The Handbook of Bird Photography

Markus Varesvuo is a world-renowned bird photographer who has an uncanny knack for capturing action. While working in the business world for over 20 years, Markus ran a parallel life of bird watching and photography that began in his early teens. In 2005 he became a full-time professional bird photographer and has since written several books and received a number of awards for his photographs. His book Birds: Magic Moments was released by New Holland Publishers in late 2011 in six different languages. In 2010, he won the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in the Birds category. Jari Peltomaki is an internationally acclaimed bird photographer and tour operator based in Finland. His thirty-plus years of experience in the field is evident in his books, articles, and talks. Though bird photography is his main interest, his photo library includes other wildlife as well, photographed both in Finland and abroad. Since 2007, Jari has chaired the Professional Nature Photographers of Finland Association. His photographs regularly receive awards in international competitions and have received several awards in the Veolia Environnement (BBC) Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. He is the director of Finnature, Finland's leading wildlife tour operator. Bence Mate is a young and exceptionally talented wildlife photographer. Growing up in a small rural village in the Hungarian plains, a birder's paradise, Bence studied nature, his biggest interest. Most of his spare time was spent fishing, hunting, or bird watching, and he built his first hide at the age of 14. At a time when Hungary had yet to see its first professional wildlife photographer, Bence decided to become one. He has since won numerous awards for wildlife photography, including the Veolia Environnement (BBC) Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in 2010. In 2006, he started a nature photo tourism business, and his innovations in wildlife photograph-custom-built hides, tripods, and one-way glass-have caught the interest of many photographers. In 2010, Bence published his first book, The Invisible Photographer. Eagerly tapping into all the possibilities offered by continuous technical evolution, Bence focuses on action photography of wild birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. He lives in Pusztaszer on his farm, which is also his business headquarters. He has built photography centers in Costa Rica and Brazil.