautiful, says Ms. Cox. But recent improvements in photography, such as larger lenses and digital features, have allowed photographers to get more up-close and artistic.--Alexandra Wolfe"Wall Street Journal.com" (09/27/2013)

This collection presents the very best of nature photography, featuring the work of ten of the world's foremost photographers. From the evocative artistry of Jim Brandenburg and Vincent Munier to the pioneering underwater photography of David Doubilet and Paul Nicklen, these influential artists display many different ways of seeing the natural world. Marvel at Pal Hermansen's magical use of light and dark, the groundbreaking viewpoints of Frans Lanting, Anup Shah's intimate portraits, the powerful visual statements of Michael Nichols, Thomas D Mangelsen's vast, wild landscapes and Christian Ziegler's gems of wild behaviour. Each portfolio profiles the photographer - his approach, influences and aims - and displays ten iconic images that reflect the range of his work. The accompanying captions focus on why the images are special for the photographer as well as telling the stories behind their creation. Revealing the inspiration behind some of the world's most important nature photographs, this beautiful book will captivate art enthusiasts, photographers and all those with a passion for nature.