Customer Rating: 
Summary: Spectacular!
Comment: This is the second volume I've reviewed in the now very well established, BBC wildlife photographer of the year competition. Portfolio 15 was the first one I bought and because of the amazing pictures I've continued to buy it each year, however I did not review 16 or 17 because there was little else to say. Now, I feel there is.
I don't know what the photographers out there have been doing this year but the level in quality has jumped to a whole new level and it will be amazing to see if they can sustain it. The number of pictures produced from film rather than a digital sensor seems to have fallen almost to nothing but if the quality is improving for that reason then who would complain? The photos in this volume transcend wildlife or nature photography. They are fine art. Incredible moments, captured with exquisite competition and perfect timing.
A few photos after my first look already stick in my mind, an image of dolphins going after fish, an underwater portrait of a beaver, a snake trying in vain to eat a treefrog.
If you bought other volumes in the series you'll know how good they are and need little convincing, even without knowing how much better this new portfolio is. If you haven't - then you must try them out starting with this one. If you only have the one book of wildlife photography, make it this one - you won't find better than this anywhere.
The book follows the standard formula and include a short statement by each photographer and include technical details, these are generally short but cover the essentials like aperture and shutter speed and this is, after all, not a book on how to take a photo. It would be nice if the pages were bigger but they're glossy and the photos seem to have been reproduced very well.
Absolutely wonderful book, stands head and shoulders above the other volumes in the series. A must-own item!
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