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WELCOME                                                          

Moods of nature is a web site that promotes my new Nature photography book called "Moods of Nature" which I plan to have finished this year. The book will feature stunning photographs and essays from Western and Central Canada - including photos from the West Coast, the Great Bear Rainforest, the Canadian Rockies, the Badlands - Dinosaur Provincial Park, Red Rock Coulee, Writing on Stone, the Prairies, the Arctic and the Great Lakes. It's an ambitious project, one that I have been thinking about and working on the photos for over 35 years. The book will not be another coffee-table book, there are too many of those already. It will be a book about the art and philosophy of nature photography including discussions about the places, composition, effective techniques on how to take photos and where to go to get the best photos. The book will also discuss the use of a digital darkroom and the post processing of images using photoshop, however this will not be another photoshop recipe book or how to photography book - I don't think we need more of those.

I started on the book a few years ago and then work and life got in the way. I even posted a short demo version with some pages here if you would like to see the initial prototype. Since then I have re- thought my approach and will redesign the book from scratch. I am hoping the book's audience will be other photographers, travelers, and nature lovers. The locations and content will be entirely canadian. The book will also contain a DVD with HD video showing locations and interviews with other prominent Canadian nature photographers. The goal is to show you amazing places that inspire you to visit them and take your own photos.

As a photographer, teacher and biologist - I will pour my heart and soul into this book as if it were the last thing I do. Nature and photography are very important to me as is teaching and sharing my passion and knowledge with others. Books have played an important role in my own education as I learned composition from photographers and writers I have never met.

As the book develops I will upload components for discussion and feedback and welcome your input - in a sense it will be interactive in that I will listen to what you think would be valuable. It is an experiment. The completed book will be available as an e-book and a printed version. I hope you will check back to provide input and watch the development of this project. - this site and the entire contents will be transformed in the next few months. For now I hope you will look at my gallery section which features some of the photographs that will appear in this new book.

If you would like to email me with what you would like to see an a book on nature photography I would love to have your input - rberdan@scienceandart.org

Sincerely Yours,

Robert Berdan Ph.D.
Nature photographer
February 4, 2010