Book Review - Bird Photographer of the Year - Princeton University Press

      I have been looking forward to the ninth edition of Bird Photographer of the Year, as have many of you I suspect, birder and photographer alike.

     Let me point out right away, lest I forget, that a portion of the profits from the book goes to Birds on the Brink, a charity that supports bird conservation around the world. Not only will you derive great pleasure from the book, you will equally experience that warm glow of satisfaction knowing that you are helping nature rebound a little.

     Tens of thousands of pictures are submitted each year, and it falls to a panel of distinguished judges to declare the winners in various categories. The wisdom of Solomon pales by comparison!

     If there is a common denominator in all of this, it is that expensive, sophisticated equipment is a prerequisite to success. You will not find images snapped with your smartphone here!

     The photographer provides a brief synopsis of the conditions under which the picture was taken, and his or her approach to capturing the image before you. The judges then offer their reaction to the picture and the reasons for their selection.

      There is a good deal of subjectivity involved, of course, but that's inescapable in a contest of this nature. One has to wonder - if the winner is a perfect 10 - how many pictures were worthy of 9.99999? The selection at times must be that close.

      It's great that you can be an armchair judge at home and impose your own discriminating choice on the selections of the judges. For example, I find the very dramatic image of dead birds killed by collisions with buildings in Toronto, staggering in its impact, yet far from earning my imprimatur as Gold Award Winner of the Year.

     But I am not a judge!

     The constant throughout is that one is treated to photography as an art form, not simply a means of recording reality. The skill of the artist (aka photographer), combined with intimate knowledge of  the equipment, the willingness to devote the hours involved to finding the subject, and understanding it well, and the vision of what the end result might be, all combine to present the magnificent image you have in front of you.

     No doubt the final editing process on the computer plays its part too.

     On a personal note, I was overjoyed to see that my young friend, Matthew Kwan, from Hong Kong, was one of the artists; his picture of a Ural Owl entitled Midwinter Nap was commended.

     The book is remarkable in so many ways. If it helps to reinforce the value of nature, and to marshall the collective resolve of people of good will determined to save it, it will have done its job.

Bird Photographer of the Year - Princeton University Press

Hardcover - $35.00 USD - ISBN: 9780691263595

256 pages - 11.25 x 9 inches (28.125 x 22.5 cm)

Publication date: 24 September, 2024