It's a shame that the book's printing quality is bad, the book becomes disintegrated after a few readings. The pictures are not super sharp either. This might be the results of bad publishing, or it might be John Shaw's reluctance to user larger format (which has always been a mystery to me). Hard to imagine as meticulous as he is, he is not pursuing the ultimate quality of images.


Excellent Technical Info   December 6, 2000
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I had done a fair bit of macro and I always thought I had good knowledge of the subject till I read this book. A lot of technical data and tables to help a newbie (and those who never bothered to see the technical side of macro, like me)to get up and running.

One very uncommon (but excellent) area he dipped in is to teach the readers some basic techniques to build flash brackets, simple diffuser, reflector etc that actually works, not step-by-step but at least it gives the reader some idea.

If you want a more light-hearted reading or leave it on the coffee table, then get Complete Guide to Close-Up & MacRo Photography by Paul Harcourt Davies. This book is more focused on fauna, hard cover, real beauty to look at and is also excellent in its own right.


images of natures tiny subjects   June 14, 2000
 31 out of 31 found this review helpful

If you're interested in nature photography and especially macro work, get this book before you spend a ton of money on confusing and/or expensive equipment (ie macro lenses, diopter sets, extension tubes, lens reversal rings etc.) John is easy to read and covers about everything you need to know about how to capture natures tiny subjects on film. Although the book is a bit old, basic photo techniques don't change and his love of photography is contagious. Buy this book and you'll be out in your yard within hours, camera in hand. He is a firm believer in the old saying "necessity is the mother of invention". From calibrating your light meter, using the palm of your hand to estimate midtone exposure, making homemade flash brackets or reflectors from coolwhip containers and tin foil, he covers it all. He reviews the basics of exposure, flash, different film pros and cons and explains all the basic macro equipment so you know what lenses and equipment will and won't do for you.


Great, Easy-to-Read and Friendly   April 12, 2000
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

If you are interested at all in nature photography, you will enjoy and benefit from any of John Shaw's works. Shaw is a clear, concise writer as well as a great photographer.

My favorite of Shaw's books, Closeups in Nature is a thoughtfully designed and clearly written guide that both inspires and instructs. With warmth and clarity, John Shaw offers tips and explanations that are practical, down-to-earth and truly helpful. He focuses on how to make the most out of one's efforts in macro photography, but the instruction goes a long way farther and helps in many other areas of nature photography. On top of all this, the photos are stunningly beautiful. This is highly recommended.


One of the most inspiring nature photographers!   January 28, 2000
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

John Shaw is often considered the modern master of the closeup (in reality he shares this title with George Lepp). The techniques in this book will help anyone interested in closeup photography get started on the road to mastery. I highly recommend this book!

The techniques he presents are not new; most are presented in the highly-technical (out-of-print) works of Alfred Blaker, but Shaw is much more readable.

The book was published in 1987, so it does not cover the use of more modern photographic equipment. Further, all gear presented is for Nikon systems, so users of other systems may need to do some homework to translate some of the techniques to their systems. Look for updates in his video tapes "Successful Closeups" and Advanced Closeups" available from Kirk Photo website online..

In summary, buy this book, Shaw's video tapes, and the books by Lepp (available here at Amazon.com). Then turn off your computer and start making closeup photographs!