Tim Laman’s been photographing birds for decades. Beginning with film cameras in the 1980s and now using mirrorless digital cameras, Laman’s work has been facilitated by technology. But technological advances are only tools that facilitate art. Laman writes:

You can only create a beautiful image if you get to your location, find your subject, wait for the right light and action, choose your composition carefully, get your subject in focus, adjust the exposure correctly and push the button at the right time.

Bird Planet is full of beautiful images taken literally around the globe. The chapters are organized by continent, from Southeast Asia to Antarctica. It’s fascinating to see not just the differences, but the similarities among global bird species. The plumage varies, but terns are turns and doves are doves.

My favourite picture in the book is two-page spread of a buffy fish owl marching along a fallen tree. To capture this nocturnal bird, Laman set up a camera trap with lights. The picture is intimate (and adorable).

Abrams has done an excellent job producing this very large coffee-table book. The paper is thick and the full-colour prints are vibrant. I received it as a birthday gift from my family. You should buy this for the bird-lover in your life!

Laman, Tim. Bird Planet: A Photographic Journey. Abrams, 2022.