Didn't love this book. I've had it on my shelf for a while, and had hoped to get some useful tips on nature photography. Certainly, the author did offer some information that was valuable, and as a book for beginning photographers this probably has some merit. As a somewhat experienced amateur photographer, however, there really wasn't anything here that I found useful. The author focuses a lot on using tripods, which is a good technique for certain things, but not useful for most wildlife photography (which is my primary focus). That's not a criticism of the book, though - just a difference in styles.

My biggest problem with this book, however, and the reason for the low star rating, is that I disagree with the author's stance on using a flash with wild animals. Sure, getting that eye glint looks fantastic in a photo, but a photographer should NEVER put his or her subject at risk by using flash if it will disturb or harm the animal. Certainly, there are some times (and some animals) with whom it is fine to use a flash, but there are also situations in which flash should not be used - and the author of this book did not make that distinction. Fill flash in bright daylight is usually not a problem, as the animal's eyes are already used to bright light. But in low light settings, that burst of light can be very harmful indeed. (Think about how uncomfortable it is when someone unexpectedly turns on the light in your bedroom in the middle of the night. Now, imagine a bird who is startled in this way and tries to fly, but has been temporarily blinded by that light from your camera). Plus, there are some animals who are sensitive to light and should never be flashed under any circumstances - including members of the seahorse family, and one of the author's flash examples is of one of these animals. So, Cox lost all credibility with me by putting this unethical information in the book - information which could potentially lead to the injury or death of some photo subjects. NO photograph is ever worth putting its subject at risk in this way. In all cases, it is better to err on the side of caution, and refrain from using flash with wildlife, unless you are certain you know what you are doing. ( )