Miles Collins

A review of the new book by renowned wildlife photographer Andy Rouse….

I must declare this to be a somewhat biased review as I am a huge fan of Andy Rouse’s work. A little over a year ago I reviewed his Concepts of Nature book, a real tour de force on wildlife photography. This new book is based on wildlife and more especially its natural surroundings and Andy demonstrates how the two come together in a stunning portfolio of pictures from around the world.

The pictures make a refreshing change from most wildlife shots which often focus on close ups with the emphasis on the quality of the detail but this collection steps back from that with the background to the animal in question telling its own story and allowing the reader to get a glimpse of the world the animal lives in and indeed the conditions Andy found himself in whilst taking them.

There are shots of polar and grizzly bears in their own unique environments, amazing patterns set by migrating starlings, penguins, cheetahs, tigers in Bengal, Afican lions, wildebeest and many more. What I enjoy is the quality of the writing which gives the reader an insight into Andy’s thoughts on nature and its habitat whilst at the back of the book he kindly divulges snippits of his tradecraft behind each of the photographs.

This isn’t a book for photographers although many will buy it for the that reason, rather it is a book for anyone who loves wildlife and the great outdoors, but more importantly than that it should serve as a reminder for all of us of the importance of both nature and our own landscapes and what we, the human race is doing to both.

For purchase within the UK you can buy a signed copy at www.andyrouse.co.uk or for overseas it is avaliable through Amazon and all major book sellers:

Living Landscapes (Creative Visions of the Wild) by Andy Rouse
Printed by Argentum
ISBN: 978 1 902538 56 3