Phototips – Principles of Nature Photography by Heinrich van den Berg

Van den Bergs reveals secrets that have kept him at the forefront of nature photography

With Phototips – Principles of Nature Photography, the Van den Bergs reveal their secrets – secrets that have kept them at the forefront of nature photography for many years, and that have enabled them to create the compelling images for more than 20 magnificent coffee-table books. Instead of producing an in-depth encyclopaedia for nature photographers, the Van den Bergs have opted to keep Phototips simple and to the point. By showing an image, and then revealing a tip for both beginners and pros, based on that image, they have produced a unique book. In addition to the tips, the Van den Bergs teach the readers how to take images similar to those in the book – how to think when capturing the image and what camera
settings to use.

Principles of Nature Photography covers the basic aspects of nature photography. The chapter photo gear deals with the importance of the right equipment, and how to use the equipment you have to its full potential. In photo capture, all aspects of image capture are covered, and photo lighting discusses the importance of lighting, and how to use light. In the chapter entitled photo tales, readers will be entertained by some of the Van den Bergs' first-hand accounts of experiences on assignment. And if the readers are still hungry for more, the photo definitions will certainly satisfy all your needs.

More About the Author

In 1998 Heinrich van den Berg left his profession as a civil engineer to become a wildlife photographer. Since then he has travelled the world photographing wildlife, culture and adventure sport with a uniquely artistic eye. In his bid to "tell a story in every picture", he has climbed icy volcanoes in Argentina and Chile, tracked endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda, searched for rare chameleons in Madagascar, wandered through the sacred temples of Cambodia, and walked the steamy forests of Borneo and Sumatra to photograph the elusive orangutan. He has photographed extensively in Southern Africa, where he lives, capturing on film the elusive leopard in Kruger National Park, the desert elephant in Namibia’s Kaokoland, and the captivating birdlife of Botswana.

Van den Berg has done assignment photography for Getty Images, National Geographic, the Peaceparks Foundation, bhp Billiton and Discovery Communications. Assignment photography done for Discovery’s Animal Planet includes still images for the Meerkat Manor series, as well as a recent shoot at Harnas Rehabilitation Centre in Namibia.

Van den Berg’s photographs are known for breaking boundaries and depicting the natural world in a fresh and evocative way. To ensure that the quality of images is maintained from the field to the printed page, Van den Berg is intimately involved with the reproduction and printing process – from the colour correction to the design and final production of his sought-after wildlife books. Since 2001 Van den Berg has published thirteen photographic wildlife books. 

Awards & Achievements

• The Eric Hosking Award for 2016 & 2017 BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 
• Camel Trophy International Photography Award 1998
• Fuji / Getaway Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• 14 awards in 2009 – among these were 3 Gold awards in the Profoto Awards for professional photographers